Abstract: Zhou Zuoren, among the contemporary men of letters, put priority on letters and treated this genre as a refined taste. He insisted that letter should not only be spontaneous without affectation, but also reveal the writer’s personality and inclinations, consistent with his literary views. Zhou Zuoren’s letters can be divided chronologically into two periods: his early letters featured styles of a hermit and a noble man, excellent in the art of writing, while his later letters, which are mainly comments on works and figures, bear great historical values.

Key word: Zhou Zuoren; letters, artistic value; historical value

Tang Zhihui is a PhD candidate in the New Chinese Literature Research Center at Nanjing University. His research focuses on modern and contemporary Chinese literature. His recent publications include “The Middle School Magazines During the Republic of China and Their Value of Literary History” (2015), and “Dr. Hu Shi’s Two Speeches at Suzhou City, China” (2015).