Guangming Daily reporter Han Han
Writer Sun Li loves books, collects books, and cherishes books all his life, and every favorite book must be purchased, and wrapped in kraft paper to form a "book coat". At that time, if there was an opinion or feeling, it was briefly written down on the book to form a short inscription or diary. In the late 1960s and early 1990s, he wrote more than 550 such texts in his thousand-odd collection of books.
Recently, these more than 550 texts were compiled by the Hundred Flowers Literary and Art Publishing House into the "Complete Compilation of Books and Clothing Records", which was officially photocopied and published.
Sun Li wrote "The Complete Compilation of Books and Clothing" courtesy of Hundred Flowers Literature and Art Publishing House
A long-cherished wish
Sun Li's contacts with the Hundred Flowers Literary and Art Publishing House spanned nearly half a century.
The friendship was so deep that when Sun Li saw the editor of the company holding a hardcover version of "Sun Li's Collected Works" in his twilight years, he felt that "all I have, my whole life, is in this small box."
"From the 1960s when the 'Hundred Flowers And Small Openings' series of books included Mr. Sun Li's essay collection "Jinmen Xiaoji", to the publication of his prose collection almost every two years in the 1980s, to the publication of his "Qu Final Collection" in the 1990s, and several times to organize and publish the "Sun Li Anthology" and supplementary editions for him, three generations of colleagues in our company have maintained close ties with Mr. Sun Li and his family." Xu Fuwei, the editor-in-charge of the "Complete Compilation of Books and Clothing" and the deputy editor-in-chief of the "Novel Monthly" of the Hundred Flowers Literary and Art Publishing House, told reporters.
Therefore, when Sun Li's descendants handed over the secret traces of his heart that he kept on his books and clothes to the Hundred Flowers Literary and Art Publishing House, there were not too many doubts.
The discovery of these traces of the heart is also very accidental.
"In 2013, the 100th anniversary of Mr. Sun Li's birth, in order to re-compile and publish the "Sun Li Anthology" (supplementary edition), our company carried out a large-scale collection of Sun Li's scattered works. That summer, at the husband's family, several bookcases were found. There were probably no less than a thousand kinds of books hidden in the cabinet, all wrapped in brown paper and other paper, tied in bundles of hemp rope. To our surprise, a closer look at the kraft paper contains not only inscriptions, but also chronological records of texts such as diaries, the earliest of which were written in 1964 and never published. Xu Fuwei recalled.
The unorganized "Book and Clothing Records" Provided by the Hundred Flowers Literary and Art Publishing House
The kraft paper itself is yellow, the hemp rope is almost broken as soon as it is pulled, and across the cabinet door, Xu Fuwei can feel the atmosphere of the age left on the book.
On that occasion, more than 300 manuscripts of Sun Li were discovered and compiled into a "Book and Clothing Records (Handwriting)", which was published in 2015 and caused a sensation in the academic community.
However, at that time, for various reasons, some of the book cabinets could not be opened. The bookcases that could not be opened became a major regret in the hearts of our editors over the years. Xu Fuwei said.
"If you wait until Mr. Sun Li's collection of books is scattered, these handwritings will never be recovered." Over the past few years, Wang Huiren, editor-in-chief of the Hundred Flowers Literary and Art Publishing House, has always had a sense of urgency to preserve the "extinction of learning" for the sages.
In 2019, with the strong support of Sun Li's family, Wang Huiren and a team came to the door again to conduct a comprehensive review of Sun Li's collection, from which more than 250 manuscripts that had not been "published" were found.
These newly discovered manuscripts, together with the "Book and ClothIng Records" discovered by the academic community in recent years, together with the previously published "Books and Clothes Records (Handwriting)", were compiled into the "Complete Compilation of Books and Clothes Records", which were presented to the reader in the form of photocopied and interpreted texts.
"It's finally a long-cherished wish." Wang Huiren said.
Bookkeeper in a corner
Reading carefully the "Complete Compilation of Books and Clothing", it is not difficult to find that its content is extensive, not only involving the evaluation of the collection itself and the author's superiority, but also the record of daily life, literary creation, literary exchanges, and even comments on the current situation.
For example, in the "Yizhou Famous Paintings" book, "It is cold in spring, and the wind cannot go out", recording the weather.
For example, in the "Characters in Lu Xun's Novels" wrote on the coat, "(Mr. Lu Xun) I, only the heat is light, the light shines on people, and he burns himself as a candle." And the widow, the Khan (Han) traitor who defected to the enemy, and the boring writer, actually got an advanced age and signed himself for a long life. Don't be ashamed, dare to deceive the injustice of the Heavenly Dao", commenting on the literary circles at that time and the new favorite.
Another example is the writing on the clothes of sima wen gongshu mu, "World public opinion: A bright light in Asia has been extinguished." The death of Zhou (Prime Minister). Endure tears and listen to the radio. "Expressing sadness at the passing of Premier Zhou.
The "Book and ClothIng" actually constitutes Sun Li's diary. This book-wrapper in the corner retains the values and information that we have overlooked by writing on the clothes. These values and information point to Sun Li himself, as well as to the times and traditions, which is the charm of the "Book and Clothing Records". Wang Huiren analysis.
On the "Quan Tang Poems" book, Sun Li wrote down his birthday that day and shared noodles with the little girl. Photo courtesy of Hundred Flowers Literary and Art Publishing House
"Sun Li is a generation of literary masters, and if you simply attribute him to a certain genre, such as the Lotus Pond School, it is a relatively narrow understanding. His early writing was fresh, and his later works had more voices of frustration, leaving the meaning of literary history beyond genres. In the "Complete Compilation of Books and Clothing", he talks about reading, life, reality, and society, with insight and interest, so that we can see that he not only has the beauty of Bai Juyi, but also the depression of Du Fu. Wang Chunlin, editor-in-chief of Novel Review, told reporters.
On the borrowed and restored "Journey to the West" book coat, he saw the traces of defacement and lamented that the young people nowadays did not love books; on the book clothes of "Shulu Jinmo", he talked about the turmoil of the times and the people's hearts by recording the changes in the small courtyard where he lived for twenty-five years; on the clothes of "Lanting Debate", he recorded the phenomenon of books selling under the weight: "Joke with culture, but also sigh." ”
In the "Complete Compilation of Books and Clothing Records", there is also Sun Li's mourning for his deceased wife, There is Daguan who is reluctant to flee when the earthquake comes, there is naughtiness that deliberately makes people unable to measure blood pressure when he evades the physical examination of the unit, and there is also the sincerity of the youth who is overflowing with joy like a child when he gives him a satisfactory book.
"He's a lively man." Xu Fuwei talked about his editing experience.
A path to understanding revolutionary writers
When the writer Sun Yu read the Complete Compilation of Books and Clothing, he often paid attention to the lingering voice of Lu Xun in it, "which became a part of his spiritual history."
"Sun Li's writing in his early years was as pure as the sound of a child," and in his later years, his reading taste and writing taste have changed. He purchased books according to Lu Xun's books, and became interested in wild history and miscellaneous works. Buy Zhang Taiyan's suicide note and not forget Lu Xun's testament; read "The New Language of the World" and quote the words of the "Outline of the History of Chinese Novels" to explain it; read "Quicksand Falling Jane", and have the wisdom in "Hot Wind"; talk about "Shu Bi" and "Shu Dian", and never forget the comments in "And Jieting Essays"; read "Shen Xiaxian Collection" and use the "Legend Collection of Tang and Song Dynasties" to deal with it. This method of reading shows that Lu Xun's influence is so great that on the one hand, there are more feelings that others do not have. Sun Yu wrote in a book review article entitled "The Complete Compilation of Books and Clothing" written for the New Literary Historical Materials.
Lu Xun's writings have feelings, warmth and coldness, right and wrong, and criticism. This is also Sun Li's pursuit. In his place, reading and reading people, and even life, are one. Judging from the words in the "Complete Compilation of Books and Clothing", it seems that the leisure of the Beijing school is actually the talk of the revolutionaries. When he entered the hall of scholarship, he did not forget his own folk essence, Sun Yu commented.
On the coat of "Characters in Lu Xun's Novels", Sun Li wrote down his evaluation of Lu Xun and other writers. Photo courtesy of Hundred Flowers Literary and Art Publishing House
"In the history of literature, Sun Li's creation is generally divided into two periods: the first period is before 1956, and the second period is after 1976, and his creative style is very different in the two periods. In the 20 years in the meantime, the academic circles believed that he had been ill with no works, and could not find the reason for the sudden change in his style. Until the emergence of the 'Book of Writings', it provided us with a 'key' to understanding Sun Li. Zhang Li, a professor at the College of Letters of Beijing Normal University, told reporters.
Looking through Sun Li's collection of books, there are classics, histories, sub-collections, as well as inscriptions, calligraphy, and pictorial notations; there are official revision departments such as the "Taiping Imperial Records"; there are also scholars such as "Tongjian Hu Zhuan Wei"; there are "canonical classics" such as "Mao Shi Zhuanshu", "Tang Dynasty Literature Series Examination", "Quan Song Ci", "Yuan Wen Class", and "Barnyard Officials and Wild History" such as "Dream of the Red Chamber", "Journey to the West", "Liaozhai Zhiyi"; there are Li Taibai, Du Zimei, Su Dongpo, Cao Xueqin, Lu Xun, and there are also Dickens, Balzac, Tolstoy, and Sholokhov.
"The Complete Compilation of Books and Writings" allows us to see the richness and breadth of the reading of a generation of revolutionary writers, to see how they constructed their own knowledge system and spiritual world, and then let this experience influence their own creation. By Sun Li and Liu Qing and Zhao Shuli, the construction of their knowledge system may not be exactly the same as we assume. Zhang Li analyzed the significance of placing the Complete Compilation of Books and Clothing In this way when it was understood in a broader context of the times.
In Zhang Li's view, books such as "The Complete Compilation of Books and Clothing" may be unpopular, and may not highlight much commercial value after listing, but its cultural value may be infinite.
Guangming Daily ( 2021-09-09 edition)
Source: Guangming Network - Guangming Daily