Introduction to four classic novels.

Jin Shengtan was the first to rank popular novels. According to him, he intends to comment on Zhuangzi, Li Sao, Historical Records, Du Fu's Poems, The Water Margin and The West Chamber. During the reign of Emperor Kangxi in the late Qing Dynasty, Mao Zonggang and his son entrusted Jin Shengtan to modify the name of The Three Kingdoms, which was called The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the masterpiece of the first talented person (they entrusted Jin Shengtan's name instead of earlier people to explain some problems). At that time, there was a saying that the "Four Musts of Ming Dynasty" was put forward as a commercial means of booksellers, and then the Red Chamber replaced Jin Pingmei as the "Four Musts of Ming and Qing Dynasties", and the four musts were finalized. "Four Great Classical Novels" is a modern expression of "Four Wonders", so it won't be early. Therefore, the formulation of "Four Great Classical Novels" (the four fantastic books) must have appeared after the book A Dream of Red Mansions was written.

However, some people have verified that the statement of "Four Wonder Books" should have been established in the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties. Li Yu once said in the preface to The Romance of the Three Kingdoms published in Zuitang: "Feng Menglong also has four wonderful books, namely The Three Kingdoms, Water Margin, Journey to the West and Jin Ping Mei. ..... "It can be seen that in the late Ming Dynasty, Feng Menglong had four wonderful books. Li Yucheng said that it was published as the" first wonderful book "in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and it was probably fixed and popular in the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties. But in any case, the expression of "Four Wonder Books" is the original expression of "Four Classical Novels", which should be confirmed. Four great classic novels have made great contributions to the development of literature in the future.

Now the four classic novels are recognized as: Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Water Margin, The Journey to the West and A Dream of Red Mansions.

Wonderful comments: The four classic novels are valuable cultural heritages shared by China and even all mankind, and have far-reaching influence in the whole Chinese world. Mao Zedong once said: "Give birth to the son of Zhongmou, make friends with Lu Da, have the confidence of Tang Priest, and learn from Four Great Classical Novels." Studying China and the four classical novels is a sea of wisdom to browse China's classical literature and a knowledge base to experience China's traditional humanities, society, ethics, history, geography, folklore, psychology and handling strategies.

[Edit this paragraph] Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Link: /view/2372.htm

Author: (late Yuan Dynasty and early Ming Dynasty) Luo Guanzhong

Full name: Popular Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Count: * * 120

Introduction: It is written according to Chen Shou's The History of the Three Kingdoms, Ye Fan's The History of the Later Han Dynasty, Yuan Zaju's Romance of the Three Kingdoms and some folklore. At present, the earliest edition is Ming Jiajing edition, which is divided into 24 volumes and 240 articles. At the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, Mao Zonggang made some revisions, and it became the current 120 edition.

The story of Romance of the Three Kingdoms begins with Liu Bei and Guan Yu in Taoyuan and ends with Wu. It describes the military and political struggles between Wei, Shu and Wu in the late Eastern Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period. The characters are simple, profound, tortuous and grand in structure.

At the end of Yuan Dynasty and the beginning of Ming Dynasty, China's novels entered a new period, especially Zhang Hui's novels entered a perfect stage. The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, China's first classical novel with the widest circulation, the deepest influence, the highest achievement and the greatest boldness of vision, was born and swept the world through the pen of Luo Guanzhong, an outstanding novelist who lived in this historical period. He has made great achievements in the history of China literature development. At the same time, it also adds brilliant brilliance to the treasure house of world literature.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms describes the history of nearly a hundred years from the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty to the beginning of the Western Jin Dynasty. The book reflects the political and military struggle, the infiltration and transformation of various social contradictions in the Three Kingdoms period, summarizes the historical changes of this era and shapes a group of heroes. In grasping the history of the Three Kingdoms, the author showed an obvious tendency to support Liu and oppose Cao, focusing on the description of Liu Bei Group, praising the main figures of Liu Bei Group and trying to expose and lash Cao Cao. Today, we should dialectically understand the author's tendency to support Liu and oppose Cao. Respecting Liu and opposing Cao is the main tendency of folklore in Luo Guanzhong era, which implies people's hope for the rejuvenation of the Han nationality.

The Romance of the Three Kingdoms has created nearly 200 characters, among which Zhuge Liang, Cao Cao, Guan Yu, Liu Bei and others are the most successful. Zhuge Liang is the incarnation of the "saint" in the author's mind. He has the lofty spirit of "devoting all his efforts to death" and the ambition of helping people rebuild a peaceful and prosperous world in modern times. In addition, the author endowed him with the peculiar ability of giving orders and calculating skillfully. Cao Cao is a treacherous man. His life creed is "Better teach the world to betray me than to teach the world to betray me". He is a political careerist and schemer, so don't confuse him with the real Cao Cao in history. Guan Yu is "brave and resolute" and "righteous as a mountain". But his loyalty is based on personal grudges, not the national justice. Liu Bei was portrayed by the author as a kind-hearted person, a corporal with noble character and a kind-hearted person.

The Romance of the Three Kingdoms describes wars, big and small, with grand ideas and various techniques, which let us clearly see the bloody war scenes. Among them, the description of the battle of Guandu and Battle of Red Cliffs is ups and downs, ups and downs, and it is thrilling to read.

Luo Guanzhong (1330- 1400) was a popular novelist in Ming dynasty. His native place is Taiyuan (now Shanxi) and Qiantang (now Hangzhou, Zhejiang), so he is not sure. According to legend, Luo Guanzhong was a screen guest of Zhang Shicheng, a peasant uprising army at the end of Yuan Dynasty. In addition to the popular Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he also wrote popular novels such as Romance of Sui and Tang Dynasties and plays such as Meet the Dragon and Tiger of Zhao Taizu. In addition, quite a few people think that the last thirty chapters of Water Margin are also his works.

[Edit this paragraph] "Water Margin"

Also known as Legend of Loyalty and Righteousness and Legend of Hawks in Jianghu.

Author: (Late Yuan Dynasty and Early Ming Dynasty) Shi Naian

Gao Ru recorded what he saw in "Hundred Rivers Record" in Ming Dynasty. The former was "Qiantang Shi Naian Book, edited by Luo Guanzhong". Hu Yinglin's Shao Shi Shan Fang Bi Ji was written by Shi Naian, and Wang Qi's Xushu Tongkao was written by Luo Guanzhong.

Introduction to Water Margin: The author created it on the basis of the legacy of Xuanhe and related scripts and stories. The main theme of the book is to describe the peasant war, and it created Liangshan heroes such as Lin and others, revealing the social contradictions at that time. The story is tortuous, the language is vivid, and the characters are vivid, which has high artistic achievements.

Version: There are many different books in the spread of Water Margin. At present, there are mainly 100 copies, 120 copies and 70 copies. After Zhao An 100, there were plots such as "collecting Liao" and suppressing Fang La uprising. 120 Huiben added the plot of suppressing tian hu and Wang Qing. Later, Jin Shengtan deleted the book, excluding courtship and later events, and called it 70 chapters (actually 7 1 chapter).

Shi Naian (1296 ~ 137 1) is also known as Zhao Rui, Yan Duan and Naian. Native place: Baima Farm in Xinghua (now Jiangsu). . Originally from Hailing County, Taizhou, he lived in Shijia Lane outside Nagato, Suzhou, and then moved to Baijuchang, Xinghua County (now Baiju Town, Dafeng City, Jiangsu Province).

Outside the gate of Suzhou, there is a family named Shi in Shijiaxiang, North of Huaixu Bridge, which is a descendant of Shi Zhichang, one of the seventy-two disciples of Confucius. The father who spread this branch to Shi Naian was the14th generation. In the second year of Yuan Chengzong Yuan Zhen (AD 1296), another man was added to the family. An old scholar named the baby Yan Duan, which means that the child must be a clever genius when he grows up. The strict passage in this infant is Shi Naian, who later wrote the historical masterpiece Water Margin. When Shi Naian was seven years old, his family was poor and he couldn't go to school. But he is smart and eager to learn, often borrows books, asks his neighbors to teach him, and sometimes goes to the university to audit. In this way, he read many books, such as "The University", "The Analects of Confucius" and "Poetry Ceremony". /kloc-at the age of 0/3, he can answer questions in public and write beautifully. Once, an old neighbor died of illness. Please ask Ji Xiucai, who teaches in a private school in Xushuguan, to write a eulogy. Ji Xiucai failed to arrive in time, so others suggested Yan Duan try. Nai 'an, in high spirits, wanted to show his talents and didn't give in. He came over and waved. Later, Ji Xiucai read this naive and brilliant eulogy and praised it greatly. Offered to take Shi Naian to Hushuguan for free study. Later, he betrothed his daughter to Shi Naian. Shi Naian studies hard at the Hushu Pavilion. He is not only familiar with the contention of a hundred schools of thought, but also browses various books. At that time, The Legacy of Xuanhe in the Great Song Dynasty told stories such as "Classical outsmarted Yan Poxi", "Sung River was killed" and "Yang Zhi sold knives", which aroused Shi Naian's interest. He often read after school. I also dance knives and sticks with friends and practice martial arts. At that time, Suzhou City often rap some scripts and zaju, such as Stalagmite Plum, Green-faced Beast, Flower Monk, Warrior, Fighting Fish in Tongleyuan by Yan Qing, and Negative Jing by jy. Shi Naian sometimes amuses himself and admires these "heroic heroes" and "lofty heroes".

[Edit this paragraph] Journey to the West

Author: (Ming) Wu Cheng'en

Also known as the Monkey King.

Count: * * one hundred times

Introduction: The Journey to the West adapted from the story of Tang Priest's scriptures, related scripts and zaju (written by Yang Ne in the late Yuan Dynasty and early Ming Dynasty). Seven times before the Journey to the West, the Monkey King was born, and there was a story about the Palace of Heaven. After that, he wrote the story of the Monkey King following the Tang Priest to learn Buddhist scriptures and exorcising demons and overcoming difficulties along the way. The Tang Priest, the Monkey King, Pig Bajie and Friar Sand in the book are vivid, large-scale and complete in structure.

Wu Cheng'en (about 1504—— about 1582) is a native of Huai 'an, Jiangsu. Wu Cheng'en didn't get a one-year-old tribute student until he was about 40 years old. He went to Beijing to wait for an official position, but he was not selected. Because his mother was poor, he went to Changxing as a county magistrate. He was eventually falsely accused and "ran away from home" two years later. In his later years, he made a living by selling prose and lived for nearly 80 years.

[Edit this paragraph] A Dream of Red Mansions

Also known as: The Story of the Stone, Treasure the Bright Moon, Twelve Women in Jinling, Record of Love Monks, Record of Grand View, Jinyuyuan and Love Pavilion.

Author: (Qing) Cao Xueqin

A Dream of Red Mansions has * * * 120 chapters, the first 80 chapters are written by Cao Xueqin, and the last 40 chapters are generally considered to be written by Gao E. Cao Zuo's eighty chapters were circulated in the form of manuscripts in the process of writing and revision. In the fifty years of Qianlong (179 1), Cheng Weiyuan printed the first eighty chapters and the last forty chapters with movable type, which became popular from then on. But the words in the first eighty chapters have been changed.

Introduction: A Dream of Red Mansions, written during the Qianlong period in the middle of18th century, takes the four families of Jia, Wang, Shi and Xue as the background and the love tragedy of Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu as the main line, describes the decline process of the four families of feudal bureaucrats, especially Jia Fu, exposes the evils of feudal rulers and illustrates the historical fate of the inevitable decline of feudal dynasties. The language of the works is beautiful and vivid, and he is good at portraying characters, and has created such distinctive characters as Jia Baoyu, Lin Daiyu, Wang Xifeng, Xue Baochai and You Sanjie. This book is large in scale, rigorous in structure and high in artistic achievement.

Cao Xueqin, a novelist of Qing Dynasty in China, was born in 17 15 and died in 1763. Its predecessor was the Han nationality, and later it was the white flag coating (domestic slave) of the Manchu Alvin Xueqin. Cao Xueqin's great-grandfather Cao Xi, his grandfather Cao Yin, and his parents Cao Qing and Cao Fu worked as Jiangning weavers for more than 60 years, which was highly prized by Emperor Kangxi. Cao Xueqin grew up in splendor. In the early years of Yongzheng, due to the internal struggle of the feudal ruling class, the Cao family suffered many blows, was dismissed from office and imprisoned, and their family property was confiscated and returned to Beijing. Since then, his family has been going downhill. This turning point made Cao Xueqin deeply feel the coldness of the world and more clearly understand the essence of the feudal social system. Since then, he has lived a poor life. He is good at writing and devotes himself to the writing and revision of the novel A Dream of Red Mansions. He read 10 years, added and deleted five times, and wrote this literary masterpiece that pushed China's classical novel creation to the peak. A Dream of Red Mansions, with its rich content, tortuous plot, profound ideological understanding and exquisite artistic techniques, has become a great realistic work in China's classical novels. In the twenty-seventh year of Qianlong (1762), the youngest son died prematurely, and Cao Xueqin was plunged into excessive sadness and grief. On New Year's Eve (1764 February 1), he died of poverty due to illness (there are two versions about the year of Cao Xueqin's death), and the burial expenses were funded by friends.

[Edit this paragraph] Opening remarks

Romance of the Three Kingdoms: The Yangtze River flows eastward, and the waves wash away heroes. Whether it is right and wrong or failure, it is empty now and has disappeared with the passage of time. Castle Peak still exists, the sun still rises and the sunset still sets.

The white-haired hermit by the river has long been used to the changes of time. I met an old friend and had a drink. How many things in the past and how many times have been put into the conversation.

A dream of red mansions: full of absurd words and a bitter tear. Dou Yun's author is crazy, who can understand the taste?

Outlaws of the Marsh: Look at the hidden place of the reading forest and see how handsome and elegant it is. Small profits in name only do not worry, cutting ice and snow, laughing and watching Wu Gou. Comment on the former king, and after the emperor, divided into true and false, accounting for Zhongzhou, seven males around the Spring and Autumn Period. Ups and downs are like crisp willows, and life experiences are like virtual boats. I have seen countless fame, countless pictures and countless escapes. Under the new moon, Changchuan and Jianghu mulberry fields become ancient roads. If you are dumbfounded and want to learn from wood, you will choose wood for the poor ape. If you are afraid of getting hurt, you might as well cover the cup in your hand and listen to the new tone.

Journey to the West: Chaos divides heaven and earth, and no one can see it. Since Pangu broke the HarmonyOS system, it has opened up a clear distinction from here.

Covering the crowd and respecting benevolence, I found that everything was getting better. If you want to know Yuan Gong of Hua Tuo, you must read The Journey to the West.

[Edit this paragraph] Various sequels

1. A Dream of Red Mansions sequel: later Dream of Red Mansions, Dream of Red Mansions, Dream of Love, New Dream of Red Mansions, Dream of Red Mansions, and New Dream of Red Mansions. Shadow of a Dream of Red Mansions, Continuation of a Dream of Red Mansions, Fantasy, New Stone Story, Remnant Dream of Red Mansions, True Dream of Red Mansions, Stone Story, Another Book of a Dream of Red Mansions, Mu Shiyuan, Baodai karma, Newly Continued Dream of Red Mansions, Dream of Red Mansions, Dream of Red Mansions, Dream of Red Mansions, Romantic Dreams, Dream of Red Mansions

2. Sequel to Water Margin: Yu Wanchun, Purple Homeowner, Leng Buddha, Liu Shengya, Jiang, Cheng.

3. Sequel to Journey to the West: sequel to Journey to the West, supplement to Journey to the West, post-Journey to the West, new journey to the west and Journey to the West. ...

4. Sequel to the Romance of the Three Kingdoms: Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Romance against the Three Kingdoms ...