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Gu xiaoshuo gouchen 古小說鉤沉

May 28, 2012 © Ulrich Theobald

Gu xiaoshuo gouchen 古小說鉤沉 "Rediscovering lost ancient novellas" is a collection of ancient novellas compiled by the famous Republican writer and publisher Lu Xun 魯迅 (1881-1936). It includes 36 books written between the Warring States 戰國 (5th cent.-211 BCE) and the Sui period 隋 (581-618). The texts are arranged chronologically, beginning with the story Qingshizi 青史子 and ending with the collection Jingyiji 旌異記.

Lu Xun also indicated from which book he had excerpted the fragments, for instance, the encyclopaedias Beitang shuchao 北堂書鈔 or Taiping guangji 太平廣記. The collection is a very important source for the study of popular literature in ancient China, a genre that had been vastly neglected by traditional bibliographers and scholars on literature.

The series was only published after Lu Xun's death by the Commemoration Society of Master Lu Xun (Lu Xun xiansheng jinian weiyuanhui 魯迅先生紀念委員會) in 1939. In 1951 the Renmin Wenxue Press published the collected works of Lu Xun, Lu Xun quanji 魯迅全集, in which the Gu xiaoshuo gouchen is also included.

Table 1. The series Gu xiaoshuo gouchen 古小說鉤沉
(Rep) 魯迅 Lu Xun (comp.)
1951 edition by Beijing Renmin Wenxue Chubanshe 北京人民文學出 版社
書名, length in juan Title Author(s)
青史子 Qingshizi () NN
裴子語林 Peizi Yulin (Jin) 裴啓 Pei Qi
郭子 Guozi (Jin) 郭澄之 Guo Chengzhi
笑林 Xiaolin (Han) 含單淳 Handan Chun
俗說 Sushuo (Liang) 沈約 Shen Yue
小說 (殷芸小說) Xiaoshuo (Yin Yun xiaoshuo) (Liang) 殷芸 Yin Xun
水飾 Shuishi (Tang) 杜寳 Du Bao
列異傳 Lieyizhuan (Wei) 曹丕 Cao Pi (魏文帝 Emperor Wei Wendi)
古異傳 Guyizhuan (Liu-Song) 袁王壽 Yuan Wangshou
戴祚甄異傳 (甄異傳) Dai Zuo zhenyizhuan (Zhenyizhuan) (Jin) 戴祚 Dai Zuo
述異記 Shuyiji (Jin) 祖沖之 Zu Chongzhi
荀氏靈鬼志 (靈鬼志) Xunshi linggui zhi (Lingguizhi) (Jin) 荀□ Xun N
祖台之志怪 Zu Taizhi Zhiguai (Jin) 祖台之 Zu Taizhi
孔氏志怪 Kongshi Zhiguai (Jin) 孔□ Kong N
神怪錄 Shenguailu () NN
劉之遴神錄 (神錄) Liu Zhilin shenlu (Shenlu) (Liang) 劉之遴 Liu Zhilin
齊諧記 Qixieji (Liu-Song) 東陽無疑 Dongyang Wuyi
幽明錄 Youminglu (Liu-Song) 劉義慶 Liu Yiqing
謝氏鬼神列傳 Xieshi guishen liezhuan () 謝□ Xie N
殖氏志怪記 (志怪記) Zhishi zhiguai ji (Zhiguaiji) (Jin) 殖□ Zhi N
集靈記 Jilingji (Northern Qi) 顏之推 Yan Zhitui
漢武故事 Han Wu gushi (Han) 班固 Ban Gu
妒記 Duji () NN
異聞記 Yiwenji () NN
玄中記 Xuanzhongji () 郭□ Guo N
陸氏異林 (異林) Lushi yilin (Yilin) (Jin) 陸雲 Lu Yun
曹毗志怪 Cao Pi zhiguai (Jin) 曹毗 Cao Pi
郭季產集異記 (集異記) Guo Jichan jiyi ji (Jiyiji) (Liu-Song) 郭季產 Guo Jichan
王浮神異記 (神異記) Wang Fu Shenyiji (Shenyiji) (Jin) 王浮 Wang Fu
續異記 Xuyiji () NN
錄異傳 Luyizhuan () NN
雜鬼神志怪 Za guishen zhiguai () NN
祥異記 Xiangyiji () NN
宣驗記 Xuanyanji (Liu-Song) 劉義慶 Liu Yiqing
冥祥記 Mingxiangji (Southern Qi) 王琰 Wang Yan
旌異記 Jingyiji (Sui) 侯白 Hou Bai
Sources:
Li Xueqin 李學勤, Lü Wenyu 呂文鬰, ed. (1996). Siku da cidian 四庫大辭典 (Changchun: Jilin daxue chubanshe), Vol. 2, 2076.
Lin Chen 林辰 (1962). "Lu Xun jilu Gu xiaoshuo gouchen de chengjiu ji qi tese 鲁迅辑录《古小说钩沈》的成就及其特色", Wenxue pinglun 文学评论, 1962 (6): 116-124.
Shanghai tushuguan 上海圖書館, ed. (1982). Zhongguo congshu zonglu 中國叢書綜錄 (Shanghai: Shanghai guji chubanshe), Vol. 1, 772.
Wu Feng 吳楓, ed. (1994). Zhonghua gu wenxian da cidian 中華古文獻大辭典, Vol. Wenxue 文學卷 (Changchun: Jilin wenshi chubanshe), 139.
Zheng Yunbo 鄭雲波, ed. (1992). Zhongguo gudai xiaoshuo cidian 中國古代小說辭典 (Nanjing: Nanjing daxue chubanshe), 353.