A Compilation of Rare Materials for the Study of Dream of the Red Chamber - (Revised and Expanded Edition) - (2 Volumes)

Author: Lü Qixiang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-12-01
Features: The process of history 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 in between, this distance is enough to make one become more composed and detached. There is less of the urgency and narrowness of those involved, and more of the objectivity and inclusiveness of later generations. This is one of the important reasons why we resolved to compile such a large-scale reference book. At the same time, due to long-term accumulation, we have searched and collected approximately five hundred red study reviews published in various newspapers and magazines across the country during this period. This collection and organization work should have been traced back over twenty years ago, to the early 1970s, when the People's Literature Publishing House edited and published a series titled "Selected References for the Study of Dream of the Red Chamber." The third volume of this series corresponds to the time period covered in this book, but due to the limitations of the historical conditions at the time, only thirty-three articles were selected, while the vast majority of the footage was stored in archives. In the early 1990s, after the completion of the "Comprehensive Dictionary of Dream of the Red Chamber" by the Institute of Red Studies at the Chinese Academy of Arts, there was an idea to edit "A Collection of Dream of the Red Chamber" (including "History of Shih," "History of Wen," and "History of Lun"). However, due to insufficient manpower and resources, the project was shelved. Among them, "History of Lun" was partially launched, with hundreds of materials being consulted and copied from major libraries across the country, but it remained unused for many years. Given the above origins, we feel that it is no longer possible to delay the collection, organization, editing, and publication of this batch of materials. Otherwise, the loss and disappearance of the materials are inevitable, and to retrace and collect lengthy essays and short discussions from dozens or even hundreds of publications, along with their headers and footers, would be far more laborious and difficult than in the past. Therefore, to bring this long and arduous work to fruition, and to spare the effort and hardship of《》 lovers and researchers in reviewing and searching, we have compiled and published this "A Collection of Rare Materials on 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 equally valued and cherished by people. The perspectives and insights of people at that time on Dream of the Red Chamber had their own uniqueness, as a period of history that cannot be replicated or replaced. Therefore, not only should those studying the history of red study be aware of it, but even ordinary readers and researchers can gain inspiration and references from it.