Chapter 2 Preface Qian Zhongshu's attitude towards "Qian Zhongshu Collection"

As a family member, I would like to tell readers about Qian Zhongshu's attitude towards "Qian Zhongshu Collection".Because he was ill, he couldn't write the preface by himself. He is unwilling to publish "Complete Works", thinking that his works are not worth collecting all of them.He is also unwilling to publish "Selected Works", and he is not willing to publish "Collections" at all, because his works are various and cannot be combined together.It is enough to publish the works one by one, so there is no need to make more "collections".

However, comrades engaged in publishing put forward different opinions based on the needs of readers, which can be roughly summarized into three points. (1) Qian Zhongshu's works are authorized by him bit by bit, and the "Collected Works" has been published in Taiwan.Are we not going to give up on the mainland? (2) After "Tan Yi Lu" and "Guan Zhui Bian" were published, he revised them again and again, adding and deleting a lot.For the convenience of printing, the publisher attached the "Supplement" and "Supplement" to the end of the volume when "Talking about Art Records" was republished, and the "Supplement" of "Guan Zhui Bian" was published in a separate volume.Readers are inconvenient to read.After rearranging the "Collection", the paragraphs of "Addendum", "Supplement" and "Supplement" can be included in the original text one by one, and readers can read the whole thing in one go. (3) Even if you don't publish "Ji" yourself, there is no guarantee that others will not infringe on your rights and publish "Ji" without authorization.

Qian Zhongshu felt that it made sense, and finally agreed to publish "Qian Zhongshu Collection".Later, he was hospitalized due to illness, and the publication of "Qian Zhongshu Collection" was undertaken by Sanlian Publishing Co., Ltd. and you in friendly cooperation.I am the person who made friendly contact with the bookstore on his behalf. Qian Zhongshu absolutely dare not call himself a master.He was never among the masters.He does not establish sects, nor teach his disciples.He never calls for research on his works, and he doesn't like others to call for him. Serious research is unnecessary. "Qian Zhongshu Collection" is not his family language. "Talking about Art" and "Guan Zhui Bian" are his reading experience, for readers who know how to read and appreciate.Occasionally, he would be pleasantly surprised and amazed when he heard the praise in his ears. The text of "Seven Supplements" is relatively clear and easy to understand, and it is also not a popular book.He loves poetry.In addition to our country's old-style poems, he is familiar with many original poems in Western German, Italian, English, and French, and he has a deep understanding of the artistic conception of the poems.So his evaluation of his "Poems" is only appropriate.He is not very satisfied with his creation of novels, short stories and prose.Although the TV series had given the original a wide audience, he was not really satisfied with the novel.His early works did not arouse much interest in him. "The job I did as a child" would make him "shock and laugh", but he doesn't think it's shameful.Everyone has a growth process, and it is rare to have a uniform personality.Qian Zhongshu often said that he was "a bunch of contradictions".The works in this "collection" are not consistent, but they are just the same as those written by Qian Zhongshu.

Qian Zhongshu once said to me sixty years ago: He has little ambition, but hopes to devote his whole life to learning.In sixty years, he has written a few books.This "collection" collects his main works.Based on what he himself said was "not much ambition", "Qian Zhongshu Collection" can only be a meager contribution.I hope that his humility and hard work throughout his life will be respected.