A Brief History of Chinese Fiction: Books Every University Student Should Read. Academic Classics by Renowned Scholars

Author: Lu Xun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-08-01
Features: A History of Chinese Fiction is a classic work on the history of Chinese fiction, serving as the lecture notes by the author when he taught the history of Chinese fiction at Peking University from 1920 to 1924. The first volume was published by Peking University's Qin Chao Society in 1923, followed by the second volume the next year. In 1925, it was slightly revised and published as a single volume by Beishu Bookstore. This book is a foundational work in the study of Chinese fiction history, with its first chapter titled Historians' Records and Discourses on Fiction. It covers artistic techniques and evolutionary trends, starting from myths and legends and ending with the late Qing novels, including the authors, works, schools, artistic techniques, and evolutionary trends of late Qing fiction. The material is rich, and the insights are profound. Reflecting on the time when I lectured on the history of fiction, it has been nearly ten years since then, and even this outline was published seven years ago. Since then, the study of this field has grown significantly, with many scholars uncovering hidden truths and shedding light on the obscure. For instance, Professor Kanagawa Kiyoyama's〔1〕discovery of the complete illustrated edition of Yuan Dynasty Minghua Pinghua and the San Yan, along with his further research, is a major event in the history of fiction. Some Chinese scholars〔2〕have also argued that a history of fiction should be divided by dynasties, which is hardly a superficial argument. Such outlines have long become outdated, but since there are no new works available, they still have readers, and thus are being reprinted. It is only right to revise them, but due to the long interruption in this field, the earlier works have long been forgotten, like smoke and mist. Therefore, only the 14th, 15th, and 21st chapters have been slightly revised, while the rest remains largely unchanged due to a lack of new insights. Great talents often come late, and mediocre works linger long. Though this book has been extended in life, it is still a cause for sorrow. After completing the proofreading, I feel a sense of melancholy, sincerely hoping that future generations will create greater works.