History of Modern Chinese Literary Criticism

Author: Wen Rumin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1993-10-01
Features: The goal of this book is not to provide a panoramic scan of the detailed landscape of the history of modern Chinese literary criticism, but rather to focus on showcasing some of the most important "landmarks" in the history of criticism. It selectively discusses 14 representative critics and related critical schools, thereby offering an overview of the contours of modern critical history. The selection of these 14 critics was carefully considered. Many people engaged in criticism in modern times, but most were not critics in the pure sense of the word. Some wrote numerous book reviews to explain works, while others expressed various opinions and participated in debates, generally viewing criticism as an independent theoretical creation. Only a few were true critics. The selection of 14 critics involved considering the bigger picture, as well as the dozens or hundreds of other critics around them, which raises the issue of determining "key points." Each discussion of a critic in the book takes into account its "position" within the overall critical framework, where it fits in the history of criticism, and its relationships with other critical tendencies and schools, and so on. The critics discussed in this book are not arranged strictly in historical order, but the overall flow of the history of criticism is still largely discernible, especially the strengths and weaknesses of each school, as well as their opposition, complementarity, and cyclical structural relationships. The goal of this book is not to provide a panoramic scan of the detailed landscape of the history of modern Chinese literary criticism, but rather to focus on showcasing some of the most important "landmarks" in the history of criticism. It selectively discusses 14 representative critics and related critical schools, thereby offering an overview of the contours of modern critical history. The history of criticism is not the same as the history of literature or the history of thought, although they are related. Criticism should have its own research perspective, focusing on the cognitive activities and processes related to literature, as well as the continuous interpretation and exploration of the essence, development, and creation of literature. This book selects 14 representative critics and related critical schools from the history of modern Chinese literary criticism, including Wang Guowei, Zhou Zuoren, Cheng Fangwu, Liang Shiqiu, Mao Dun, Li Jianwu, Feng Xuefeng, Zhou Yang, Hu Feng, Zhu Guangqian, Shen Congwen, Li Changzhi, Liang Zongdai, and Tang Shi. Through a meticulous and rational analysis of their theoretical individualities, critical characteristics, and their actual impact on literary movements and creation, as well as the description of the strengths and weaknesses of each school and their structural relationships of opposition, complementarity, and cyclical dynamics, the book outlines the trajectory of a pluralistic, competitive, and complementary history of modern Chinese literary criticism.