Chinese Journal of Literary Criticism

No.1, 2023 

The Ping Dian (Comment and Critique) as a Style of Literary Criticism and Its Contemporary Significance: Starting from Mao Dun-Commented Version on Modern and Contemporary Literature

(Abstract)

Xiao Jin

The issue of A Collection of Mao Dun’s Notes and Commentaries on Chinese Modern and Contemporary Literature in 1996, has rekindled attention of researchers over ping dian. The characteristics and practice of “Mao Dun-Commented Version” have verified the value and effectiveness of ping dian on contemporary literary criticism, prompting the thought of how to make this traditional criticism style a modern transformation. In general, the practice of ping dian on some contemporary novels has not received much response which shows it has not deeply engaged into contemporary literary criticism as a critical style. To get rid of such dilemma, on the one hand, the mechanism with clear barriers between disciplines needs to be broken, and all-round persons who perceive both ancient and modern, and proficient in both creation and research are in need; on the other hand, it is necessary to summarize and refine the experience and theory from the practice of ping dian, so as to turn it into an organic component of discourse of contemporary literary criticism.