The ORIGINS OF CHINESE LITERARY HERMENEUTICS: A STUDY OF THE <i>SHIJING</i> AND THE MAO SCHOOL OF CONFUCIAN EXEGESIS. By Martin SvenssonEkström, SUNY Series in Chinese Philosophy and Culture. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, 2024, Pp.

Svensson Ekström offers a critical reexamination of Shijing 詩經 (Classic of Poetry) exegesis, focusing on how modern Sinologists have characterized Chinese literary traditions in distinction from the Western canon. At the heart of the book is the interpretative device xing (興), traditionally viewed as indicative of early Chinese poetics' literalism and rootedness in the specific. By analyzing scholars such as Pauline Yu, François Jullien, and Cecile Chu-chin Sun, the book argues that Chinese poetics has often been framed as fundamentally “literal” and “context-bound,” ostensibly contrasting with the “abstract” and “metaphysical” nature of Western traditions. Svensson Ekström critiques this dichotomous framing, suggesting that the East–West contrast risks essentializing Chinese literature as lacking in figurative or allegorical sophistication. Through a detailed historical study of xing, notably in the interpretations of C. H. Wang and Chen Shih-hsiang, the book questions rigid definitions of xing as solely pragmatic or non-metaphorical. Instead, it proposes that xing has evolved to communicate flexible, contextually adapted meanings. In Mao Heng's Confucian reading, xing becomes a tool to allegorize natural descriptions into reflections of human conduct and moral ideals. The conclusion reinforces this argument by positioning Confucian exegesis as a “performative” act that reinterprets Shijing not just as a cultural expression but as a refined, ritualized artifact for imparting social and ethical instruction. This perspective encourages viewing xing and Confucian exegesis as a blend of interpretive refinement and insight into the poetic spirit. Overall, the book is a nuanced contribution that challenges readers to look beyond reductive East–West binaries while still recognizing the distinct interpretive processes that have shaped Chinese poetics. Although it risks, at times, emphasizing Confucian frameworks, it remains a thought-provoking critique that invites scholars to engage with Shijing's interpretative richness in ways that transcend cultural essentialism.