Selected Poems and Prose of Fan Bozi

Author: Fan Dangshi (Qing Dynasty), commented by Hanbi Fan
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2007-01-01
Features: Fan Dangshi, styled Kentaang, Wuzuo, also known as Zhu, styled Bozi and Tongshi. He was from Tongzhou, Jiangsu (now Nantong), a literary figure of the late Qing Dynasty. Born in the fourth year of Xianfeng (1854) and died in the thirtieth year of Guangxu (1904). He successively studied under Liu Xizai and Zhang Yujian, and privately admired Zeng Guofan. Wu Ruyun was amazed by his talent and said, "No one in the current literary scene surpasses Kentaang," inviting him to teach as a professor in Jizhou, mediating the marriage of the Yao family, and recommending him to join Li Hongzhang's entourage as a private tutor. Throughout his life, he remained loyal to high ideals and did not seek official position, gaining fame as a commoner. His poems and classical essays inherited the true lineage of Tongcheng School while inspiring the voice of Tongguang era, achieving extremely high standards. His life story and deeds were recorded by Chen Sanli, Ma Qichang, Yao Shujie, Xu Yixiu, and others in their epitaphs, prefaces, and commentaries, which have been compiled into this book. There are many published collections of Fan Bozi's works, but the edition by Xu Wenxi in our province is the most refined. Additionally, Fan Zeng, a descendant of Fan Bozi, a professor, possesses a manuscript of his works, though incomplete due to disasters, it is also extremely valuable. Hanbi Fan's selected edition is based on these two sources, correcting errors, supplementing omissions, and editing the commentaries, demonstrating great effort and deep insights. The selected poems number over 300, and the classical essays over 60, both substantial and beautiful. We publish this book with the intention of promoting further research on Fan Bozi, which may contribute to the overall evaluation of recent literature.