Exploring *A New Account of the Tales World*

It is not merely concerned with governance and facts, but also possesses elegance and refined grace.¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿This book is written by Xiao Hong, a scholar who has devoted many years to the study of A New Account of the Tales of the World (Shishuo Xinyu). Adopting an accessible yet profound style, the author explores several noteworthy issues related to this classic work, including the mystery of its authorship, the motives behind its composition, its contribution to the study of Wei-Jin society and history, and its influence on later literature and art-particularly how this book established a new aesthetic that became the fundamental aesthetic principle of Chinese painting and calligraphy.Another distinctive feature of this book is that the author compares A New Account of the Tales of the World with similar works from Greece and Europe, and also investigates its influence in other East Asian countries such as Japan and Korea. By bringing the study of Shishuo Xinyu to a global stage, the author reveals the many dimensions of this classic text.¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿