The Back View
Tags
Summary
Editor's review
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers with a strong interest in modern essays and classic literature
- Students learning Chinese writing who hope to draw on the language style and emotional expression of a master
- Parents who wish to read classics with their children and discuss the meaning of family affection
- Readers seeking inner calm and eager for emotional resonance in plain, sincere writing
Not a good fit for
- Entertainment-oriented readers who prefer strong plot and fast-paced narrative
- Pure researchers seeking systematic literary theory or academic analysis
Reading tips
- Read immersively in a quiet setting, savoring the intense emotion contained in the plain details of the text.
- Read "Back View" alongside pieces such as "Moonlight over the Lotus Pond" to appreciate the different moods of "dense" and "light" in Zhu Ziqing's essays.
- After reading, pause to reflect, or try recording a "moment" or "back view" related to family affection in your own life.
About the publisher
Founded in 1997 and based in Beijing, Taihai Publishing House takes “building cultural bridges and promoting cross-strait unity” as its mission, focusing on Taiwan-related studies, social sciences and humanities, Chinese and foreign history, and literature. Judging from the 709 titles in the database, its publishing centers on foreign literature and classic works, with attention to Eastern philosophy, architecture, and social culture. Representative books include Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha and Steppenwolf and the four-volume Hesse literary series, Liang Sicheng’s A History of Chinese Architecture, Lao She’s Teahouse (unabridged classic edition), Sun Wu’s The Art of War, and collections by W. Somerset Maugham, Yasunari Kawabata, and Yukio Mishima. Its authors include major foreign writers such as Hesse, Maugham, Kawabata, and Mishima, as well as Liang Sicheng, Lao She, and Sun Wu. Its publishing features complete presentation of classic texts and series-based organization of foreign literature; public information on its Taiwan-related studies titles and authors is limited.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 前言
- 新年底故事
- 歌声
- 憎
- 匆匆
- 父母的责任
- 桨声灯影里的秦淮河
- 温州的踪迹
- 春晖的一月
- 航船中的文明
- 刹那
- 正义
- 女人
- “海阔天空”与“古今中外”
- 白种人——上帝的骄子
- 背影
- 阿河
- 执政府大屠杀记
- 哀韦杰三君
- 白采
- 荷塘月色
- 一封信
- 怀魏握青君
- 儿女
- 白马湖
- 看花
- 论无话可说
- 沉默
- 冬天
- 择偶记
- 潭柘寺戒坛寺
- 论说话的多少
- 南京
- 松堂游记
- 说话
- 乞丐
- 中年人与青年人
- 很好
- 论诚意
- 外东消夏录
- 论自己
- 论别人
- 论气节
- 论雅俗共赏
- 论书生的酸气
FAQ
Does this book contain only the single essay "Back View"?
What are the language characteristics of Zhu Ziqing's essays?
Why is "Back View" regarded as a classic?
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.
