Talks on Essays

Name: Talks on Essays
ISBN: 9787108045249

Ye ShengtaoSDX Joint Publishing Company · ChinaJun 2025

4.3

Word count: 83K words
Chapters: 32
ISBN: 9787108045249

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Summary

This book gathers the pieces Ye Shengtao wrote in 1936 while running the 'Essay Exhibition' column in the magazine New Youth. The texts it discusses include fiction, poetry, drama and biography, and so touch on a good many elements such as conception, rhetoric and structure. Starting from the methods and texture of writing, the author supplies appropriate explanation, comparison and analysis, guiding readers to feel and appreciate the works for themselves. The aim throughout is to lead readers toward their own understanding and experience of the writing.

Editor's review

Articles as Examples of Writing is a distinctive writing guide compiled by Mr. Ye Shengtao in the 1930s, and its wisdom still shines despite the passage of time. Unlike the popular quick-fix writing manuals of today, this work constructs an immersive learning path through twenty-seven carefully selected model essays from ancient and modern times, accompanied by Mr. Ye's incisive commentary. Its core value lies in offering no rigid 'formulas' but guiding readers deep into the texture of texts to 'see' how an essay is organized, how it conveys meaning, and how it generates appeal. As a master of Chinese language education, Ye Shengtao's commentary is itself like a series of concise model essays—terse, to the point, and demonstrating what 'good reading' and 'good criticism' mean. The selections range widely, from excerpts of the classical Records of the Grand Historian to modern prose by Lu Xun and Zhu Ziqing, yet Mr. Ye's commentary always bridges past and present, revealing the principles common to fine writing—clear thinking, apt expression, and sincere feeling. For readers eager to improve their written expression, this book offers not answers but a key, a training of the 'eye.' It teaches you to dismantle an essay as a craftsman examines a work, a skill especially precious today amid information overload and uneven textual quality. Reading this book requires calm and patience; its reward is a deeper aesthetic and judgment regarding Chinese writing.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Middle school and university students seeking to systematically improve their appreciation and writing of essays
Educators interested in Chinese language education and writing instruction
Literature lovers who love Chinese writing and hope to break through expression bottlenecks
Those who enjoy quiet reading and drawing nourishment from classic model essays

Not a good fit for

Utilitarian readers seeking quick shortcuts or templates for writing
Those who find classical Chinese or early modern vernacular difficult and lack basic patience

Reading tips

Read the model essays alongside Mr. Ye's commentary: first savor the essay yourself, then read the commentary to perceive the differences and insights
There is no need to read straight through in table-of-contents order; begin with the pieces you find most interesting or familiar to build confidence
Try imitating Mr. Ye's method of commentary by briefly analyzing other texts you read daily, applying what you learn

About the publisher

SDX Joint Publishing Company China · Founded in 1932

SDX Joint Publishing Company is a publisher known for its humanities and social science titles, covering classics, culture, history, social fiction and politics. Its catalogue of 826 books includes Chinese and foreign literary classics such as The Scholars, Camel Xiangzi and Selected Short Stories of Chekhov, scholarly works such as Studies of Chinese Cave Temples, A Study of the Tuoba History (Revised Edition) and The Nine-Rank System: A Prehistory of the Imperial Examination, and translations such as Red Star Over China and Notes from the House of the Dead. Its authors include renowned Chinese and foreign writers such as Wu Jingzi, Lao She, Su Bai and Chekhov, as well as scholars and translators such as Chen Xiaoming, Wang Benhua, Guo Changbao and Zhu Xiansheng. Its publishing character lies in balancing the popularisation of classics with academic depth, with attention to textual quality and the transmission of knowledge.

版权信息
写在前面
序
背影
浴池速写
我所知道的康桥
收获
痈
整理好了的箱子
朋友
现代建筑的形式美
科学名词跟科学观念
分头努力
青年的憧憬
差不多先生传
北平的洋车夫
包身工
写给上海学生请愿团的一封公开信
《杨柳风》序
杜威博士生日演说词
辰州途中
从荥阳到汜水
看戏
邓山东
水手
小河
压迫
［附录］
给建筑飞机场的工人
《上海——冒险家的乐园》序
苦恼
重印后记

FAQ

How does this book differ from today's composition guidebooks?

The fundamental difference lies in the philosophy. Modern composition books mostly focus on transmitting techniques and applying templates, whereas Articles as Examples of Writing focuses on cultivating 'eye' and 'mind,' guiding readers to grasp the essence of writing by analyzing the inner logic and expressive art of classic model essays. The process is slower, but the foundation is firmer.

The model essays are from a distant era; are they still helpful for modern writing?

Enormously helpful. The book selects classic texts tested by time and explores eternal topics such as essay structure, logical progression, and language refinement. Mr. Ye Shengtao's commentary transcends its specific era and speaks directly to general principles of writing. Learning these principles benefits the handling of any era's genres.

What background does reading this book require?

It requires high-school-level or above reading ability in classical and vernacular Chinese, since the model essays include classical excerpts. More importantly, it requires an unflustered mind, willing to follow Mr. Ye in detailed, slow textual analysis and to value the process over immediate results.

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About the author

Ye Shengtao Author · Chinese · 1894–1988

Ye Shengtao (1894–1988), originally named Ye Shaojun and styled Bingchen, was a native of Suzhou, Jiangsu. He was a modern Chinese writer, educator, publisher, and social activist. He worked early on as an editor at the Commercial Press and Kaiming Bookstore, and edited journals such as Short Story Monthly and Middle School Students, leaving a profound influence on Chinese language education and publishing. His works include the novel Ni Huanzhi, the fairy-tale collection The Scarecrow, and short stories such as “Three More Dou of Rice” and “Mr. Pan in Distress.” His plain, concise language and careful observation earned him recognition as an outstanding language artist. The library holds 41 of his works, spanning classics, literary appreciation, language and writing, examinations, and education, including The Heart of Literature and the Kaiming New Chinese Readers. After the founding of New China, he served as Vice Minister of Education, president of the People’s Education Press, and Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.