自曹雪芹批评“千部共出一套”后，才子佳人小说一时成为反面艺术创作典型，由此，它曾经的辉煌历史也变得模糊，不为人们所熟知，这大大影响了人们对它们的文学史研究和文学史评价。其实，曹雪芹要在《红楼梦》中大力地批评才子佳人小说，就说明它曾经很有影响力，因此，描述才子佳人小说的兴盛情况很有必要。
这一小说创作类型盛行情况主要表现为以下几个方面：
第一，盛行海内外。才子佳人小说中的典型代表作《玉娇梨》、《平山冷燕》、《好逑传》以及《金云翘传》等作品，在当时已经风行海内外，其版本数量之多、流行范围之广、流行时间之长，实令人惊讶。
以版本数量论，《玉娇梨》小说现存的版本大约有46种、《平山冷燕》大约有45种，《好逑传》大约有23种，与人们耳熟能详的《三国演义》、《封神演义》等小说版本数量不相上下。
而且这些小说还被翻译成外国文字，受到国外读者的欢迎。鲁迅先生在《中国小说史略》中所说：《好逑传》在“外国特有名，远胜于其在中国”。它早在1719年（康熙五十八年）已有不完整的译稿带到英国，1761年（乾隆二十二年）有完整英译本，比《玉娇梨》（1821年）、《平山冷燕》（1860年）的最早译本要早得多。它的译本有英、法、荷、德、日文等30多种。《玉娇梨》曾被译为英文、法文、德文。歌德、黑格尔还曾颇为欣赏地提到过这本小说。《金云翘传》，从现在保存的版本情况看，大冢秀高氏《增补中国通俗小说书目》中编录有六种，但是，这部小说出现一百多年后，被出使中国的越南作家阮攸见到，并将其改编为越南喃传《金云翘传》，以后这部小说成为世界名著，被翻译成法文、英文、日文、捷克文、中文等多国文字。
第二，有相当广泛的读者群。以《平山冷燕》小说阅读情况为例，可以发现，它的读者有各个层次的人：1、学者。清初著名学者何焯曾将自己的诗比作“《平山冷燕》体”，在《与某人书》中，他说：“仆诗何足道，《梅花》诸咏，《平山冷燕》体，乃蒙称说，惶愧！”从这条资料可以推测出多条信息，a、何焯本人看过且较熟悉《平山冷燕》；b、何焯通信的对象也看过《平山冷燕》；c、当时有所谓“平山冷燕体”说法；d、高级知识分子中，有欣赏、阅读《平山冷燕》的人，且读者还不在少数。2、作家：王羌特的小说《孤山再梦》中，钱雨林曰：“前看《平山冷燕》，其中白燕诗尽好，以为无人再赓。我二人今日，亦以白燕为题，各作一首，看比旧诗何如？”这条资料首先表明，小说作家看过《平山冷燕》；同时这条资料还可能暗示，当时像钱雨林这样的一般的读书人都熟悉《平山冷燕》小说，《平山冷燕》小说的内容可以作为普通的谈话背景。再如静恬主人“金石缘序”云：“如《情梦柝》、《玉楼春》、《玉娇梨》、《平山冷燕》诸小说，脍炙人口，由来已久，……”。松林居士在评价《二度梅奇说》中云：“小说最著者《好逑传》、《玉娇梨》、《平山冷燕》之类，……”3、批评者：刘廷矶《在园杂志》中云“近日之小说，若《平山冷燕》、《情梦柝》、《风流配》、《春柳莺》、《玉娇梨》等类，佳人才子，慕色慕才，……”。4、普通读者，现存“天花藏批评平山冷燕四才子书藏本”第十二回评语中说，“予向阅诸小言，味都嚼蜡，今始见‘四才子’，异而评之。第恨妾生较晚，不及细为点缀耳。”这位评点者可能是位女性，这说明这类小说在当时有相当多的女性读者。
第三，有创作大家以及作家群出现。由于《玉娇梨》、《平山冷燕》两部作品在出版方面获得了巨大的成功，它们的创作者天花藏主人又创作了如《定情人》、《两交婚》、《飞花咏》、《画图缘》、《赛红丝》、《锦疑团》、《麟儿报》、《玉支玑》等一系列才子佳人小说作品。从大冢秀高的《增补中国通俗小说书目》的资料看，《麟儿报》现存版本11种，《画图缘》7种，《两交婚》6种，《玉支玑》6种，这些作品和数据可以说明这位天花藏主人不凡的创作能力和市场号召力，堪称才子佳人小说创作大家。
在当时，除了天花藏主人这位才子佳人小说创作大家之外，还出现了像槜李烟水散人、惠水安阳酒民、吴中佩蘅子、渭滨笠夫、南岳道人、云阳嗤嗤道人、烟霞散人、烟霞逸士、鶡冠史者、苏庵主人、名教中人、樵云山人、步月主人、龙邱白云道人、白云道人、惜花主人、古吴素庵主人等作家，这些人以及他们的作品出现时间大约都在清顺治末年到清康熙初年，大多数作品也都出现在江南一带。而且这些作家以及作品有些与天花藏主人有着千丝万缕的联系。例如，题曰青心才人编次的《金云翘传》，有天花藏主人偶题的序言；题曰“烟霞散人”撰的《幻中真》，有天花藏主人的序；《画图缘》，有天花藏主人的序言，又有版本题“步月主人订”，等等。
除这些留下姓名的作家之外，还有大量作品不题撰人，这些无名氏的创作对才子佳人小说的兴盛起到了推波助澜的作用。由上面的资料可以推测，当时的才子佳人小说创作出现了以天花藏主人为代表作家的作家群。
第四，有大量作品出现。从现存才子佳人小说作品来看，大约有将近百部作品，而顺、康间较为集中地出现的且比较典型的作品有将近30余部，除上述的天花藏主人的11部作品以及《金云翘传》、《好逑传》之外，还有槜李烟水散人的《女开科传》、《合浦珠》、《鸳鸯配》、《明月台》；鶡冠史者的《春柳莺》；吴中佩蘅子的《吴江雪》；惠水安阳酒民的《情梦柝》、龙邱白云道人《玉楼春》；渭滨笠夫的《孤山再梦》、烟霞散人的《凤凰池》；白云道人的《赛花铃》、惜花散人批评的《宛如约》、南岳道人的《蝴蝶媒》、云阳嗤嗤道人的《五凤吟》、烟霞逸士的《巧联珠》；苏庵主人的《绣屏缘》；古吴素庵主人的《锦香亭》，等等。
才子佳人小说曾经这样辉煌兴盛，自然有它的一定可取之处，但是，这种可取之处并不能掩盖其创作包括其中的一些比较好的作品所存在的致命缺点，再加上大量作品的重复、陈袭，所以才子佳人小说最终成为艺术创作的反面典型也就在所难免了。
（光明日报 邱江宁 作者单位：浙江师范大学）
Since Cao criticism "of a _set_ of 1000" after a negative moment Romances classic art, thus, it's glorious history has become blurred, not well known, which greatly affected the people on them Literary History and Literary History of evaluation. In fact, Cao Xueqin in the "Dream of Red Mansions" in strong criticism Romances, which means it has been very influential, therefore, the prosperity of the situation described Romances necessary.
The prevalence of this novel type of mainly the following aspects:
First, popular at home and abroad. Romantic fiction classic masterpiece "Jen pear", "Leng Yan Ping," "Ho-kau Biography" and "On Strange Biography" and other works, has been popular at the time at home and abroad, their version of their number, the breadth of popular, The length of popular indeed surprising.
On the version number, "Jen pear" the existing version of the novel about 46 species, "Ping Leng Yan" about 45 species, "Ho-kau Biography" about 23 species, and people familiar with the "Three Kingdoms", "closed God of Romance "and other novel version of the number of par.
Second, there is a wide readership. "Flat Mountain Cold Yan," Novel read as an example, we find that readers who have all levels: 1, scholars. Ho Cheuk Early renowned scholars who will own poetry as "a" Ping Leng Yan "body" in "the book with someone", he said: "The servant Yongzheng poem" Plum "Zhu Yong," Pingshanlengyan Yan, "body, is kept as saying that Huang Kui!" can be inferred from this information more than information, a, Ho Cheuk I read and the more familiar "Ping Leng Yan"; b, Ho Cheuk communication objects are also seen "Ping Leng Yan"; c, then the so-called "Ping Leng Yan body" argument; d, intellectuals, there is appreciation, reading "Ping Leng Yan" people, and readers to be many. 2, author: Wang Qiang characteristics of the novel "Dream of Gushan again", the money rain forest said: "before watching" Ping Leng Yan ", which Baiyan poetry do good, that no longer Geng. I have two today, they also Yan Bai for the title, all for one, look at than the old poetry of them? "this information at the out_set_ that writers read," Ping Leng Yan "; while this information may also be suggested that this was as much rain in general people are reading familiar with the "Ping Leng Yan" fiction, "Ping Leng Yan" the contents of the novel can be used as the background of ordinary conversation. Another example of static tim masters "stone edge order," saying: "such as" Love Dream watchman's rattle, "" Yu Louchun "," Jen pear "," Ping Leng Yan "all fiction, popular, long-standing ... ...." Buddhist pine in the evaluation of "second Mecci said," Cloud: "The most novel author of" Ho-kau Biography "," Jen pear "," Ping Leng Yan "and the like, ... ..." 3 Critics: Loyalty, Rocky " In the Garden magazine, "Cloud" has the novel, if the "Ping Leng Yan", "Love Dream watchman's rattle," "Merry with", "Spring Warblers", "Jen pear", and the like, beautiful woman gifted scholar, Mu Mu before color , ... .... " 4, the average reader, the existing "hidden criticism of smallpox Pingshanlengyan Yan Four Talented Scholars possession of the" 12th back reviews said, "I read all the small words, taste is Juela, see this before 'd wit', while the assessment of different . s concubine students hate late, not as fine as decorative ear. "The Comment may be female, indicating that these novels were a considerable number of female readers.
In addition to these anonymous writers, there are a lot of work does not question the Composers, the creation of these Anonymous on the rise Romances played a large turnout. By the above information can be speculated that, when the scholar-beauty novels appeared in the ceiling represented by possession of the master writer of writers.
Romances flourish once brilliant, naturally it must merit, but this merit can not conceal its creation, including some of the good works of the existence of a fatal drawback, coupled with a lot of duplication of work Chen Xi, so Romances eventually become the opposite of the typical art also ruled out.
(Guangming Daily Trend and Popular Author: Zhejiang Normal University)
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