Flowers of prose series - ancient part -- Selected Prose Collection of Sima Qian

Author: Sima Qian (Western Han Dynasty)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: A brief introduction to Sima Qian's Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji) is not only a timeless historical biography but also a literary masterpiece that will be celebrated for generations. The work primarily focuses on character portrayal and storytelling, incorporating elements of lyricism, landscape description, and commentary. The author excels at narrating historical events through vivid depictions of characters' activities while also revealing their personality traits and spiritual demeanor through detailed accounts of significant events and intricate details. The characters he portrays are lively and dynamic, seemingly coming to life; the narratives are clear and concise, with appropriate depth and detail; the plots are rich and intricate, full of twists and turns; the scene descriptions are grand and expansive, yet detailed and realistic; the language is concise and refined, vivid and expressive, flowing like clouds and water, clear and lucid. Sima Qian's Letter to Ren An fully demonstrates the author's own spiritual mindset and his profound, sincere, and intense emotions, with its ideological depth and artistic quality rivaling any chapter in Records of the Grand Historian. The selected works in this book are timeless masterpieces, representing the highest achievement of Sima Qian's prose art.