"The Scholars" is a chapter-style novel written by Wu Jingzi in the Qing Dynasty. The book has 56 chapters (the last chapter is generally believed not to be written by Wu), about 400,000 words, and describes nearly 200 characters. figure. The novel is set in the Ming Dynasty and actually describes the fame and life of scholars under the imperial examination system during the Kangxi and Qianlong periods.
"The Scholars" is an outstanding realist satirical novel in the history of Chinese literature. It truly depicts the ups and downs of intellectual life during the Kangxi and Qianlong dynasties, the ups and downs of their circumstances, the gains and losses of fame, and their official careers. The ups and downs of emotions, the nobleness and despicability of sentiments, the advocacy and destruction of ideals, the exploration and pursuit of a way out. Although there is no main storyline in the whole book, there is a central theme running through it, which is to oppose the poison of the imperial examination system and feudal ethics, and to satirize the extreme hypocrisy and bad social customs caused by the passion for fame and wealth.
"The Scholars" is a model of ancient Chinese satirical literature. It not only directly influenced modern condemnation novels, but also deeply inspired modern satirical literature. The condemnation novels of the late Qing Dynasty, such as "The Strange Current Situation Witnessed in Twenty Years", "The Appearance of Officialdom", "Old Can's Travels", "Nie Haihua", etc., are all the sequels of "The Scholars".