Flowers of Prose Series -- Selected Prose of He Wei

Author: He Wei
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-09-01
Features: Millions of essays, millions of attitudes toward life, embodying the emotions of masters as they contemplate nature and experience life and death. Life is like the four seasons, with flowers blooming and falling, yet the truths within these chapters will be etched forever. Reading this book, you will linger among the masterpieces of renowned writers, savoring the love of family and the care of friends. A force for goodness will nourish the parched soul and invigorate the withered life. Together, we can enjoy the timeless works, feeling the beauty through the words of the masters. The moment you open this book becomes a part of your life, enjoying the joy of reading, the joy of perception, and the joy of life. The selected essays are all well-known and can be considered masterpieces of language and literature. Throughout history, how many exquisite essays, like pearls, have shone brilliantly! The "Flowers of Essays Series" may not claim to have strung them into a necklace, but here they are no longer scattered pearls but more accessible for reading and appreciation. The selected chapters focus on lyrical and narrative essays; the themes range from society and life to parting and flowers. The styles are both grand and unrestrained, as well as subtle and reserved. The series is comprehensive and inclusive. Though it may not be called a "collection of rare gems," the works included still hold brilliance and inspiration. The "Flowers of Essays Series" includes the "Ancient Essays Series," "Modern Essays Series," and "Contemporary Essays Series," all published in separate volumes for different authors. Ancient Chinese essays have a long and profound history, with deep roots and lush branches. Like poetry, they are one of the most important and distinctive forms of ancient Chinese literature, as well as a splendid cultural treasure in the history of human civilization. To promote the fine culture of the Chinese nation, inherit the traditions of ancient essays, and foster the prosperity and improvement of contemporary essay writing, as well as provide readers with reference and appreciation, this "Ancient Chinese Essays Series" has been compiled as a part of the "Flowers of Essays Series." The scope of the essay genre has evolved over time, differing between ancient and modern eras. This series primarily selects essays with strong literary qualities, such as lyrical and descriptive ones. The selected authors range from the pre-Qin period to the Qing Dynasty, with each author's works compiled in separate volumes. The chapters are arranged in chronological order based on the time of writing, allowing readers to understand the development and evolution of essay writing. Each book in the series consists of two parts: one is an essay, which includes brief introductions to the author's life and literary activities, with a focus on analyzing and reviewing their essay writing philosophy, especially artistic characteristics, the development of their essay writing, and its influence. The other is the essays themselves, each accompanied by a title explanation and annotations. The essay part aims to complement and enhance the understanding of the selected essays, helping readers achieve a rational understanding through the essays and deepening their of the essays through the selected works, creating a mutual reinforcement. This series not only serves as a collection of selected essays for reading but also, to some extent, functions as a critique of the author and even a history of ancient essays, differing from general essay selections and general histories of ancient essays while possessing its own unique characteristics. The selected essays in each book, in addition to the author's representative masterpieces, also include essays from different periods, themes, and styles to reflect the author's development in essay writing. The title explanations not only interpret relevant words, specialized terms, and provide information on writing time and sources but also offer concise reviews of the background, ideological value, artistic characteristics, and artistic techniques of the works. The annotations primarily clarify difficult characters, words, allusions, official titles, artifacts, names, and places. For important or uniquely used terms, references or examples are cited to help readers not only understand the "what" but also the "why." With his skillful pen, "he brought out his strengths in accidental inspiration, leaving behind profound words," as his works are described as having "thoughtful composition and distinctive language" (Junzi, "Praise for One Thousand or Two Thousand-Word Essays"). The renowned essayist Lin Fei believes that He Wei's essays are "concise and clear in narrative, with fresh and enduring thoughts," "shining with the fire of thought," and that his recent essays are "mature, profound, and vast, revealing a new realm of artistic achievement." He Wei is not a prolific writer, but he is a bountiful one. His works have a wide readership, are frequently reprinted, and many of his masterpieces have been selected for various literary anthologies and textbooks. Some chapters have even been adapted into films, radio dramas, and radio novels. Millions of readers have gained rich artistic enjoyment from his essays, and many young people have benefited from the literary nourishment they provide. He Wei's essays have been translated into English, French, Japanese, and Esperanto, and his works are equally popular and beloved by foreign readers, especially Japanese readers. He Wei's achievements in the pursuit of art have won him readers and established his place in the history of contemporary Chinese essays. He Wei, originally named He Zhenye, was born on April 19, 1922, in Dinghai County, Zhejiang. "He Wei" was the pen name he began using in 1938. He has also used other pen names, including Xiaomang, Xiahou Chong, Xianatite, Lin Yan, Lin Shu, Chengli, Wang Yi, Canshang, and Moha. He Wei was born into a feudal old family, and his childhood and youth coincided with a turbulent and disaster-ridden period in Chinese society and the Chinese nation. The social unrest led to the frequent relocation of his family. When he was four years old, he moved with his family from Zhejiang to Shanghai. Shortly after, he moved with his father to Sichuan, spending some time in Yichang. He Wei was frail as a child and had to take a six-month leave from school at the age of thirteen due to illness. While lying in bed, he read classic Chinese works such as "Water Margin," "Journey to the West," and "Romance of the Three Kingdoms," as well as a large amount of new literature since the May Fourth Movement. In the early winter of that year, due to a change in his father's job, he moved with his family to Wuhan. In Wuhan, He Wei only attended school for more than half a year before graduating from primary school. During this short time, he was fortunate enough to meet a literary mentor, Li Zhiyuan. The teacher encouraged him to move from simply enjoying reading literary works to actively practicing writing. To show his gratitude to his "literary mentor," He Wei's first published work, "Road," was dedicated to Li Zhiyuan.