This book is a collection of lectures on literature given in top universities in China by Bi Feiyu, one of the country's best known writers. From the perspective of a novelist, the author revisits and interprets classic works by renowned writers, aiming to illuminate what constitutes a classic. The lectures explore works of classical and modern Chinese literature such as A Dream of Red Mansions, Water Margin and works by Lu Xun and Wang Zengqi, as well as world-famous writers such as Guy de Maupassant, V.S. Naipaul, Ernest Hemingway and Thomas Hardy. The interpretation and criticism of the works goes beyond academic textual analysis, highlighting the instincts, writing experience and insights of a creative writer. Comparison is made between the literary elements of modernism and classical Chinese works, techniques of character shaping and plot development, thematic dimensions, narrative style, literary topos, literary aesthetics and the language of literature. These essays will appeal to readers interested in literature, literary criticism, Chinese literature and world classics.
