중국 연의소설의 발전과 국내 유입에 대한 고찰

Abstract

The concept of “yanyi” refers to a narrative style that aims to clearly and simply explain various historical texts, originating from Song Dynasty scholar Zhen Dexiu’s work, “Daxue Yanyi.” Subsequently, yanyi drew materials from historical events and added elements of intrigue, giving rise to a new genre known as “historical yanyi.” The first novel to be labeled as a yanyi novel is Na Guanzhong’s “Sanguozhi Tongsu Yanyi.” Among yanyi novels, some simply elaborate on “historical stories,” while others focus on “historical figures,” allowing for a broad classification into two categories: “era yanyi” and “figure yanyi.” In the realm of Chinese classical novels, there are approximately 50 works identified as yanyi novels. However, there are instances, such as in “Lieguo Zhi,” where a definitive yanyi novel does not explicitly bear the title “yanyi.” This suggests that there were no established classification criteria for yanyi novels at the time. It appears that editors or publishers, aiming to attract the interest and curiosity of readers, commercially opted to include “yanyi” in the titles. In Korea, around 45 yanyi-related novels were introduced, starting from the early 16th century with “Sanguozhi Tongsu Yanyi,” and a significant influx occurred around the time of the Imjin War. Among the 45 imported works, nearly half, or 21, were translated. The published works in Korea include “Sanguo Yanyi,” “Xihan Yanyi,” and “Xue Ren Gui Zheng Dong Quanzhuan.”