Abstract:

Both the "remarkable book" and "talented scholar's book" were very important critical terms in the history of Chinese fiction from the Ming Dynasty to the early Qing. They were used to refer to some excellent works in popular novels. These two terms represented then scholars' theoretical explanations and judgments of popular fiction so as to elevate its cultural taste and strengthen its scholarly character. Those scholars who had comparatively despised popular fiction might regard the terms as their affirmation of its values. Therefore, these two terms had a guiding significance to a certain degree in the development of popular fiction.

Key words: remarkable book, talented scholar's book, popular fiction, scholarly