"中國小說史略" by Xun Lu is a literary and historical account written in the early 20th century. The text explores the history and evolution of Chinese novels, discussing various genres, influential figures, and the sociocultural factors that shaped their development. The book is likely to appeal to readers interested in Chinese literature, literary criticism, and cultural studies. The opening of the work sets a reflective tone, indicating that it has been a decadesince the author last engaged with the history of novels, and he aims to present this summary after years of study and observation. Xun Lu acknowledges the growing scholarly interest in the field, citing important discoveries such as those made by Professor Yan Guojieshan related to Yuan dynasty novels. He expresses a sense of responsibility to document the topic while lamenting the lack of new sources, which has necessitated a reprint of older texts with only slight revisions to certain chapters. Through this prologue, the author establishes the foundational significance of novellas within the context of Chinese literary traditions and signals an examination of their historical lineage. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
