ABSTRACT
Xu's use of language will be dealt with in detail over the next two chapters. The first section of this chapter will outline the history of the publication of Xu Xiake's diaries. A version of Xu's diary discovered in the 1970s will be examined alongside the earlier accepted version of the text in order to show how Xu's writing is more varied and interesting than had previously been assumed. Examples will be taken from the new edition of the work to show how it can provide a new interpretation of Xu's approach to the art of writing. While questions of literary style will, for the most part, be examined in the next chapter, some aspects will be touched on here. Xu's narrative method, in particular, will be examined.
