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

Author: Lü Qixiang, Lin Donghai
Publisher:
Publishing Time: Not available
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 the 20th century, with half a century of time separating us, this distance is enough to make us 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 decided 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 reviews published in various newspapers and magazines across the country during this period. This collection and organization work should have been started more than 20 years ago, dating back to the early 1970s when the People's Literature Publishing House edited and published a set of "Selected References for the Study of Dream of the Red Chamber," with its third volume corresponding to the time period covered in this book. However, due to the limitations of the historical conditions at the time, only 33 articles were selected, while the vast majority of the recorded materials remained dormant in the archives. In the early 1990s, after the completion of the "Comprehensive Dictionary of Dream of the Red Chamber" by the Institute of Red Study at the Chinese Academy of Arts, there was a plan to edit "Comprehensive Collection of Dream of the Red Chamber" (including "Historical Collection," "Literary Collection," and "Critical Collection"). However, due to insufficient manpower and resources, the project was shelved. Among them, the "Critical Collection" was partially initiated, 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 feasible to delay the collection, organization, editing, and publication of this batch of materials. Otherwise, the loss and disappearance of the materials are inevitable, and re-searching and collecting long and short articles from dozens or even hundreds of publications will 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 trouble and hardship of searching and reviewing, we have compiled and published this "Comprehensive 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 still a subject of attention and admiration. The perceptions and insights of people at the time regarding Dream of the Red Chamber had their own uniqueness, as a period of history that cannot be replicated or replaced. Thus, not only should those studying the academic history of red study be aware of it, but ordinary readers and researchers can also gain inspiration and references from it.