A Study Of Chinese Fiction Anthology

IntroductionA fiction anthology is a collection of novels or short stories of a fictionist. The recent 100 years has seen some achievements in not only the discovery, the collection and publication of the anthology, but the ideology, the art and the development of the anthology. However, there is still a big gap between the current research and the potential research significance which completely rests with the taste inclination and the disposition and gift of the anthologist. As the tie between anthologist and reader, an anthology is not only a literary collection for reading, but also a critical form compromising the ideology of the fiction, the time spirit and the appreciatory inclination. The paper attempts to make an overall investigation on the fiction anthology.Ihe, first fart A Pandect of the fiction XnthoCqgy Chapter One The development of the fiction anthologyThe arising of fiction anthology is determined by a good many factors such as fiction policies of governors, fiction ideologies of anthologist and reader, the printing and publishing techniques, etc.. We break down the traditional classification according to different dynasties and separate the development of the fiction anthology into five periods: the arising period, the developing period, the breaking period, the prosperous period and the declining period. The causes of rise and fall of every period and the basic characteristics of the fiction anthology will be discussed.Chapter Two The compilation of the fiction anthologyThe compilation style, including the form and the content, refers to the method and format employed in the compilation of the anthology with selected fictions. The form indicates anthologist's signature, guides, preface and postscript, reference, catalogue, illustrations, quotations, etc., while the content refers to anthologist's bowdlerization or comments on the quoted passages. This investigation will be helpful to our understanding on the main characteristics of the compilation, the process of an anthology coming into being, and the guideline the anthologist follows, the anthologist's attitude and ideology of the fiction, to the compilation.Chapter Three The patterns of the fiction anthologyIn despite of the magnitude of fiction anthologies and the variety in anthologists' identities, subjects, and compilation styles, the fiction anthology can be classified into three basic patterns: the pattern of data-collection, the pattern of literator's admiration and the pattern of popular prevalence, according to the main body for compilation, anthologist's identity, the purpose of compilation and the features of the selected contents. As a whole, the three patterns exhibit a tendency of gradual development with a close connection. They 'meet the different tastes of readers at different levels and altogether contribute to thespreading and preservation of fictions.Chapter Four The value of the fiction anthologyThe anthologist will select excellent fiction works and remove those bad and non-fiction ones based on his own understanding and taste. The evaluation of a fiction is represented in "the acceptance and rejection in anthology by its own" which not only exhibits the settled standard for the value of the fiction, but also manifests the demarcations of "fiction" by itself, the function of fiction and the readers as well. Meanwhile, The fiction anthology has also provided a model for reading and writing. Therefore, the fiction anthology has multi-values, embodying the value for reading and spreading, the value of theoretical criticism and the value of fiction history and literature history.fPort Two 'The, (Documentation oftfte fiction AntfiofogyIn light of proceeding studies, we have put in order the fiction anthologies in history based on the government and personal bibliotheca, examined and settled the existence , the anthologists, the time for the publication, the editions, the contents and the compilation styles, and included the excerptions, evaluations, prefaces and postscri...