Selected Essays of Xu Zhimo

Author: Xu Zhimo (Author), Wang Jinquan (Editor)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2000-01-01
Features: Xu Zhimo was a renowned bourgeois poet and writer in the history of modern Chinese literature. His life was short, lasting only 36 years, and his literary career was also brief, spanning only 10 years. However, from the early 1920s to the early 1930s, he was an active figure in the literary world. His thoughts and art typified the intellectual trends and artistic tastes of the Chinese bourgeoisie. His works exhibited distinct individual characteristics and artistic styles. Mao Dun once made a highly regarded judgment on Xu Zhimo's life, pointing out that he was the representative poet of the Chinese bourgeoisie, a "pioneer and the last of the bourgeois poets in China," and that "no successor after Zhimo could match him in achievement." Half a century later, Mao Dun commented again, stating, "I believe Xu Zhimo holds an important position among poets after the May Fourth Movement. He was the representative poet of the Chinese bourgeoisie and is very worthy of attention and research." As a poet, regardless of how different the evaluations of him may be, people universally acknowledge his status. However, as a prose writer, it is said that his reputation "awaits confirmation." In fact, as early as the 1920s and 1930s, not only was his status as a prose writer "confirmed," but he was also regarded as a representative of a particular prose school. His works were included in collections such as The Great Series of New Chinese Literature: Prose Collection 1 and other selected essays and sketches. His prose had attracted widespread attention from researchers. While Xu Zhimo was alive, some people said, "His poetry and prose had a style never seen before in Chinese literature." "In both prose and poetry, the splendor he achieved was unmatched domestically." After his death, many people in their commemorative writings discussed his prose. His followers and students of the New Moon Society certainly praised him highly, saying, "When he wrote, he was truly passionate and exhilarating, leaving readers speechless, only able to nod and smile in admiration!" Some praised him as a prose writer with "exquisite literary talent, as if spilling a string of pearls," and noted that "there are no second such writers in modern times." Xu Zhimo's friends also spoke highly of his prose. Some said his achievements in prose were "not small," while others even believed his prose was more accomplished than his poetry, calling it "an expansion of his poetry." Others praised his prose as "like the rolling layers of summer clouds, the gurgling of spring springs!" His writing indeed had a unique style, and in the realm of prose, he could not be overlooked. Of course, such high praise was sometimes bordering on flattery and not entirely scientific. Perhaps due to his association with the same literary circle, teacher-student relationships, or friendships, there was a tendency to favor him, leading to excessive praise. Nevertheless, it is a fact that Xu Zhimo's artistic achievements and unique style in prose made him a representative figure in the development of modern Chinese prose. On this point, even left-wing writers of the time gave him due recognition, acknowledging that his prose was "a form of poetry" and noting that he had "truly put in considerable effort in prose," affirming his "contributions" to the history of prose development. However, for many years, research on Xu Zhimo has primarily focused on his poetry, with very few scholars delving into his prose. Poetry and prose were like the two wings of a bird or the two wheels of a carriage to Xu Zhimo—he could not be fully understood without both, and thus, research on both should not be neglected. This book selects more than 30 of Xu Zhimo's prose works, including renowned masterpieces such as "Sunrise Over Mount Tai," "What I Know of Cambridge," "Selected Letters of Zhimo," and "My Peter." Additionally, the editor has written an insightful preface based on a wealth of detailed and accurate materials. This book is not only suitable for readers to appreciate but also provides reference materials for researchers.