Retro and Innovation -- Ouyang Xiu's Prose and the Revival of Classical Chinese

Author: (Japanese) Toei Hisao, translated by Wang Zhenyu and others
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-08-01
Features: The author, Toei Hisao, is a PhD in Japanese literature and currently a professor at the Faculty of Law and Literature, Kagoshima University. He has long been engaged in the study of the Song Dynasty Chinese litterateur Ouyang Xiu, authoring works such as A Study of Ouyang Xiu's Classical Prose and The Formation Process and Characteristics of Southern Song Editions. The book is divided into four chapters: "Classical Prose Scholars and the Collection of Manuscripts in the Early Northern Song Dynasty," "The Literary Style of Ouyang Xiu and the Revival of Classical Prose," "The Compilation and Editions of Ouyang Xiu's Complete Works," and "Chinese Studies in Japan—Satsuma Chinese Studies." From an unprecedented perspective in the study of Song Dynasty Chinese literature, the author elaborates in detail on the imperial examination background during Ouyang Xiu's time, the stylistic features of his prose, the various sources and compilation circumstances of the different editions of The Collection of Ouyang Wenzhong Gong, and more. The research is meticulous, the analysis clear, and it serves as a valuable reference for scholars of Song Dynasty studies.