Author:
Lu, Xun, 1881-1936, author.
ImprintCambridge, Massachusetts : Harvard University Press, 2017.
Descriptionvii, 329 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm
Note:Editors' introduction: Lu Xun, the in-between critic -- Part One. Self-reflections: I. Prefaces and autobiographical essays -- Preface to Outcry -- Preface to Inauspicious star -- Preface to Graves -- Afterword to Graves -- How The "true story of Ah-Q" came about -- In reply to Mr. Youheng -- Preface to Self-selected works -- Preface to the English edition of Selected short stories of Lu Hsun -- How I came to write fiction -- Random thoughts after illness (excerpt) -- Death -- Preface to Miscellaneous essays from the Semi-concessions -- II. In memoriam -- Warriors and flies -- Roses without blooms, part II (excerpt) -- In memory of Liu Hezhen -- Remembrance for the sake of forgetting -- In memory of Wei Suyuan -- On "Gossip is a fearful thing" -- A few matters regarding Zhang Taiyan -- A few matters recalled in connection with Mr. Zhang Taiyan -- Part Two. Reflections on culture: III. On tradition -- My views on chastity -- Impromptu reflections no. 38: on arrogance and inheritance -- On conducting ourselves as fathers today -- Before the appearance of geniuses -- Jottings under lamplight -- On looking at things with eyes wide open -- Why "fair play" should be deferred -- Voiceless China -- The old tunes are finished -- Tablet -- The evolution of men -- Thinking of the past again -- Curiosities -- Confucius in modern China -- IV. On art and literature -- Impromptu reflections no. 43 -- My hopes for the critics -- Must-read books for young people -- This is what I meant -- Old books and the vernacular -- Literature in times of revolution -- Miscellaneous thoughts -- The divergence of art and politics -- Literature and revolution: a reply -- An overview of the present state of the new literature -- A glimpse at Shanghai literature -- On the third type of person -- The most artistic country -- The crisis of the small essay -- V. On modern culture -- Impromptu reflections no. 48 -- Untitled -- What happens after Nora walks out -- On photography and related matters -- Modern history -- Lessons from the movies -- Shanghai children -- How to train wild animals -- Toys -- The glory to come -- The decline of the Western suit -- Take-ism -- Ah Jin -- Written deep into the night.
Bibliography Note:Includes bibliographical references and index.
Note:Lu Xun (1881-1936) was arguably the greatest writer of twentieth-century China. While most well known for his two slim volumes of short fiction, he was a prolific and inventive essayist. Jottings under Lamplight showcases Lu Xun's versatility as a master of prose forms and his brilliance as a cultural critic with translations of sixty-two of his essays, from the well known to the obscure, some translated for the first time. Organized by theme, the volume provides a context for readers--both those familiar with and those new to Lu Xun--to make meaningful connections among the diverse ideas generated from one of China's most brilliant minds. The first part of the book, "Self-Reflections," includes important autobiographical essays that shed light on the formative experiences shaping Lu Xun's worldview and literary sensibilities. The second part, "Reflections on Culture," contains his thoughts on the major cultural transformations of the day. The volume as a whole reveals the mind of an ingenious writer who chronicled his own life and the events of his time with a keen eye; the essays provide penetrating insights into a culture and society, relayed at times with notes of despair, yet also pathos, humor, and an unparalleled caustic wit.-- Provided by publisher
