(Source: "People's Daily" 2026-04-03)

"Eight Lectures on Chinese Literature": written by Hu Shaoqing; published by Baihua Literature and Art Publishing House.

Lu Xun abandoned medicine to pursue literature, which is a fable-like story at the beginning of modern Chinese literature. Lu Xun's reason was that literature must be used to transform the national spirit, otherwise no matter how good medical skills are, it will only protect the weak body. In fact, the proposition that "literature transforms the national spirit" is not limited to modern literature. Classic literature since ancient times has been transforming and even shaping the national spirit. "The Book of Songs", "The Analects of Confucius", "Li Sao", "Zhuangzi", "Shishuoxinyu"... It can be said that the best batch of works in the history of Chinese literature have forged the beautiful Chinese soul over thousands of years.

What is literature? It does not only mean poetry, novels, essays, and dramas, nor does it only mean ancient literature or modern literature. All languages ​​and words that can awaken people's hearts are literature. Literature is not just a work, it is a basic ability, the ability to read oneself, others, and the world as a book, and the ability to empathize with others delicately. Literature does not mean shelving classics, croaking research, or bragging rights. Literature is our feelings, our lives, and the long traces left by our joys, sorrows, and joys in language.

Gu Sui, a master of classical literature, commented on Lu Zhishen in "The Poetry of Retreat": "You can become a poet even if you don't write poetry." "Others express 'poetry' in poetry, but Lu Zhishen expresses 'poetry' in life." The words of the poet Wallace Stevens can be used as annotation for this observation: "The poetic mind for life is greater than any specific poem. To realize this is to begin to understand the spirit of poetry." In other words, literature is not only a work of words, it is also a lofty and lofty attitude towards life and life. To study literature is not only to obtain its form, but also to obtain its spirit.

In "Eight Lectures on Chinese Literature", I not only talk about Lu Xun and new poetry, but also "The Book of Songs", "The Analects" and "Zhuangzi". These can all be called "contemporary literature" because they are still new, beautiful and shining in the contemporary context. The "Brightness and Sincerity" of "The Book of Songs" can soothe people's hearts, "The Analects of Confucius" has generous and advanced humanistic thoughts, "Zhuangzi" is a mind adjustment technique to resolve anxiety, Lu Xun established the action philosophy of "healing" and "resistance to despair", and new poetry is the "spiritual whetstone", which makes people sharp and sober. A classic is a classic because of its usefulness to ordinary people and daily life. Classics are readable by everyone and cannot be monopolized by experts.

Through this book, I want to take readers to understand literature broadly and activate readers' love for literature. I will never admit that literature is useless. The "useless literature" people talk about today is actually just some inferior writing that is useless in the name of "literature." However, in countless corners, strong literature is still growing unyieldingly. What needs to change is our concept of cognitive literature. Those ancient and modern classics that I talk about in the book are still alive and well. Reading them brings mankind closer to the upward path. Looking at the field of popular reading and popular cultural creation, the continuous "Tao Yuanming fever", "Li Bai fever", "Du Fu fever", "Su Shi fever", ""Dream of Red Mansions" fever" and so on are clear evidence.

Literature is useful. From a large perspective, literature is a career that changes the world and people's hearts; from a small perspective, literature cultivates readers' ability to sympathize, empathize, and introspect, and helps build an individual's spiritual world. The above two points are the two underlying logics hidden in the book "Eight Lectures on Chinese Literature". Using these basic indicators to create, measure, and screen literature will help literature and art flourish again.

(The author is a professor at the w88 casino of Literature and International Communication, w88 casino)

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