Family Bookshelf (II) - Complete Collection of Lin Yutang's Classic Essays

Author: Lin Yutang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: Lin Yutang's prose covers a vast range of topics, touching on almost everything under the sun. Familiar with both Eastern and Western cultures, he often delves into subjects with boundless enthusiasm in his writing. The examples he selects are equally rooted in both cultures, large or small, and are always engaging, rich in cultural content. He believed that the ideal prose is "one that captures the natural rhythm of language, like chatting around a fireplace on a stormy night—skillfully weaving narratives, infused with emotion, both solemn and playful, profound yet accessible. It is like discussing Zen with a sage or sharing thoughts with an intellectual. It seems unstructured yet never lacks coherence, like scattered threads yet always follows a hidden pattern. It is compelling to stop reading, yet impossible to omit a word. Reading his prose is like hearing his voice, and listening to his words is like meeting him in person." (See The Legacy of the Art of the Short Essay). From his creative translation of Western "humour" into "" to his self-proclaimed embrace of Taoist spirit in his later years, Lin Yutang consistently maintained this conversational artistic style, with a tone of leisurely humor and a stance of transcendent spirituality. While his writings also advocate facing life head-on, they do so without a somber tone; he speaks of reforming national character but avoids attacking any specific targets. He observes the world as a play, writing about its absurdities and comedies, seeking spiritual enlightenment and a carefree, unrestrained state of mind, with the ultimate goal being a serene and detached heart. This clearly differs from the combative literary style advocated by leftist writers, as he writes with a liberal spirit, observing the world with a "passionate coldness." He never took Lu Xun's advice to treat the short essay as a mere "ornament" (see Lu Xun's The Crisis of the Short Essay), insisting on writing in the authentic style of prose, thus embracing his own unique path and expressing his innermost thoughts. Looking at the prose works of the May Fourth era, Lin Yutang's humor, blending Eastern and Western wisdom, may lack the critical edge of mainstream literature, yet it expands the aesthetic dimensions of modern prose, forging a new path with great significance for readers then and now. This book collects seven of Lin Yutang's prose collections: Elegant People and Elegant Things, Reading Cities, Speaking of the Chinese People, Also on the Sages, The Wisdom of Tea Lovers, Old Times and Old Matters, and Flowers of Thought.