Waking World Classics

Author: (Ming) Feng Menglong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-01-01
Features: A Dream of Splendid Reality, compiled and edited by Feng Menglong of the Ming Dynasty. A collection of storytelling novels from the Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties. Together with A Clear Story of the World and A Widespread Warning of the World, it is collectively known as the "Three Words." This book is the third in the Three Words. A Dream of Splendid Reality consists of 40 volumes, with one story per volume, totaling 40 stories. It was published in the Dingmao year of the Ming Tianqi era (1627) and is slightly later than A Clear Story of the World and A Widespread Warning of the World. Most of the surviving storytelling novels from the Song and Yuan dynasties have been included in A Clear Story and A Widespread Warning. The works included in A Constant Word are also from the Song and Yuan dynasties. These works cover a wide range of themes and complex content. Many criticize the ugliness of feudal officials and praise the virtue of honest officials. Numerous works depict the lives of ordinary people in the streets and markets. It can be said that it reflects the "thousand strange and bizarre events" and "various kinds of people" of the time, recreating the vibrant scenes of the streets and markets during the Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties. It is a popular fiction with realistic significance, a product of the economic development of commodity in the Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties, and also a literary symbol of an era, highlighting the level of ancient Chinese folk literature. Most of the stories are complete, with intricate plots that realistically simulate human emotions and vividly portray characters, leaving behind many memorable works and enjoyable stories for later generations.