It refers to books whose academic level is higher than your own, so that you can gain experience and improve yourself from reading.
Essayist Yu Qiuyu proposed: "We should strive to find 'fearful friends' who are higher than ourselves, so that reading becomes an enterprising activity that is both friendly and requires a lot of mental energy. Try to minimize those who are already at the same level as yourself." At the same level of reading, we are willing to accept the shaping of ourselves by good books. We may have books of various levels in our bookshelves. The books that are suitable for intensive reading should not be those that we can look down and look at. A book we need to look up to."
Extended information:
Yu Qiuyu, born on August 23, 1946 in Yuyao County, Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province, is a famous Chinese contemporary cultural scholar, theorist and cultural activist. Historian, writer, essayist.
Graduated from the Department of Drama Literature of Shanghai Theater Academy in 1966. In 1980, he successively published "History of Drama Theory", "History of Chinese Drama Culture" and "Aesthetic Psychology of Drama". In 1985, he became the youngest liberal arts professor in mainland China. In 1986, he was awarded one of the top ten academic elites in Shanghai. In 1987, he was awarded the honorary title of National Expert with Outstanding Contributions.
Yu Qiuyu is famous for writing historical and cultural prose. His collection of essays "Cultural Journey" became very popular after its publication. In addition, he has also written prose works such as "Notes on a Mountain Dwelling", "Frost-Cold River", and "A Thousand Years Sigh".
First, before Mr. Yu Qiuyu wrote prose, he was already a great scholar with extensive knowledge of Chinese and Western studies and numerous works. All concepts that can be expressed clearly in academic ways have already been clearly stated in his millions of words of academic writings.
Therefore, when he wrote prose, he wanted to present a style that could not be presented in academic works, which was what Mr. Bai Xianyong praised him as: "Thinking about the world poetically." The "poetic" soul contained in his writings "provides a beautiful ritual for a series of spiritual paradoxes."
Second, Mr. Yu Qiuyu had profound life experience before writing prose. He was born in a rural area with profound cultural heritage. He experienced ten years of catastrophe and his family was destroyed. After the disaster, he was elected as the head of a department-level university. He also experienced the confused state of mind before and after his resignation. He even traveled all over China and the world to tell this story. Putting it all together, he knew exactly where the acupuncture points in China were.
Therefore, the writing topics he chooses can always shock the hearts of millions of readers in the first place. Even if we talk about history and knowledge, there is no psychological barrier. This is very different from the general "celebrity prose", "salon prose", "petty bourgeoisie prose", "literary prose" and "angry youth prose".
Thirdly, Mr. Yu Qiuyu’s creations in novels and dramas are based on the aesthetics of “Popular Symbolism” which was the most accomplished in Europe in the 20th century. As he said in the "Preface" to "Glacier": "Cover the philosophy of life with the cloak of popular plot; design a game that looks like history to reconstruct history."
What is even more bold is that the surface of "Sky Island" is historical documentary and suspense reasoning, but the inner layer is "the other side of meaning." This kind of "popular symbolism" shows superb creative wisdom and successfully dissolves difficult philosophy into vivid stories that everyone can accept.
Reference material: Yu Qiuyu Baidu Encyclopedia