Anecdotes (Volume 10)
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Summary
Besides Wu Yeyu, the four new contributors to this volume are Rong Hongzeng, Cai Yuxi, Lu Hao, and Wang Wei. The historian Yang Liansheng was known for his breadth of learning, but few know that he was also skilled in painting; he once painted a "Portrait of a Qin Player" for Zhao Rulan. Through an account of the painting and transmission of the "Portrait of a Qin Player," Rong Hongzeng depicts another picture of scholarship passed down from generation to generation. Cai Yuxi, a publisher who came of age after the Cultural Revolution, was in close contact for many years with the writer Gao Xiaosheng, who was very prominent in the 1980s; his portraits carry the flavor of the era and are true to life. Lu Hao is a book lover of the first order, and almost every signed copy on his shelves has a story; reading him is like being in the renowned Tingshui Study in Shanghai, where the eye can hardly take it all in.
The May Fourth woman writer Lu Yin, because she broke off her engagement to her first fiancé, "set her life on another track." Through Wang Wei's research, the true name and life of the fiancé, and why Lu Yin "did as much as possible to obscure her former fiancé's identity," have found answers even after eighty or ninety years. This volume also includes Tan Ku'an's "The Death of Meng Sen" and Fan Yu's "My Mother Pang Zuoyu."
Editor's review
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers with a strong interest in modern cultural and academic history
- Fans of reminiscence writing who enjoy anecdotes and historical details
- Writers and researchers in literature and history seeking material or inspiration
- Readers who appreciate concise, well-crafted, substantive nonfiction essays
Not a good fit for
- Readers seeking systematic, grand-narrative history books
- Beginners with no background knowledge of modern figures and events
Reading tips
- It is suggested not to read straight through in order; begin with chapters on figures you know or find interesting.
- While reading, keep paper or a digital notebook handy to jot down leads about people and sources for further reading.
- Read alongside the first nine volumes or other scholars' reminiscence works to build a more three-dimensional network of understanding.
About the publisher
Zhonghua Book Company is a publisher known for collating ancient texts and academic publishing, with its output centered on Eastern philosophy, culture, classic works, art, and historical reading. Its library contains 532 titles, including Chen Shou's Records of the Three Kingdoms, Guo Qingfan's Collected Commentaries on Zhuangzi, the four-volume Chinese Literature: Four Great Classical Novels, and the two-volume Table of Seal and Clerical Script Forms from Qin, Han, Wei, and Jin. These titles span historical classics, commentaries on the philosophers, classical novels, and philological reference works. Representative authors include Chen Shou, Guo Qingfan, Wu Cheng'en, Shi Nai'an, Cao Xueqin, Luo Guanzhong, Xu Wenwu, and the Hanyu Dazidian character-form group, reflecting a focus on primary sources and scholarly editors. Its publishing character lies in combining authoritative editions and annotated texts with both accessible classics and specialized research. Public information on its fuller catalog is limited; this note describes only the directions evident in the library's holdings.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 编委会
- 孟森之死
- 第四次遇见刘世珩
- 周肇祥退谷得失记
- 签名本琐忆
- 杨联陞·赵如兰·“琴人图”
- 陆丹林二三事
- 从顾澹明到陈仁涛、张大千——书信里的域外贩画故事
- 我的母亲庞左玉
- 忆刘九庵先生
- 不可替代的笺纸画家王劭农
- 关于丛碧先生几页诗稿的补注
- 庐隐的未婚夫“林鸿俊”
- 姚雪垠的作家气质和学人品质
- 想起高晓声
- 闻见偶录
- 踞灶觚（三）
- 编后语
FAQ
I haven't read the first nine volumes. Can I start with Volume Ten?
Is the research in this book rigorous, or is it just unofficial anecdotes?
Is the content too trivial or specialized?
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About the author
Yan Xiaoxing is a Chinese book author about whom limited public information is available. Twelve of his works are currently held in the library, mainly in the categories of history, general biography, and classic works. Judging from his representative titles, his interests center on anecdotes of modern literary figures and on the world of the guqin. "Past Events So Clear: Zha Fuxi and Zhang Chonghe" uses the friendship between Zha Fuxi and Zhang Chonghe to portray the bonds and the historical backdrop of a generation of cultural figures, while "Recollections of Qiulai Studio" has the character of memoir and reminiscence. He has also contributed to several volumes of the "Anecdotes" series and is the author of "Minor Notes on Jin Yong (Revised and Expanded Edition)", showing an interest in both traditional literary and historical anecdotes and popular literature. His writing tends to begin with specific people, events, and documentary details, emphasizing the recovery of historical sources and readability, and is suited to readers interested in modern cultural history and the lives of literary figures.
