Record of the Cut-Open Heart

Wu JianrenJul 2024

3.0

Word count: 5.2K words
Chapters: 3

Summary

In recent years, since the rise of the new fiction, fictional works have surged like wind and clouds. Within a few years, translations and original writings alike have been so numerous as to fill a library; even my own careless scribblings number no fewer than five or seven kinds. Among them are historical fiction, romance fiction, social fiction, and detective fiction. Though these are but clumsy imitations, I am fortunate that readers have not found them ugly, and so recently another matter has moved me to write this legal fiction. What matter was it that stirred me? Readers, pray listen while I explain.

Editor's review

Wu Jianren was a representative writer of late Qing exposé fiction, and The Heart-Carving Record, which presents itself as legal fiction, occupies a distinctive place in his oeuvre. The opening autobiographical passage explains the background of the surging new fiction of the late Qing and reveals the author's reasons for turning from historical, romantic, social, and detective subjects to legal themes, bearing clear marks of the times and a strong self-awareness of genre. Readers can see both how late Qing novelists transplanted and transformed foreign fictional genres and how traditional storytelling was transitioning toward modern narrative. This edition preserves the original appearance of the text and is suitable as supplementary reading for research on late Qing fictional genres, as well as for readers interested in modern legal ideas and social transformation. It is best read within the context of the late Qing novel boom and alongside the author's other works to better appreciate his style and concerns.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Literary scholars and graduate students researching late Qing fiction
General readers interested in modern legal-themed fiction
Enthusiasts of the evolution of Chinese fictional genres and stylistic transformation
Readers who enjoy late Qing vernacular narration and storyteller-style prose

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer tightly plotted modern genre fiction with strong suspense
Readers impatient with late Qing vernacular and storyteller-style narration
Practitioners seeking a systematic study of modern legal knowledge

Reading tips

Begin with the opening autobiographical section to grasp the author's reasons for writing and the late Qing fiction scene, then proceed to the main text.
Read the book alongside Wu Jianren's works in other genres and compare his narrative strategies across different types.
When encountering late Qing vernacular and allusions, read slowly and consult relevant background materials as needed.

版权信息
第一回增感触开卷述原因惓孝友立身定基础
第二回掇芹香知己遇恩师折荆枝孔怀伤幼弟

FAQ

What kind of novel is The Heart-Carving Record?

According to the author's own account, it is a legal novel. After the rise of new fiction in the late Qing, historical, romantic, social, and detective fiction emerged one after another. Moved by a particular event, the author turned to legal themes and attempted to use fiction to carry legal and social issues, reflecting the trend of genre differentiation and expansion in fiction at the time.

What background knowledge is needed to read this book?

It is best to have a basic understanding of the rise of late Qing fiction, to know that translated and original fiction coexisted, and to be familiar with the narrative habits of storyteller-style vernacular. With this background, it is easier to understand the author's intent in the autobiographical preface and the text's characteristics of the period.

What are the features of this edition?

This edition belongs to a series of Chinese classics that preserves the original appearance of the text, focusing on preserving and transmitting traditional thought and culture. Readers can thus access a text relatively close to the original, suitable for study and textual comparison rather than a popular edition rewritten in modern vernacular or extensively annotated.

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About the author

Wu Jianren Author · Chinese · 1866–1910

Wu Jianren (1866–1910), originally named Baozhen and also known as Woyao, courtesy name Xiaoyun, was a native of Foshan Town, Nanhai, Guangdong, and called himself "Wo Foshanren." A leading writer of late Qing exposé fiction, he drew on officialdom, the business world, and everyday urban life, writing with a sharp edge that combines the detail of social fiction with satirical force. His representative work, Strange Events Eyewitnessed over Twenty Years, links numerous characters and incidents through a continuous first-person account, broadly exposing the ills of late Qing society and leaving a lasting mark on modern Chinese fiction. He also wrote more than thirty novels, including A History of Pain, The Strange Case of Nine Murders, and Sea of Regret. Fifty-five of his works are held in this collection, spanning classical literature, folk literature, and classic works, which shows the breadth of his subjects and the enduring popularity of his writing.