A Compilation of Rare Materials for the Study of Dream of the Red Chamber (Revised and Expanded Edition, Volume 1 and 2)

Author: Lü Qixiang, Lin Donghai, Editors
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-12-01
Features: The historical process has nearly reached the end of the 20th century. Looking back at the red study of the first half of this century, with half a century of time separating us, this distance allows us to become more composed and detached. There is less of the urgency and narrowness of those directly involved, and more of the objectivity and inclusiveness of later generations. This is a key reason why we resolved to compile this large-scale reference book. At the same time, due to long-term accumulation, we have searched and collected approximately 500 red study critiques published in various newspapers and magazines across the country during this period. This collection and organization work should have been started more than two decades ago, as early as the early 1970s, with the publication of a series titled Selected References on the Red Study of the Dream of the Red Chamber by the People's Literature Publishing House. The third volume of that series corresponds to the time period covered in this book, but due to the limitations of the historical conditions at the time, only 33 articles were selected, while the vast majority of the footage remained dormant in the archives. In the early 1990s, after the completion of The Comprehensive Dictionary of the Dream of the Red Chamber, the Institute of Red Studies at the Chinese Academy of Arts had planned to edit A Collection of the Dream of the Red Chamber (including History of Shi, History of Wen, and History of Critiques). However, due to insufficient manpower and resources, the project was shelved. Among them, the "History of Critiques" was partially initiated, with hundreds of materials collected and copied from major libraries across the country, but it remained unused for years. Given the above origins, we feel that it is no longer feasible to delay the collection, organization, and publication of this batch of materials. Otherwise, the loss and disappearance of the data are inevitable, and re-searching and collecting lengthy articles and short critiques from dozens or even hundreds of publications would be far more labor-intensive and difficult than in the past. Therefore, to bring this long-term effort to fruition and to spare and researchers the effort and hardship of searching and reviewing, we have compiled and published A Collection of Rare Materials on the Dream of the Red Chamber. We believe this is a meaningful endeavor. Because, although red study was far less prominent in that era than it is today, it was still a subject of attention and admiration. The perspectives and insights of people at the time on the Dream of the Red Chamber had their own uniqueness, and as a historical period, they cannot be replicated or replaced. Thus, not only should those studying the history of red study be aware of this, but even ordinary readers and researchers can gain inspiration and references from it.