On a Far-Off Journey – a Commentary on the “History of Literary Culture” Approach in The Cambridge History of Chinese Literature

The Cambridge History of Chinese Literature is based on a “history of literary culture” approach that differs clearly from the standard literary-historical narrative favored by most Chinese scholars. The conventional approach to literary history tends to focus on the most engaging elements of a literary canon, while the history of literary culture model attempts to study literary texts in conjunction with their historical contexts. Based on historical documentation, this approach seeks to rehabilitate literary works that have been misinterpreted over time. With this approach, both texts and contexts are at the heart of literary history. If literary texts are restored to the context of their literary production, we are asked to reconsider the following three important research questions. Where did the texts originate? Why were they selected as part of the literary canon? What are their special characteristics and how are they related to other texts? Answers to these questions make literary research more varied and three-dimensional. In terms of theory, the contributors to The Cambridge History of Chinese Literature clearly aspire towards historicism. In their own writing, however, they seem willing to compromise and follow “a middle way” between conventional and alternative narratives of Chinese literary history.