Wang Yi's Book Talk

Author: Zheng Zhenduo
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: Zheng Zhenduo had dozens of pen names, among which "Xidi" was widely known for its use in bibliography, indicating a close connection between this pen name and his collection and writing of books. Throughout his long academic career, especially during the turbulent war years, he dedicated himself to rescuing national cultural documents, no longer limiting his efforts to personal research interests. Instead, he almost "collected every important document he encountered and wrote annotations for them," leaving behind a vast number of book inscriptions and bibliographical notes. Professor Wu Xiaoling compiled Xidi's Book Inscriptions, directly collecting over 640 inscriptions related to books he had seen, handled, or collected. It is extremely comprehensive. The Sanlian edition of Xidi's Bibliographical Notes is also highly sought after in the used book market. Zheng Zhenduo's academic foundation was rooted in traditional bibliography and textual criticism. From a young age, he began any academic work by starting with bibliographies. This habit persisted until his later years. For example, just before his death in 1958, he still wrote Catalog of Tang Dynasty Literary Collections, Catalog of Song Dynasty Literary Collections, Catalog of Ming Dynasty Literary Collections, and Catalog of Qing Dynasty Literary Collections. He was a cultural celebrity with achievements in various fields. However, due to personal preferences, he still preferred his identity as a book collector. For instance, Zhi'an once said, "Among Zheng Zhenduo's works, I find Diary of Seeking Books, Notes on Books Obtained During the War, and Continued Notes on Books Obtained During the War particularly interesting." Nowadays, there is an overflow of bibliographical notes, but Xidi's Bibliographical Notes is truly a great book. Beyond its content, it also showcases the depth of textual criticism, which is captivating. Unfortunately, fine Song and Yuan-era woodblock prints, as well as excellent Ming and Qing-era editions, are just like smoke and mist on paper for us; we can never touch or handle them. This book includes: Preface to a Collection of Chinese Short Stories, A Tang Dynasty Novel Collection, Random Notes on Reading (Excerpts), Journey to Europe (Excerpts), Preface to a Catalog of Popular Chinese Novels, and more.