Research On Hu Wenhuan's Hushicuibian

Hushicuibian has a rich content of more than 1100 writings of fictions, poems, humorous prose and letters. But the research on it has been a blank among the academic circle. This dissertation utilizes Hushicuibian the new material to stress consciousness of problems, and make comprehensive research, in an endeavor to deepen the research of ancient fictions, humorous prose and encyclopedic novels.There are eight chapters in the dissertation. The first chapter introduces Hu Wenhuan's life, work and publication, re-marshaling the composition works of Hu and his literature achievements. The second chapter investigates into the composing process of Hushicuibian, mainly probing into the editing thoughts and styles of the book and the sources of content. The third chapter is the philological research of Hushicuibian, making focal verification on different versions of such fictions as Jiandengxinhua, Xuanguailu and Yuanzhuzhi yuxuechuangtanyi, etc. The fourth, fifth and sixth chapters mainly study the value of Hushicuibian in the study of ancient fictions. They primarily demonstrate the status of Baijiacuibian in collections of short classical Chinese novels, and express creative ideas on the index of novels in Baowentangshumu, the versions, number of pieces, composers of four poetic novels as Huhaiqiwen, Gujinqingtanwanxuan, Baijiacuibian and Youguaishitan; they also investigate the original version of the Peony Pavilion, the versions of Qiuxiangtingji and the autobiographic psychology of Qu You; the origin of the story of Yutangchun, as well as the original story of Wang Jiaoluan's hundred-year hatred. The seventh chapter discusses the relationship between Hushicuibian and ancient humorous prose. Hu Wenhuan's editing thoughts of collecting both elegance and commonness made his Hushicuibian an important database of ancient humorous prose. The chapter is the study of Hushicuibian and encyclopedic novels. It proposes for the first time that Hu Shi Cui Bian should be grouped as encyclopedic novel along with Guosetianxiang, Xiuguchunrong, Wanjinqinglin, Yanjubiji, etc. And that Hushicuibian's role of a connecting link between the preceding and the following in encyclopedic novels should be established and recognized.