How to Regain the Prestige of Chinese Literature

How to Regain the Prestige of Chinese Literature

Nantai

How to Regain the Prestige of Chinese Literature

How can we regain the prestige that Chinese literature lost at the 2002 Norwegian "World Olympic Games of Literature"? The answer lies not in arguing, but in winning it back with outstanding works.

That selection was highly authoritative and widely recognized around the world; we should respect it. Arguing about it would only be a second humiliation. In fact, the way to regain prestige is quite simple: the first place on the 2002 Norwegian "World Olympic Games of Literature" list was the "humorous comedy novel" Don Quixote. If Chinese literature can produce a work that surpasses Don Quixote, the problem will be solved.

However, while this sounds easy, it is extremely difficult to achieve. As Don Quixote is a "humorous comedy novel," and comedy is the art of masters—it is the most noble and hardest-to-write literary form in the world. Comedy novels are the "kings" among novels, comparable to Sun Wukong, the "Great Sage Equal to Heaven" (in Journey to the West). Tragic novels, by contrast, are like "Second Brother" (Zhu Bajie, another character in Journey to the West); they have no chance of defeating the "Elder Brother" (comedy novels). Even if Cao Xueqin (author of Dream of the Red Chamber) were resurrected, he could not surpass the latter. Before the 21st century, there were only three comedy novelists in the history of Chinese literature: Wu Jingzi, Lu Xun, and Qian Zhongshu. Wu Jingzi’s "satirical comedy novels" are like the "princes" among novels, while "humorous comedy novels" are the "crown princes." Only "praise-through-comedy novels"—the "emperors" of novels—can surpass "humorous comedy novels." Regrettably, there were no full-length "praise-through-comedy novels" in the history of Chinese literature before the 21st century. What a pity!

This is precisely where the value of Wang Sanfeng (also known as A Smile in Seven Steps, The Chinese Naughty God, and Enlightenment Through Playful Laughter) shines!

Included in Bodhisattva Literature

Personal opinion, for reference only

Reads: 47

Location: Ningxia

Date: March 5, 07:52