Story of New Creation (Illustrated Edition)

Author: Lu Xun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: This is a collection of stories by Lu Xun, consisting of 8 stories, primarily based on mythology. The stories are interesting and imaginative, and are the only novels by Lu Xun set in ancient times. This is a short story collection that includes 8 stories rewritten by Lu Xun between 1922 and 1935, based on ancient myths, legends, and tales. It includes "The Repair of Heaven," "The Chase to the Moon," "The Regulation of Waters," "Gathering White," "The Casting of the Sword," "Leaving the Pass," "Non-Aggression," and "The Revival of Life." The book was first published in 1936 by the Shanghai Cultural Life Publishing House. This small collection took a very long time to complete: a full thirteen years. The story "The Repair of Heaven"—originally titled "Mount Noah"—was written in the winter of 1922. At that time, the idea was to take themes from both ancient and modern times for short stories, and "Mount Noah" was an attempt based on the myth of "Nuwa Mending the Sky." It wasn’t until the autumn of 1926, when the author lived alone in a stone house in Xiamen, facing the sea, flipping through ancient books with no life around him and an empty mind, that he received constant letters from the Beijing Momen Society urging contributions for a magazine. At that time, the author had no intention of thinking about the present; thus, memories surfaced in his heart, leading him to write ten "Evening Thoughts on Morning Blossoms" and continue collecting ancient legends, preparing to complete eight "New Stories of Ancient Times." Only now has the book finally been compiled. Most of the stories are still sketches, not quite qualifying as the kind of novels mentioned in "A General Theory of Literature." Sometimes the narration draws on ancient texts, while at other times it’s just made up. Moreover, because the author was less respectful toward the ancients than toward the moderns, there are still moments of carelessness. Thirteen years later, there has been no significant growth, and it truly seems to be "just like Mount Noah." However, it hasn’t made the ancients seem any less alive, so perhaps it still has some temporary value.