Flowers of Literature Series - Ancient Part: Selected Prose of Zhang Dai

Author: Xu Baorong
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-05-01
Features: Zhang Dai was an outstanding litterateur and historian during the transition period of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Due to the dramatic historical upheaval of the regime change, Zhang Dai's family, once a noble and affluent upper class, suddenly fell into poverty and hardship. However, amidst this dire strait of scarcity, Zhang Dai completed the monumental historical work Shigu Zhaiшу. In terms of literature, Zhang Dai's genius was primarily demonstrated in prose, especially in the art of xiaopinwen (short essays). Late Ming xiaopinwen represented a distinctive and innovative voice in the history of Chinese prose. Zhang Dai drew upon the strengths of various late Ming writers while discarding their weaknesses, blending elegance and popular style, and employing both classical and vernacular language. His works were rich in momentum without sacrificing parallelism, and they adhered to the rules of composition naturally without rigid adherence to formal conventions, making him the master compiler of xiaopinwen collections. Moreover, his expertise in history allowed him to write with honesty and sincerity, vividly portraying ordinary figures such as the artist Liu Jingting, the craftsman Pu Zhongqian, and the courtesan Wang Shengniang, who were all "portrayed with such depth that their spirits stirred the reader," ultimately earning him the title of the "sage of xiaopinwen."
Chinese classical prose has a long and rich history, with deep roots and lush branches. 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 noble traditions of classical prose, and foster the prosperity and improvement of contemporary prose creation, as well as provide readers with reference and appreciation, this series of Chinese Classical Prose has been compiled as part of the Hua Bai Prose Series.
The scope of prose has evolved over time, differing between ancient and modern periods. This series selects works primarily focused on expressive and narrative prose. The selected authors range from the pre-Qin era to the Qing dynasty, with each author's works compiled in separate volumes. The arrangement of essays in each book follows the chronological order of composition, allowing readers to trace the development and evolution of prose writing.
Each volume in this series consists of two parts: one is an essay, which, in addition to providing brief biographical and literary activity introductions, emphasizes the analysis and evaluation of the author's prose creation philosophy, particularly its artistic characteristics, the development of prose writing, and its influence. The other part is the prose itself, with each piece accompanied by a title explanation and annotations. The essay section is designed to complement and reinforce the prose section, helping readers achieve a rational understanding of the selected prose through essays, while the selected prose deepens readers' intuitive appreciation 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 author and an exploration of the history of classical prose, distinct from general prose anthologies and traditional histories of classical prose.
The selected prose in each volume includes representative masterpieces of the author but also considers works from different periods, themes, and styles to reflect the author's development in prose writing. The title explanations not only clarify relevant terms, specialized names, and provide information on writing time and sources but also offer concise evaluations of the background, ideological value, artistic characteristics, and techniques of the works. The annotations primarily focus on explaining difficult characters, words, allusions, official titles, artifacts, names, and places. For important or uniquely used terms, references or examples are provided to help readers understand not only what but also why.