Abstract: As one of the most important ways of Chinese fiction criticism, the emphasis of theoretical fiction notes during the late Qing Dynasty gradually shifted to the elements of fiction itself, such as textual content, characterization, aesthetic taste, social function and so on. It also attempted to make theoretical reflections on and systematic construction of fiction criticism. Specifically, fiction notes emphasized the relationship between the creation and criticism of fiction and humanities, interaction between fiction and society, expression of human value, and exploration of the connotation of fiction from the perspectives of science and democracy. As a result of these new changes, the theoretical fiction notes during the late Qing period had a strong critical focus and teleological approach, thus making useful explorations of the modern transformation of Chinese fiction criticism.

Key words: fiction notes, the late Qing Dynasty, Chinese fiction criticism, modern transformation