A Study Of Gu Jin Shuo Hai

Gu Jin Shuo Hai is a series of classical Chinese stories. It was compiled and printed by Lu Ji who lived in Song Jiang Prefecture in Jiajing times of Ming Dynasty. It includes 142 tomes, 135 stories and four divisions, Shuo xuan, Shuo yuan, Shuo lue and Shuo zuan. It's the first series of classical Chinese stories and one of representative classical Chinese stories compiled in Ming Dynasty as well. Moreover, it's identified as the beginning of pseudographs of classical Chinese stories in Ming and Qing Dynasties by the academic circles.With reviewing the backdrop, scanning the text and rummaging the editions of Gu Jin Shuo Hai, this thesis analyzes its compilation, printing, recordation and fakery, then reaches the following conclusions.1.The publication of Gu Jin Shuo Hai is the result of the development of social economy and thought, stories itself and activities of literati group in Yun Jian. The advanced typographic technology provided its printing with much support. The literati group was the redactor and their personal collections of books were the main sources of Gu Jin Shuo Hai. Lu Ji provided the fund to publish it in the Lu's Yanshan College.2.Gu Jin Shuo Hai was firstly recorded by public and personal bibliographies after about 50 years from its appearance. It was mostly spread in middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Different bibliographies during Ming and Qing Dynasties indicated that the concept of story became more and more clear and refined. There are many different copies in libraries in mainland of China, Hong Kong and Taiwan Area. Generally speaking, four existent copies are more important, namely, 1544 Jiajing's copy, 1821 Daoguang's copy, 1909 Xuantong's copy and 1915 Minguo's copy.3. Even though it omitted the sources of some stories, the judgment that Gu Jin Shuo Hai is the beginning of pseudographs of classical Chinese stories needs further discussion. Maybe the redactors recorded stories from another copy of Tai Ping Guang Ji printed in Song Dynasty and lost nowadays. Gu Jin Shuo Hai is valuable in preserving many classical stories of Tang Dynasty and consolidating the position of classical Chinese stories of Ming Dynasty. However, admittedly, it's a fact that Gu Jin Shuo Hai aroused the later climax of stories' fakery.