New Meanings in the Classics

1. It is advisable first to have a basic impression of the original texts of the Book of Songs and the Songs of Chu, then to read Mr. Wen's exegeses alongside them and appreciate where his "new meanings" lie.
2. While reading, one may appropriately consult Wen Yiduo's modern poetry and prose to sense how his dual temperament as poet and scholar converges in his scholarship.
3. There is no need to read the whole book through at once; one may select chapters of interest (such as the section on the Book of Songs in "Letters from Kuangzhai") for close reading and reflection.

China Book Publishing House specializes in publishing cultural studies titles. Its 139 books in the database cover history, literary appreciation, culture, Eastern philosophy, military affairs, and world history. Representative titles include Chinese academic classics such as Xiang Da's Tang Dynasty Chang'an and the Civilization of the Western Regions, Lu Xun's A Brief History of Chinese Fiction, Liu Yizheng's History of Chinese Culture, and Wen Yiduo's New Interpretations of the Classics, as well as world history and military translations such as J. F. C. Fuller's The Decisive Battles of the Western World and Their Influence upon History. Its authors and translators range from Xiang Da, Lu Xun, Liu Yizheng, and Wen Yiduo to Wang Ziwu, Li Chenxi, and Xiaoxiao Bingren, giving the press a publishing profile that values both classic Chinese scholarship and contemporary translations of foreign studies.