Ancient Prose
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Summary
Editor's review
From a professional standpoint, the book's editorial approach is clear, and each selection is accompanied by brief annotations and analysis, which helps lower the threshold for reading classical texts and makes it suitable as an introductory guide or teaching reference for ancient prose. It should be noted, however, that as a popular anthology, its depth naturally differs from that of scholarly monographs. The analytical sections focus more on popularizing the general meaning of the text, its artistic features, and its historical background, and may seem somewhat thin to readers seeking in-depth textual criticism or theoretical research.
Its core reading value lies in its systematic and guiding nature. For readers eager to understand the broad landscape of classical Chinese prose and to build an initial framework of knowledge, this book offers a convenient path. It is like a carefully drawn map, marking the main peaks (classic authors and works) and the main lines (the evolution of genres and styles), so that readers do not lose their way in the vast sea of ancient texts. Readers can follow the map to discover authors or periods that interest them, and then go on to read more complete original works or more in-depth studies. Overall, this is an introductory anthology with a clear purpose and solid content, whose value lies in sparking interest and laying a foundation.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Beginners interested in classical Chinese literature who wish to gain a systematic understanding of the development of ancient prose.
- Literature enthusiasts who need a convenient anthology of classic ancient prose pieces.
- Students at the middle school or university level using ancient prose as supplementary study material.
- Readers who wish to improve their Chinese language proficiency and writing skills through reading classic prose.
Not a good fit for
- Scholarly researchers seeking extremely in-depth, textual-criticism-style analysis of individual prose works.
- Seasoned experts in classical literature expecting to see a large number of rare and obscure prose selections.
Reading tips
- It is recommended to read in the book's chronological order to form a clear sense of historical evolution.
- You may focus on selections from periods that interest you (such as the Tang and Song) and consider them alongside the author's life and historical background.
- After finishing a piece, you might try to find its full text or other annotated translations for comparative and extended reading.
About the publisher
Jointly credited to China Environmental Science Press and Xueyuan Audio-Visual Publishing House, the publications held in this catalog number 243 titles and cover common categories such as architecture, popular science, philosophy, world history, theory, and art. They include works on history and architecture, such as The World History of Architecture: Frozen Music and The Hometown of the Hanging Gardens: Babylon; popular science titles such as 100 Scientific Discoveries That Shook the World and 100 Technological Inventions That Refreshed the World; and works on intellectual and art history, such as The Most Beautiful Flower on Earth: A History of World Thought and The Sublimation of Life and Production: A History of Arts and Crafts. Works by authors including Wen Ming, Peng Pingping, Ge Dan, Qian Shu, and Li Munan form the main author resources. Because public information on the two institutions' complete catalogs and editorial plans is limited, this description presents their publishing direction only on the basis of the books in the catalog: mainly history, popular science, and art history, with some theoretical works, and under the joint imprint a emphasis on knowledge popularization and the humanities and social sciences.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 编委会
- 前言
- 古代散文史
- 先秦散文
- 秦汉散文
- 魏晋南北朝散文
- 隋唐五代散文
- 宋辽金元散文
- 明代散文
- 清代散文
- 散文名篇
- 秦楚之际月表
- 宋玉对楚王问
- 天时不如地利，地利不如人和
- 鱼我所欲也
- 逍遥游
- 风赋
- 吊屈原赋
- 哀秦二世赋
- 长门赋
- 悼李夫人赋
- 竹扇赋
- 归田赋
- 前出师表
- 洛神赋（并序）
- 大人先生传（节选）
- 陈情表
- 兰亭集序
- 归去来兮辞
- 桃花源记
- 雪赋
- 芜城赋
- 北山移文
- 高松赋
- 别赋
- 答谢中书书
- 情采
- 文心雕龙
- 祭夫徐敬业文
- 与萧临川书
- 哀江南赋序
- 鸳鸯赋
- 采莲赋
- 冬草赋
- 滕王阁序
- 登长城赋
- 山中与裴秀才迪书
- 吊古战场文
- 伐樱桃赋（并序）
- 陋室铭
- 吊轵道赋（并序）
- 雕赋
- 阿房宫赋
- 庐山草堂记
- 冷泉亭记
- 小石潭记
- 白鸥诗序
- 岳阳楼记
- 醉翁亭记
- 爱莲说
- 祭欧阳文忠公文
- 打马赋
- 丰城剑赋
- 新城游北山记
- 前赤壁赋
- 指南录后序
- 大明宫赋
- 黄楼赋（并序）
- 卖柑者言
- 吊诸葛武侯赋
- 大龙湫记
- 唐宋八大家文钞总序
- 童心说
- 浣花溪记
- 再游乌龙潭记
- 湖心亭看雪
- 怒雨赋
- 见南轩赋
- 梅桂双清赋
- 铜马湖赋
- 临兰皋赋
- 题竹二则
- 后 记
FAQ
Up to which dynasty does the prose included in this book extend?
Are the annotations and analysis in the book detailed? Is it suitable for readers with a weak foundation in classical Chinese?
What are the features of this book compared with similar anthologies of ancient prose?
Comments
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About the author
Li Munan: publicly available information is limited, and details of his life, such as nationality and dates of birth and death, are not clearly recorded. Nevertheless, the 229 works held in the library indicate a prolific compiler with wide-ranging interests. His works focus mainly on Chinese culture and history, and representative titles include Chinese Martial Arts (Volume Two), The Grand Compendium of Chinese Cultural Knowledge: Science and Military Volume, The Grand Compendium of Chinese Cultural Knowledge: Politics and History Volume, The History of Ancient Chinese Literature, The History of Contemporary Chinese Literature, Poems of Successive Dynasties, and Residential Architecture and Folk Customs (Volume One). The common categories cover culture, popular science, general biography, and history readers, showing that his writing centers on knowledge popularization and cultural dissemination. His subjects span literary history, folk customs, military science, and political history, and are mostly aimed at general readers. Overall, Li Munan's body of work is extensive and emphasizes the systematic organization of traditional Chinese culture and historical knowledge, giving him a certain accumulated presence and influence in the compilation of popular cultural reading materials.
Qie Zhiyi is an author about whom limited public information is available; details such as nationality, dates of birth and death, and an English name have not been clearly recorded. Judging from the 41 works held in the collection, his writing focuses on the history of Chinese literature and the compilation of literary works from successive dynasties. His representative works include histories such as A History of Ancient Chinese Literature, A History of Contemporary Chinese Literature, A History of Minority Literature, and A History of Chinese Folk Literature, showing an overall concern with the development of Chinese literature. He has also compiled anthologies such as Poems of Successive Dynasties, Famous Rhapsodies of Successive Dynasties, and Famous Ci of Successive Dynasties, covering poetry, rhapsody, and ci. His works are generally classified under culture, and are characterized by a combination of literary-historical survey and selection of classic texts, suitable for readers seeking a systematic understanding of Chinese literary tradition and famous works across the ages.
Liu Jinling is an author about whom limited public information is available; all that is currently known is that she has 41 works, commonly classified under culture. Her writings cover a broad range, including general surveys such as The History of Ancient Chinese Literature and The History of Contemporary Chinese Literature, anthologies such as Poems Through the Ages and Ci Through the Ages, and specialized topics including The History of Chinese Folk Literature, The History of Minority Literature, and Myths and Legends. Judging from the existing titles, she tends to combine literary-historical narrative with the compilation of selected works, tracing the development of literature while presenting poetic and mythological texts to readers, balancing scholarly organization with accessible reading. Her works represent a certain accumulation in spreading knowledge of literary history and in organizing materials on folk and minority literature, and are suitable for readers interested in general histories of Chinese literature and traditional culture. Because no reliable information is available about her life, identity, or writing background, no further inferences are made here.
