Fables of the Masters

Author: Han Weizhi (Editor)
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2005-10-01
Features: Fable has long been called "the flower of wisdom, the poetry of philosophy." It sparkles with the fire of human intelligence and is filled with poetic beauty. It is like a rose with thorns—its flowers offer beauty, while its thorns serve as a warning. In the treasure trove of world literature, fable is a unique and brilliant pearl. Fable is a literary genre that conveys truths through stories. It is short in length, carries a clear satirical meaning, and possesses immense intellectual enlightenment. Therefore, the Russian fable writer Trollezevich said, "Fable is truth wrapped in a cloak." Since ancient times, fables have continuously educated generations of people. The literary tradition of fable has three major origins in the world: China, India, and Greece. Both India and ancient Greece have classic works of fable, while Chinese fables are mostly embedded in prose. They are vividly narrated, deeply philosophical, independently circulated, and possess infinite charm. Fable is an extremely ancient literary form. In Chinese classics, the term "fable" first appears in the Zhuangzi, where it is said, "Nineteen out of every twenty fables are discussed outside the text." This can be understood as "words in fable," meaning to express one idea through another. In modern terms, it is to convey a message through a story. In the West, fable is also a literary form that matured very early. Famous works like Aesop's Fables and some well-known passages from the Old Testament of the Bible are classic examples of this genre. Generally speaking, the stories in fables are fictional. Real stories often lack the implied meaning found in fiction and are therefore less likely to possess profound significance. The power of fables to move people lies not in their realism but in their depth of meaning. Have you ever felt that Murakami is too melancholic, Kundera is overly painful, or Kafka is suffocating and oppressive? Then, take some time to read the light yet thought-provoking humor of our ancestors, just like listening to stories from our grandmother—、.
[Preface] Travel with the Book
As the ancients said, "Travel ten thousand miles and read ten thousand books." For modern people, traveling ten thousand miles is easy, but reading ten thousand books is difficult. The wheels of technology are sweeping across the world at an astonishing speed. Modern people, busy with computers and all kinds of machines all day, have turned the Earth into a village with wires, fiber-optic cables, tracks, or air routes. With a click of the mouse, we can paste ourselves anywhere in the world. However, in the face of vast civilizations, without the foundation of reading ten thousand books, we not only frequently encounter the awkwardness of "meeting face to face but not recognizing each other" but also continuously accumulate the strangeness that originates from the depths of our hearts. For this reason, we long for a deeper understanding, a connection of the soul; we yearn for a return to a way of traveling—before traveling ten thousand miles, first pack a few books into our spiritual backpack so that our steps and souls can go further.
A spiritual journey does not require "writing poems in youth and studying until the hair turns white," nor does it require "hanging the head on the beam, chipping through the wall to steal light," nor does it require "a red sleeve adding fragrance, never letting go of the book." A spiritual journey only requires reading a few classics in leisurely moments. Novels, essays, and poetry can all be made into a soup for the soul; buses, subways, and even the palm of your hand can be your desk. Therefore, we have tailored a "pocket library" for busy urban dwellers. Classics are the soul of the library; easy to absorb is the essence of the library; carrying, reading anytime, anywhere, and with any mindset is the purpose of the library. The selected works in the library are all timeless classics that have been refined through the trials of different civilizations; the illustrations, carefully chosen and painstakingly collected from hundreds of rare and private collections, are a true restoration of the essence of the classics. The small format design makes it as nimble as a wallet, while the special printing process ensures that every book exudes a subtle fragrance. Classics are not afraid of time, but life cannot withstand the erosion of "time flies." The charm of classics is better seen than heard. Why not use them to mend the gaps in our time, to enhance the fragments of our days? Why not use on-the-go reading to gather wisdom piece by piece, and in the journey of the soul, to comprehend life? Reading classics, with the least travel expenses, to reach the furthest in life.