A New Chronicle of Ancient Spring Wind Tower. 4

Author: Gao Baishi
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2003-12-01
Features: The Anecdotes of Gufenglou is the work of Gao Baishi, a pioneer in the press of both sides of the Taiwan Strait. The original text was serialized in the Supplement Column of the Shengxin Daily in Taiwan for over a decade, later compiled into two volumes for publication, leaving a lasting and profound impact. The entire work spans three million words, depicting over 500 diverse figures from the late Qing Dynasty to the early Republic of China, revealing many little-known historical anecdotes and invaluable primary sources. In terms of characters: there are beggars and laborers, outlaws and wandering knights, gentlewomen and noble ladies, as well as princes, ministers, righteous citizens, and patriotic martyrs. In terms of events: some are alluring, some heroic, some loyal and brave, some bizarre, and some amusing, evoking emotions of love, hatred, pity, sorrow, enlightenment, or even inspiring readers to risk their lives in fervent passion or leave them sighing in deep reflection. Gao’s writing style is bold and unrestrained, profound and effortless; his erudition is deep, allowing him to move freely across subjects; the poems, ci, couplets, and fu he quotes are also of high quality, making the entire work excel in literary and aesthetic standards. Gao’s approach to history is rigorous, with strict judgments on praise and criticism. The tumultuous national, family, and global affairs of the past century are all encompassed in these Anecdotes, making it absolutely worth your time to savor. The Taiwan edition is newly compiled into 32 volumes in traditional characters, while the mainland edition is planned to be combined into 16 volumes in simplified characters, to be released in two installments.