Trends of Thought

Lu YinMay 2017

3.8

Word count: 52K words
Chapters: 19

Summary

Literary works are an art that uses language to create images reflecting social life and expressing the author's thoughts and feelings. They are a mirror for us, exerting a subtle and profound enlightening influence on our lives, broadening our horizons, increasing our knowledge, and refining our character.

Editor's review

Thoughts and Trends collects literary works by Lu Yin, who used language to create images reflecting social life and expressing the author's thoughts and feelings. Lu Yin was an important woman writer of the May Fourth period; her writing often carries a tone of melancholy and reflection, and she was skilled at capturing the ripples of the times within everyday life and her characters' inner states. This book serves as an entry point for understanding Lu Yin's creative profile and the character of May Fourth new literature: readers can feel literature's enlightening influence on life and also use the works as a mirror to reflect on themselves. Readers may wish to slow down, notice how the author uses delicate language to portray characters' emotions and the social atmosphere, and appreciate literature's subtle power to move. For readers hoping to broaden their horizons in modern literature and cultivate literary sensibility, this is a small book worth reading quietly.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Literary readers interested in works by women writers of the May Fourth period
General readers hoping to draw life inspiration from literary works
Students who need to broaden their horizons in modern literature
Readers who enjoy delicate, lyrical prose and are willing to read slowly

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer strongly plotted, fast-paced stories
Readers who want to study literary theory systematically rather than read literary works
Readers with little patience for sentimental, lyrical styles

Reading tips

First read through once to take in the overall language style, then return to passages that move you and take notes.
Read in the context of May Fourth new literature, noting how the author expresses thoughts and feelings through her characters.
Read one or two pieces at a time, leaving time to experience the text's effect on your emotions and perceptions.

版权信息
思潮
前尘
月下的回忆
蓬莱风景线
愁情一缕付征鸿
雷峰塔下
夜的奇迹
春的警钟
秋声
生命的光荣
东京小品
异国秋思
夏的歌颂
我愿秋常驻人间
星夜
几句实话
妇女生活的改善
劳心者和劳力者

FAQ

Is this book suitable for readers with no background in modern literature?

Yes. This is a work of literature, not a theoretical work; its language mainly creates images and expresses emotion, so general readers can go straight in. If you are unfamiliar with the May Fourth background, you can learn a little while reading, but you need not master literary history first—you can still gain something by reading by feel.

Do I need to take notes while reading this book?

It is not required, but simple notes are recommended. Lu Yin's writing often reveals emotion and thought in details; jotting down sentences or questions that move you and revisiting them afterward will help you see more clearly how the works subtly influence your feelings and judgments.

Can this book be used for classroom or book-club discussion?

Yes. The works use language to create images and reflect social life, making them suitable for discussion of characters, emotions, and the atmosphere of the times. A book club could closely read one piece, share understandings of the characters' situations, and then connect them to real life to discuss literature's enlightening influence on life.

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About the author

Lu Yin Author · Chinese · 1898–1934

Lu Yin (1898–1934), originally named Huang Shuyi and also known as Huang Ying, was a native of Minhou, Fujian, and a prominent woman writer of the May Fourth period as well as the first female member of the Literary Research Society. Known for her fiction and essays, she authored such representative works as "Old Friends by the Seaside," "The Sorrow of Someone," "To an Old Friend in Yanbei," "A Thread of Sorrow Sent to the Wild Geese," and "Starry Night," along with The Complete Works of Lu Yin. Her writings often portray the anguish and aspirations of educated women in a natural, autobiographical style with genuine feeling, making her an important female voice in May Fourth new literature. The collection holds 49 of her works, spanning essays and miscellaneous writings, social fiction, and classic works. She died in Shanghai in 1934 from complications of childbirth at the age of 36.