Wu Zixu
Tags
Summary
Editor's review
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Literary lovers interested in modern reworkings of classical Chinese subjects and in poetic fiction.
- Readers who wish to reflect, through a historical story, on personal fate, ethical choices, and the meaning of existence.
- Readers who appreciate Feng Zhi's poetry and prose and wish to understand the full range and height of his literary world.
- Readers with a basic knowledge of Spring and Autumn history and culture who are open to an unconventional narrative perspective.
Not a good fit for
- Readers expecting a tightly plotted traditional historical romance or martial arts story with intense conflict.
- Readers with no interest in or patience for existentialist philosophy, symbolist literature, and introspective narrative.
Reading tips
- Read it as a long narrative poem or a book of intellectual notes, savoring its rhythm of language and its creation of atmosphere.
- Read it alongside Feng Zhi's poetry of the same period (such as the Sonnets) and his prose to understand the overall intellectual thread and historical context of his work.
- There is no need to rush the plot; pause briefly after each chapter to take in the symbolism and philosophical reflection it contains.
About the publisher
Tianjin People's Publishing House publishes across such fields as classic works, foreign literature, architecture, social culture and social sciences, with 749 relevant titles in the collection. In the areas of classics and scholarship, works such as Wang Guowei's Renjian Cihua and Fei Xiaotong's From the Soil and Fertility and Reproduction reflect a sustained attention to social culture and classic texts of thought. Architectural books are represented by Liang Sicheng's Annotated Yingzao Fashi and A History of Chinese Architecture, showing an emphasis on architectural heritage and building traditions. In foreign literature, translations of Sholokhov's And Quiet Flows the Don and Tolstoy's War and Peace and The Death of Ivan Ilyich, through the work of translators such as Li Gang and Yu Dawei, form a substantial series of translated works. Overall, the press combines classic texts, scholarly works and fine translations, with a publishing character oriented toward humanistic depth and the dissemination of knowledge.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 一 城父
- 二 林泽
- 三 洧滨
- 四 宛丘
- 五 昭关
- 六 江上
- 七 溧水
- 八 延陵
- 九 吴市
- 后记
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About the author
Feng Zhi (1905–1993), originally named Feng Chengzhi and a native of Zhuozhou, Hebei, was a modern Chinese writer, poet, translator and scholar. After studying in Germany, he received a doctorate in philosophy from Heidelberg University. Returning to China, he devoted himself to teaching and research, serving as a professor at National Southwestern Associated University and Peking University, and as director of the Institute of Foreign Literature at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. His work spans poetry, fiction and scholarly writing, with representative works including the poetry collection Sonnets, the novel Wu Zixu and the study Biography of Du Fu. His verse is restrained and profound, often carrying philosophical reflection within everyday experience, while his scholarship is marked by solid materials and discerning judgment. As a translator, he introduced German literature to Chinese readers; his versions of Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet and Schiller's Letters on the Aesthetic Education of Man have been widely read and have had a lasting influence on modern Chinese literature and foreign literary studies.
