Abstract

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Title:: Relationship between Readers and Comments on Popular Fictions of Ming and Qing Dynasties

Keywords:: reader; popular fictions of Ming and Qing dynasties; critiques and comments; jiatuo

Abstract:: In the Ming and Qing dynasties, readers were closely related to the critics’ comments on popular fictions: the former(especially the readers from lower classes)were greatly involved in promoting the latter. Those critiques and comments played an important role in the communication between the fiction authors and their readers. In addition, the critics’ comments revealed the purpose, the characteristics and the structures of the fictions. The trend of jiatuo(假托, some critics posed as celebrities)in their comments on popular fictions in the Ming and Qing dynasties also had close relationship with readers. It is safe to say that the reader was an important factor in the formation and development of the comments on popular fictions in that period.