Selected Works of Lu Xun · Volume of Criticism: Illustrated Annotated Edition

Author: Lin Xianzhi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-06-01
Features: Selected Works of Lu Xun. Timeless classics that never grow old, poetic modern interpretations. If one were to ask who has been the most (great) and who best represents China since the New Literature Movement began, I would answer without hesitation: Lu Xun. When we see the part, he sees the whole. When we are eager to grasp the present, he has already grasped the past, the present, and the future. To understand the comprehensive national spirit of China, there is no shortcut other than reading "The Complete Works of Lu Xun." — Yu Dafu
Who is Lu Xun? Politicians call him a "flag bearer" for his "cold disdain toward a thousand critics"; scholars regard him as a "spiritual leader" for his "never forgiving one person"; thinkers consider him a "great night watchman" for "awakening those sleeping in the house," but his wife, Xu Guangping, called him a "little white elephant." Lin Xianzhi believes that over the years, Lu Xun has become a symbol with different colors. Determined to bring Lu Xun back to the human world from the empire of symbols through reviewing "Selected Works of Lu Xun," Lin Xianzhi writes, "To understand the Chinese people and the comprehensive national spirit of China, there is no shortcut other than reading Lu Xun's works."
The first thing you see is this line on the bookmark, which moves one's heart. In fact, there have been quite a few selected works of Lu Xun published in recent years. This time, Hunan Literature and Art Press has released five books, including Lu Xun's novels, essays, (miscellaneous writings), prose, and prefaces and letters. The features of this set are first the illustrations and second the reviews by Lin Xianzhi. Most of the illustrations are woodcuts, simple yet profound, along with photographs of early versions of Lu Xun's works and autographs. Lin Xianzhi's reviews are, of course, a modern interpretation of the classics, sometimes sharp-witted, making the reading experience both enjoyable and invigorating. This is perhaps one of the reasons why we still want to read Lu Xun and find his works fresh every time we read them.