Chinese Journal of Literary Criticism

No.3, 2024

Lao Teng’s Novels as Readable Texts

(Abstract)

Liu Daxian

The readability of a work is determined by the fusion of its intrinsic qualities with the scope of readers’ expectations and serves as the basis for the realization of the work’s political and aesthetic functions, which is particularly crucial in the context of contemporary media integration. Lao Teng’s works, such as Bei Ai, Tong Xingli, and Chronicles of Grass and Trees serve as representative entry points for discussing the readability of novels. By summarizing the practices of his works in terms of entertainment, knowledge, and conceptual creativity, the author distinguishes and reconsiders the concepts of “readable texts” and “writable texts”: readability inherently contains the potential for writability and serves as its foundation.