Back View
Tags
Summary
Editor's review
In the editor's view, the book's core value lies in offering the best path into the classics of modern Chinese vernacular prose. Zhu's language is refined and precise, his emotion restrained yet profound, and he draws stirring power from ordinary daily life. The depiction of a father's silent, clumsy love in "Back View" has become an enduring image of familial affection in Chinese literature; "Moonlight over the Lotus Pond" perfectly fuses classical imagery with the rhythmic beauty of modern vernacular Chinese, opening a new realm of poetic prose. These pieces are not only models of literary craft but also precious readers for emotional education, teaching readers how to observe, savor, and express the complex, subtle feelings of human life.
In today's age of fragmented information, rereading "Back View" carries particular healing significance. It invites readers to slow down and immerse themselves in a delicate, focused narrative rhythm, experiencing the tranquility and resonance that words themselves can bring. The book is suited both as an introduction to classic literature for young readers and as repeated reading for adults seeking a moment of spiritual respite from busy lives.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Modern readers seeking emotional resonance and literary solace
- Students learning Chinese writing who need to study classic prose models
- Enthusiasts interested in the history of modern Chinese literature and the vernacular movement
- Parents hoping to read classics with their children for literary and emotional education
Not a good fit for
- Entertainment-oriented readers seeking strong plots and fast-paced narratives
- Academic researchers expecting systematic literary-theoretical analysis
Reading tips
- Begin with famous pieces such as "Back View" and "Moonlight over the Lotus Pond" to feel their emotion and atmosphere, then move on to other landscape and travel essays
- While reading, note how the author uses plain vernacular to create profound atmosphere, and the intense feeling contained in detailed description
- Read different pieces in comparison to trace the evolution of Zhu Ziqing's prose style from early lucidity to later plainness
About the publisher
Hunan Literature and Art Publishing House is a publisher known for its literary titles, with a catalogue spanning foreign literature, world classics, classical Chinese literature, essays and miscellaneous writings, and mystery and detective fiction. Judging from the more than 1,100 books in the database, the press publishes foreign classics such as Crime and Punishment, Snow Country, The Complete Sherlock Holmes and Letter from an Unknown Woman, as well as Chinese classical and modern literary works including Lu Xun's Wandering and A Madman's Diary and Wu Jingzi's The Scholars. In terms of translators and authors, translations by Cao Guowei and Tan Jinghua appear in its foreign literature titles, and the authors involved include Dostoevsky, Kawabata Yasunari, Conan Doyle and Zweig. Its publishing character lies in introducing Chinese and foreign literary classics side by side, balancing popular and serious works and attending to both readability and literary value. Public information is limited; the above is a brief overview based solely on the books in the database.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 亲近名著 守望童年
- 背影
- 背影
- 阿河
- 荷塘月色
- 一封信
- 儿女
- 匆匆
- 女人
- 白种人——上帝的骄子
- 我所见的叶圣陶
- 春晖的一月
- 白马湖
- 看花
- 给亡妇
- 春
- 冬天
- 择偶记
- 白采
- 歌声
- 航船中的文明
- 执政府大屠杀记
- 北平沦陷那一天
- 回来杂记
- 买书
- 三家书店
- 桨声灯影里的秦淮河
- 温州的踪迹
- 潭柘寺 戒坛寺
- 南京
- 说扬州
- 外东消夏录
- 威尼斯
- 佛罗伦司
- 罗马
- 滂卑故城
- 瑞士
- 荷兰
- 柏林
- 德瑞司登
- 莱茵河
- 巴黎
- 三家书店
- 文人宅
- 博物院
- 公园
- 乞丐
- 房东太太
- 你我
- 你我
- 说梦
- 憎
- 论气节
- 论诚意
- 论雅俗共赏
- 论无话可说
- 论别人
- 论自己
- 论做作
- 论青年
- 论吃饭
- 论东西
- 论书生的酸气
- 论老实话
- 正义
- 沉默
- “海阔天空”与“古今中外”
- 独自
- 毁灭
- 我的南方
- 赠友
- 北河沿的路灯
- 不足之感
- 灯光
- 独自
- 光明
- 爱国诗
- 挽一多先生
- 黑暗
- 睡吧，小小的人
- 仅存的
FAQ
How does this edition of "Back View" differ from others?
Does Zhu Ziqing's prose still appeal to modern readers?
Besides "Back View," which other pieces in the book deserve attention?
Comments
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About the author
Zhu Ziqing (1898–1948), originally named Zihua and styled Peixian, was a modern Chinese essayist, poet and scholar. His ancestral home was Shaoxing, Zhejiang, and he was born in Donghai, Jiangsu. He taught for many years at Tsinghua University, where he served as professor and chair of the Department of Chinese. His essays often draw on everyday observations and personal experience; written in clear, refined language with sincere and restrained feeling, they convey deep reflection through plain narration. Pieces such as "Back View," "Moonlight over the Lotus Pond" and "Hurry" are widely read. Beyond creative writing, he devoted himself to the study and popularization of classical literature, notably in Common Talks on Classics, which surveys traditional texts in an accessible style. This collection holds more than 219 of his works, covering essays, literary appreciation and classic works. He died in Beiping in 1948.
