Flowers of Literature Series -- Selected Prose of Guo Feng

Author: Guo Feng Yao Chunshu (Editor)
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-09-01
Features: Millions of prose pieces, millions of life attitudes, embodying the sentiments of masters as they contemplate nature and experience life and death. Life is like the changing seasons—flowers bloom and fade, yet the truths within these pages will be etched forever. Reading this book, you will immerse yourself in the works of renowned authors, savoring the love of family and the care of friends. A force for goodness will nourish the parched soul and invigorate the withering life. Together, we share the exquisite and immortal works, feeling the beauty through the strokes of 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. Each selected essay is widely celebrated, a masterpiece of language and literature. Throughout history, how many exquisite prose pieces, like pearls, have shone brilliantly! The "Hundred Flowers Prose Series" may not claim to have strung them into a necklace, but here they are no longer scattered pearls, making them easier to read and appreciate. The selected essays focus on lyrical and narrative prose; their themes range from society and life to parting and flowers. The styles are both grand and unrestrained, as well as subtle and reserved. The "Hundred Flowers Prose Series" is not just a "treasure collection," but the works included are always filled with brilliance and inspiration.
The "Hundred Flowers Prose Series" includes the "Ancient Prose Series," "Modern Prose Series," and "Contemporary Prose Series," all published in separate volumes, each featuring works by different authors. Ancient Chinese prose has a long and profound history, with deep roots and lush branches. Like poetry, it is one of the most important and distinctive literary forms in ancient Chinese literature, as well as a magnificent cultural treasure in the history of human civilization. To promote the fine culture of the Chinese nation, inherit the traditions of ancient prose, and foster the prosperity and improvement of contemporary prose creation, as well as provide readers with references and enjoyment, this "Ancient Chinese Prose Series" has been compiled as part of the "Hundred Flowers Prose Series."
The scope of prose has evolved over time, differing between ancient and modern eras. This series primarily selects essays with strong literary qualities, such as lyrical and descriptive prose. The selected authors range from the pre-Qin period to the Qing Dynasty, with each volume dedicated to a different writer. The essays are arranged chronologically based on their writing dates, allowing readers to trace the development and evolution of prose.
Each volume 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 prose creation philosophy, especially artistic features, the development of prose, and its influence. The other is the prose itself, each accompanied by a title explanation and annotations. The essay part aims to complement and enhance the prose section, helping readers achieve a rational understanding of the selected essays while deepening their perception through the essays. This mutual reinforcement makes the series not only a collection of selected essays for reading but also, to some extent, a study of the author and even a history of ancient prose, distinct from general prose anthologies and traditional histories of ancient prose.
The selected essays in each volume, in addition to the author's representative masterpieces, also include works from different periods, themes, and styles to reflect the author's literary development. The title explanations not only clarify relevant terms, specialized names, writing dates, and sources but also provide concise reviews of the background, ideological value, artistic features, and techniques of the works. The annotations primarily explain difficult characters, words, allusions, official titles, artifacts, names, and places. For important or uniquely used terms, references or examples are cited to help readers understand not just "what" but also "why."
Guo Feng, originally named Guo Jiagui, was born in 1918 in Putian City, Putian County, Fujian Province, in a "scholarly family." Putian is known for its beautiful scenery, hardworking and simple people, and advanced education and cultural institutions. Putian Opera is renowned nationwide. Kong Shangren once said, "The landscape and customs of a place are the very essence of a poet's character." This insight is profound. The beautiful and beloved mountains, landscapes, and culture of his hometown shaped Guo Feng's spirit, becoming an endless source of inspiration for his prose.
Guo Feng was blessed with a scholarly heritage. His sixth-generation ancestor, Guo Shangxian, was a jinshi during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, serving as the provincial education commissioner and vice justice of the Great Court. He was skilled in calligraphy, painting, seal carving, and wrote a diary-style prose titled "Diary of My Journey to Sichuan." His fifth-generation ancestor, Guo Zishou, was an expert in the I Ching and wrote a titled "Notes of a Mountain Folk." His fourth-generation ancestor, Guo Shixing, was a Qing Dynasty calligrapher and seal carver. Guo Feng grew up in the Laojian Hall, which his ancestor Guo Shangxian built. The hall was adorned with numerous rare flowers and plants, artificial hills and rocks, and a small lake. His grandfather and father passed away early, so Guo Feng lived a difficult life as an orphan since the age of three. However, the artistic and academic achievements of his ancestors, their free creation in prose forms, always inspired and guided him. The poetic and picturesque fairyland of Laojian Hall became a key element in the fairy-tale-like quality of Guo Feng's prose.
From a young age, Guo Feng was diligent, intelligent, and loved nature, showing early literary talent. Before the liberation, he published a large number of poems, short stories, reports, and fairy tale poems. His essays, prose poems, and prose included only the fairy tale poems, which were published as "Puppet Show." Li Liewen praised them, saying, "Guo Feng's fairy tale poems have opened a new realm for Chinese modern poetry, becoming a new flower on the modern poetic stage."