Books Quote by Mark Elvin
![“The resurrection of this once popular work [Ping Jinya's forgotten bestseller of the 1930s, Tides in the Human Sea ] is a reminder that the histories of 'Chinese literature' currently in circulation are far from being histories of what most people actually read.” quote by Mark Elvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/fb5/mark-elvin-51757_books_the-resurrection-of-this-once-popular-wo_2339656.jpg)
““The resurrection of this once popular work [Ping Jinya's forgotten bestseller of the 1930s, Tides in the Human Sea ] is a reminder that the histories of 'Chinese literature' currently in circulation are far from being histories of what most people actually read.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: Chinese Literary Histories, Mark Elvin, 2010
The quote highlights that the canon of Chinese literature we know is selective, not reflecting what most readers actually engage with.
In simple terms: Popular works are often forgotten, shaping a skewed literary history.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and explore overlooked texts.
Themes
literary canon
history
culture
Mood
reflective
critical
Type
analytical
scholarly
When to use this quote
- academic research
- library curation
- personal reading lists
Key Concepts
canon formation
reading habits
cultural memory
Questions to Reflect On
- What books have you missed that could change your view?
- How does canon formation affect cultural identity?
A Different Perspective
The quote may overstate the rarity of reading beyond the canon.
![“The problem with 'the crown jewel of Chinese literature' [Dream of the Red Chamber] is that it has two thousand pages and an equal number of characters, and the hero is an effeminate ass who should have either been spanked or decapitated, both ends being equally objectionable.” quote by Barry Hughart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9f5/barry-hughart-19013_books_the-problem-with-the-crown-jewel-of-chin_1270548.jpg)
![“Perhaps the most overpowering contrast [with the West] is the virtual absence in premodern China of the idea of a transcendent creator God who is distinct from Nature in a fundamental qualitative sense. The Chinese had notions of a supreme god in various guises (that is, ‘hypatotheism’), and also…” quote by Mark Elvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/053/mark-elvin-51757_china_perhaps-the-most-overpowering-contrast-w_1625650.jpg)
![“[There is a] gulf that can exist between different emotional and perceptual worlds—all 'Chinese'—in recent times [post-Deng Xiaoping].” quote by Mark Elvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3de/mark-elvin-51757_quote_there-is-a-gulf-that-can-exist-between-d_2001605.jpg)
