Early Qing Scholars and Beauties: A Study of Novel Narrative Patterns

Author: Qiu Jiangning
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-07-01
Features: This book primarily uses Russian Formalist theory as its theoretical basis, with estrangement (a core concept of Russian Formalism) as the fundamental measure of evaluation. It examines the narrative modes of specific works in the "talented scholars and beautiful ladies" genre, comparing these modes vertically with the narrative modes of previous literary works. The aim is to expand and deepen the research on this type of novel and to provide a more accurate evaluation of its creation. From the perspective of the creation of "talented scholars and beautiful ladies" novels in the early Qing Dynasty, studying their creation from the angle of narrative modes is feasible and productive. This is because, based on the research of early works such as Yu Jiao Li and Ping Shan Ling Yan, this genre of novel emerged during the last decades of the Shunzhi era and the early Kangxi era in the early Qing Dynasty, primarily concentrated in the Jiangnan region. Considering the social conditions of Jiangnan during that time, it differs significantly from the descriptions in these specific works. Therefore, if one studies the creation of "talented scholars and beautiful ladies" novels from a sociological perspective or focuses on the content and ideas reflected in the novels, it will not provide a realistic evaluation of this genre.