本論文旨在比較明清兩代話本小說的序跋，以此分析話本小說在兩代文學環境的發展與變化。首先，明代話本小說的序跋大多積極抬高話本小說的文學正統地位，向傳統文學靠攏。然而這個現象到了清代就減少許多，清代話本的序文多從作品的形象理念出發，更重視小說的作品特色。其次，明代話本小說的序跋多有道德勸善的嚴肅寓意，清代則有更多作品的序跋傾向於讀者的閱讀感受與作品的娛樂性，期待讀者能透過故事，看破人世間的迷障，傳遞超然的人生觀。最後比較兩代話本小說的序跋得以發現，雖然清代話本序跋有著重視娛樂性的體現，但整個大範圍仍不脫明代馮夢龍編輯「三言」時的價值觀範疇，尤其發展到後期，故事形式僵化，而序跋也依舊回到道德勸說的舊路。故透過明清話本序跋的比較，也能看見此一通俗文類，在兩代文人眼中曾有的發展與侷限。

The study aims at comparing the prefaces and postscripts of Hua-Ben Novels in Ming and Qing Dynasties in order to analyze the development and changes of the literature environments between the two dynasties.In Ming Dynasty, most prefaces and postscripts of Hua-Ben Novels attempted to enhance the orthodox status of Hua-Ben Novels in literary field. The phenomenon became less remarkable in Qing Dynasty; during this period, the prefaces and postscripts of Hua-Ben Novels were primarily based on the writers’ personal concepts and focused on the features of the works. Secondly, the prefaces and postscripts in Ming Dynasty exhibited serious implications whereas they had shifted their focus to readers’ feelings and entertaining effects in Qing Dynasty with the expectations that readers can realize the various puzzles in the world via reading novels.However, from a holistic view, the prefaces and postscripts of the Qing Hua-Ben Novels could not be completely detached from the prototype established by Feng Meng-long in Ming Dynasty— this may explain why the popular literary type confronted limitations and declines afterwards.