Wild History Records -- Legendary Modern China

Author: Gao Fei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-12-01
Features: Gao Fei's writings, in terms of style, are called essays, notes, or even "scholarly prose" or "cultural prose." What matters is the "clarity" and "subtlety" behind these uneventful words. It is not "scholarly categorization" or "philosophical debate," nor is it modern "literature" focused on expression or narration. It is a personal perspective on the rise and fall of a century's cultural trends. His youthful maturity and composed demeanor give him a majestic and versatile style. —Literary critic Meng Hua
The origin of this book is Gao Fei's column in Southern Weekly. It was originally enjoyable to read, and now that it has been compiled into a book, it is truly impressive. Gao Fei uses a storytelling tone to meticulously and vividly recount the wild history of the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China—painfully yet enjoyably. His descriptions are detailed, colorful, and convincing, both solemn and factually grounded. The characters he writes about, apart from a few rough individuals like Yuan Shikai, are mostly cultured figures—officials, journalists, and writers. He tells their "strange" deeds, making readers laugh and sigh in amazement: "Who knew there were so many quirks!" Especially in the chapter "Journalist Family," it is refreshingly "old" even for those not in the field of journalism. —Southern Weekly, Xia Chen
The stories in this book are mostly drawn from wild history—though there are overlaps with official history. The advantages of wild history are well-known to all. It allows for hearsay, uncovering hidden truths, focusing on minor details, disregarding grand principles, being emotionally invested, and writing without reservation. In short, what official historians dare not do, wild historians boldly do. In many chapters, he writes freely, daring only to call it "tales of the common people" and not daring to claim it as "a judgment beyond death," lest he get entangled in disputes over words. Fortunately, the events he writes about are well-documented. Even if some are baseless rumors, he is not responsible for spreading them but only for passing on the ridicule. As for calling this book the "wild Records of the Grand Historian," how could he be so arrogant! The Records of the Grand Historian is not only the pinnacle of official history but also the source of wild history. Later generations' various wild histories are merely more "wild" Records of the Grand Historian. Moreover, "what matters is not the age when myths are told, but the age when myths are told." Legends may have truth or falsehood, but the attitudes of the storytellers and their audiences reflect a strange kind of truth. Readers, why not take a look at this book and then reflect after closing it: which chapters did I write with joy, and which did you read with pleasure?