Flowers of prose series - ancient part - Selected prose of Hou Fangyu

Author: Hou Fangyu (Qing Dynasty)
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-05-01
Features: Chinese ancient prose has a long history and deep roots. Like poetry, it is one of the most important and distinctive literary forms in ancient Chinese literature, as well as a splendid cultural treasure trove in the history of human civilization. To promote the fine culture of the Chinese nation, inherit the excellent traditions of ancient prose, and foster the prosperity and improvement of contemporary prose creation, as well as provide reference and appreciation for a broad readership, this series of "Chinese Ancient Prose" has been compiled as a part of the "Hua Bai Prose Series." The scope of the prose genre has evolved over time, differing between ancient and modern periods. The selected works in this series primarily consist of lyric and narrative prose, which are more literary in nature. The selected authors range from the pre-Qin period to the Qing Dynasty, with each author's works compiled into separate volumes. The arrangement of essays in each book follows the principle of chronological order, allowing readers to understand the development and evolution of prose creation.
Each book in the series is divided into two parts: one is an essay, and the other is prose. The essay section provides brief introductions to the authors' lives and literary activities, with a focus on analyzing and commenting on their prose creation ideas, particularly artistic characteristics, the development of their prose writing, and its influence. The prose section includes annotations and explanations for each essay. The essay section is designed to complement and enhance the prose section, helping readers achieve a rational understanding of the selected prose through essays, while the selected prose deepens readers' intuitive understanding of the essays. This mutual reinforcement makes the series not only a collection of selected prose for reading but also, to some extent, a study of the authors and even a history of ancient prose, distinct from general prose anthologies and traditional histories of ancient prose.
The selected prose in each book includes representative masterpieces of the authors, as well as works from different periods, themes, and styles, reflecting the evolution of the authors' prose writing. The title explanations not only clarify relevant terms, specialized names, and other content in the essay titles but also provide information on the writing time, sources, and editions. Additionally, they offer concise evaluations of the background, ideological value, artistic characteristics, and artistic techniques of the works. The annotations primarily focus on explaining difficult characters, words, allusions, official titles, artifacts, names, and geographical locations. For important or uniquely used terms, references or examples are cited to help readers understand not only "what" but also "why."
Hou Fangyu was a renowned talent and prose writer of the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. His prose broke away from the decadent and formal (revivalist) style of the Ming Dynasty's "Seven Masters of the Early and Late Ming," exhibiting a natural, fluent, elegant, and fresh style, with a bold and unrestrained literary flair. His biographical prose, in particular, is outstanding. Hou Fangyu drew inspiration from the writing techniques of historical biographies in works like the Records of the Grand Historian and the Book of Han, employing narrative methods akin to fiction. As a result, the characters in his prose are vivid and dynamic, bringing life and authenticity to the stories. Later critics praised him as follows: "Hou Fangyu followed the footsteps of Sima Qian, yet possessed the talent to wield it, so his writing was unpredictable and extraordinary, like a falcon soaring through the sky or a whale diving into the abyss. Reading his prose left one dazzled and breathless, in awe of its brilliance." The Supplementary Biographies further stated: "Hou Fangyu was a master of prose, alongside Wei Xi of Ningdu and Wang Wan of Changzhou, who were renowned for classical prose. While Wei Xi wrote prose for imperial examinations and Wang Wan wrote as a scholar, Hou Fangyu wrote as a talented prose master. His natural genius and literary talent shone through, allowing him to break free from conventional paths, neither adhering to the past nor rigidly following the present. During his time, when discussing classical prose, Hou Fangyu was universally regarded as the (supreme master), with no dispute among scholars near or far."