Biography of Lu Xun

Name: Biography of Lu Xun
ISBN: 9787510852961

Xu Shoutang许寿裳Nov 2017

4.0

Word count: 108K words
Chapters: 51
ISBN: 9787510852961

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Summary

Biography of Lu Xun is Xu Shoushang's collection of reminiscences of his close friend Lu Xun, comprising the complete texts of Impressionistic Notes on My Late Friend Lu Xun and The Lu Xun I Knew. As the most profound and deserving interpreter of Lu Xun's spirit, Xu Shoushang grounds his account in facts, examining the subject's life, conduct, thought, and works against specific historical backgrounds and intellectual currents, viewing him from multiple angles and striving to portray the real Lu Xun. The writing is sincere and rich, the content detailed and accurate, the feeling deeply felt—second to none among Lu Xun biographies, and an essential introduction for Lu Xun researchers and enthusiasts. As Lu Xun's close friend for thirty-five years, Xu Shoushang's reminiscences hold irreplaceable significance for the study of Lu Xun's life, thought, and works.

Editor's review

Lu Xun: A Biography comes from the hand of Xu Shoushang, Lu Xun's close friend, and its value lies in being a biography written by a contemporary with deep affection and understanding. This is not an objective, dispassionate academic critical biography but a heartfelt look back and spiritual dialogue by a confidant. The author, Xu Shoushang, knew Lu Xun for more than thirty years, from their time as classmates at the Hongwen Academy in Tokyo until Lu Xun's death, and they lived through the turbulent years from the late Qing to the Republic. The book's tone is therefore warm and emotional, its pages filled with delicate portrayals of the old friend's voice, appearance, and character, restoring a more three-dimensional, life-filled image of Lu Xun—his humor, his solitary indignation, his family warmth, and his emotional journey with Ms. Xu Guangping. The book includes many precious letters from Lu Xun to Xu Shoushang; these primary materials are an excellent window into Lu Xun's thought and emotional world. Compared with the inferences of later researchers based on texts, Xu Shoushang's account provides many vivid details and background annotations unavailable directly from the works, helping us see beyond the grand labels of "writer," "thinker," and "revolutionary" to approach a real, complex, and great soul. Reading this book is like listening to an old friend speak—an indispensable, intimate entry point for understanding Lu Xun the man and his thought.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who wish to learn about the details of Lu Xun's life and true character from a friend's perspective
Researchers or enthusiasts interested in Lu Xun studies who hope to obtain firsthand contemporary historical sources
Readers who have read Lu Xun's works and long to understand more deeply their creative background and inner world
Readers who prefer biographical literature with warmth and personal reminiscence

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking purely academic, theoretical Lu Xun research
Readers expecting a comprehensive critique or subversive reinterpretation of Lu Xun

Reading tips

Read this book alongside Lu Xun's reminiscence essays such as Dawn Blossoms Plucked at Dusk to appreciate the interplay between text and life.
Pay special attention to the Lu Xun letters quoted in the book; they are precious materials for understanding his private emotions and intellectual trajectory.
While reading, set aside for a time the various symbols later ages have attached to Lu Xun, and follow Xu Shoushang's memories in an attempt to feel Lu Xun as a "person."

About the publisher

许寿裳

Public information on Xu Shoushang as a publishing entity is limited. Only one title is currently held in the collection, the Biography of Lu Xun, written by Xu Shoushang himself, so its publishing profile is presented mainly through biographical works. Judging from the existing catalogue, its publishing direction centers on biography, especially accounts of Lu Xun's life and thought, and it is commonly classified under general biography. As for author resources, Xu Shoushang is both the credited author and a close associate of Lu Xun, and his writings carry a first-hand perspective that gives the relevant biographies reference value in terms of historical sources and personal recollection. Its publishing characteristics therefore lean toward biographical texts grounded in personal experience, with attention to tracing a person's life and presenting the development of their thought. Because the collection contains only a single title, it is not yet possible to determine whether other categories are involved, and a fuller publishing structure awaits further material.

版权信息
《鲁迅传》出版说明
上亡友鲁迅印象记
小引
一剪辫
二屈原和鲁迅
三杂谈名人
四《浙江潮》撰文
五仙台学医
六办杂志、译小说
七从章先生学
八西片町住屋
九归国在杭州教书
十入京和北上
一一提倡美术
一二整理古籍和古碑
一三看佛经
一四笔名鲁迅
一五杂谈著作
一六杂谈翻译
一七西三条胡同住屋
一八女师大风潮
一九三一八惨案
二〇广州同住
二一上海生活——前五年
二二上海生活——后五年
二三和我的交谊
二四日常生活
二五病死
读后记
下我所认识的鲁迅
我所认识的鲁迅
怀亡友鲁迅
鲁迅的生活——在北平大学女子文理学院
怀旧
《民元前的鲁迅先生》序
关于《弟兄》
《鲁迅旧体诗集》序
《鲁迅旧体诗集》跋
回忆鲁迅
鲁迅的几封信
鲁迅与民族性研究
鲁迅的精神
鲁迅和青年
鲁迅的德行
鲁迅的人格和思想
《鲁迅的思想与生活》自序
鲁迅的避难生活
鲁迅的游戏文章
附录一鲁迅先生年谱
附录二鲁迅古诗文的一斑

FAQ

What is the main difference between Xu Shoushang's biography of Lu Xun and other versions?

The biggest difference lies in the author's unique identity. Xu Shoushang was Lu Xun's lifelong close friend, and his account is based on more than thirty years of intimate association, full of personal memory and emotional warmth. It provides a wealth of life details and character portrayals that outsiders could not know—a perspective later researchers cannot match. Its value lies in "firsthand experience" and "true feeling."

What is the writing style of this book? Is it easy to read?

The style is plain, sincere, and deeply affectionate, with the literati flavor of Republican-era scholars. Although it involves historical background, it consists mainly of reminiscence and narrative without abstruse theoretical analysis, and is on the whole fluent and easy to read. Readers can clearly feel the author's longing for and reverence toward his old friend.

Does this book help in understanding Lu Xun's works?

It helps significantly. The book not only recounts the creative background, motives, and state of mind behind many of Lu Xun's works but also, through depictions of his daily life and conversations, provides vivid contexts and annotations for understanding the emotions, characters, and ideas in his works, establishing an organic link between his life and his texts.

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About the author

Xu Shoutang Author · Chinese · 1883–1948

Xu Shoutang (1883–1948), courtesy name Jifu and style Shang Sui, was a native of Shaoxing, Zhejiang, and a renowned modern Chinese educator, scholar and biographer. In 1902 he went to Japan to study, where he met Lu Xun and formed a lifelong friendship. He served as a secretary at the Ministry of Education, taught at Peking University and other institutions, and later headed the Taiwan Provincial Compilation and Translation Bureau and taught at National Taiwan University. Drawing on his firsthand acquaintance, he wrote such works as Impressions of My Late Friend Lu Xun, The Lu Xun I Knew and A Biography of Zhang Binglin, and also compiled writings related to Lu Xun, including a biography of him. His plain, restrained prose, grounded in personal contact and observation, preserves valuable primary material for Lu Xun studies and for understanding exchanges among modern scholars. He was killed at his residence in Taipei in 1948.