Selected Works of Lu Xun: Prose, Prose Poetry, Poetry Volume (Illustrated Edition)

Author: Lu Xun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-06-01
Features: Who is Lu Xun? Politicians called him a "flag bearer" because of his phrase "to defy a thousand critics with a cold glance"; scholars revered him as a "spiritual leader" for his motto "not to spare a single one"; thinkers regarded him as a "great night watchman" for awakening those who slumbered in darkness, but his wife Xu Guangping affectionately called him a "little white elephant." Lin Xianzhi believes that over the years, Lu Xun has become a symbol with different hues. Determined to bring Lu Xun back to the human world from the empire of symbols through annotating Selected Works of Lu Xun, Lin Xianzhi writes, "To understand the Chinese people and the comprehensive national spirit of China, there is no shortcut except reading Lu Xun's works."
The first thing that catches the eye is this line on the bookmark, stirring the heart. In fact, there have been quite a few selected works of Lu Xun published in recent years. This time, Hunan Literature and Art Publishing House has released five books, including Lu Xun’s novels, critiques, essays, prose, and prefaces and letters. The features of this set are twofold: illustrations and annotations by Lin Xianzhi. The illustrations are mostly woodcuts, simple yet profound, along with photographs of early editions of Lu Xun’s works and autographs. Lin Xianzhi’s annotations, naturally, offer a modern interpretation of the classics, sometimes laced with wit, making the reading experience both enjoyable and invigorating. This may also be one of the reasons why we still want to read Lu Xun and find his works fresh and ever-renewing.