A Hundred Classical Chinese Novels (Sixty Volumes)

Author: None
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1999-02-01
Features:
The 100 novels have been passed down through the ages
The accumulation of artistic experience over thousands of years
The essence of 100 popular culture works
Treasures and gifts are all excellent choices
Legal cases
Chivalry
Mythology
Love
History
Social reality
Love
Dream of the Red Chamber
The novel revolves around the love and marriage tragedy of three aristocratic young people: Jia Baoyu, Lin Daiyu, and Xue Baochai. It depicts an extremely broad picture of life and creates a rich tapestry of characters, ranging from imperial princesses and palace concubines to common villagers and maidservants. It reveals the rise and fall of the Jia family, a powerful clan. It is the pinnacle of Chinese classical fiction. It can be said that without reading Dream of the Red Chamber, one cannot truly speak of Chinese fiction.
The title of The Tale of Golden Cloud Nine inherits the name of Jin Ping Mei, combining one character from each of the three characters in the book who have a marital and romantic relationship. It vividly portrays the image of the ideal beauty Wang Cuixiao, highlighting her unwavering devotion to love, her rebellion against the Confucian orthodoxy that suppresses true emotions, and her wisdom and courage. The Tale of Golden Cloud Nine successfully creates typical characters with a touch of the era and makes significant contributions to the exploration of themes related to women.
Dream of the Red Chamber and Dream of the Jade Flower both depict the extraordinary feelings between two men, Ziyu and the opera actress Qinyin, beyond what can be considered mere friendship. The phrase "desire without excess" is highly regarded by the author. They are a reflection of the unhealthy life of that era and can also be seen as another form of romance novels from the late Ming and early Qing dynasties.
History
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms belongs to the "accumulative" genre of novels, with its most outstanding achievement being the creation of many vivid and dynamic characters. Zhuge Liang's image is especially deeply rooted in the hearts of people, becoming the embodiment of wisdom. Stories like the sworn brotherhood at the Peach Garden, the three visits to the thatched cottage, and the trick of borrowing arrows from enemy ships have been passed down through generations. At the same time, Romance of the Three Kingdoms excels in depicting wars using various techniques. Battles like the Battle of Guandu and the Battle of Red Cliffs are well-known even to ordinary people. It is a long novel in China and one of the most successful historical novels.
Dream of the East Zhou States recounts more than 500 years of history from the 39th year of King Xuan of Zhou to the 26th year of Emperor Qiniu. It focuses on the gradual decline of the Zhou royal family and the complex and intense struggles among the feudal lords for dominance. Many moving stories are included. The novel has a plot, vivid characters, and thought-provoking language, making it a favorite among readers for a long time.
Social Reality
Scholar Gao's Biography
Scholar Gao's Biography is the only truly satirical novel in classical fiction, with its sharp critique aimed at the imperial examination system. The author "upholds justice and exposes societal flaws," using a tearful laugh to reveal the souls corrupted by the imperial examination system. It is a milestone in realist narrative art and holds an irreplaceable position in the history of world fiction.
Three Stories
The Three Canons—A Mysterious World, Warnings of the World, and Constant Warnings of the World—comprise 120 stories with a wide range of themes, covering love and marriage, friendship and chivalry, legal cases, rise and fall, and supernatural tales. Among them, the chapters related to love and marriage are the most numerous and shining. The Angry Duyang and the Beauty in the Oil Seller's Shop are outstanding love stories in The Three Canons, showcasing the most prominent urban thinking.
Flowers in the Mirror
The essence of Flowers in the Mirror lies in Tang Aolong's travels to various countries overseas. The descriptions of the Kingdom of Gentlemen, the Kingdom of Great Men, and other nations reflect the author's admiration for the Confucian revivalist idea of "goodness," while the negative portrayal of the Kingdom of Small Men and the Kingdom of Two-Faced People further highlight the belief that "goodness is the greatest treasure." Additionally, the description of the Kingdom of Women, which has a strong comedic flavor, radiates humanitarian brilliance. Although the countries are fictional, they subtly critique social realities. This book has a place in literary history.
Flowers on the Sea of Suffering
Flowers on the Sea of Suffering centers on the marriage story of Jin Gou and Fu Caizhun, covering the history from the early years of the Tongzhi reign to the First Sino-Japanese War. Fu Caizhun's archetype is the famous courtesan Sai Jinhua, and she is also one of the most successful and colorful characters in the novel. Among the courtesan figures in Chinese classical fiction, Fu Caizhun holds an important place due to her extraordinary life and unique personality.
Social Reality
The Two Stories—A Shocking Tale of the First Collection and A Shocking Tale of the Second Collection—comprise 120 stories with the most outstanding achievement being to provide readers with a series of fascinating tales. These stories excel in their intricate plots, fully satisfying readers' curiosity. The author's skill in blending the extraordinary with the ordinary also offers a refreshing and enduring taste.
Shi Gong Case
Legal Cases
Shi Gong Case is a collection of stories depicting the Qing official Shi Shilun and his associates, including Huang Tianba and Guan Xiaoxi, solving cases, capturing criminals, and maintaining justice. Shi Gong Case breaks the traditional pattern of legal case novels that solely focus on officials presiding over trials, adding a wealth of descriptions of chivalrous heroes capturing thieves. Combined with the judgment and adjudication of the Qing officials, it becomes a long legal case novel with novel characters, intricate plots, and rich content, creating a new genre that merges legal cases and martial arts.
Chivalry
Water Margin
Water Margin is a model work of heroic legends, successfully creating 108 heroes with diverse personalities and shining figures. It marks the transition of Chinese fiction character development toward individualized archetypes, as noted by Jin Shengtan: "Describing one hundred and eight people, each with their own temperament, character, appearance, and voice." The narrative language is colloquial, vivid, and expressive, with highly personalized character dialogues. Water Margin has been widely spread and has had a significant social impact.
Story of Heroic Maidens
Story of Heroic Maidens is a long novel from the Qing dynasty, with the focus on the spiritual portrayal of the main characters, such as the heroic maidens Shisanmei, An Ji, and An Xuehai. It creates the heroic maiden Shisanmei and the heroic An Ji. The narrative dialogue uses Beijing colloquial language, which is humorous and lively, with the image of the heroic maiden Shisanmei being widely known and household.
The Three Heroes and Five Righteouss
The Three Heroes and Five Righteouss narrates the stories of the Qing official Bao Zheng and the "Three Heroes and Five Righteouss" who are influenced by him, suppressing evil and eliminating villains. The content involves legal cases, reasoning, chivalry, and legends. The writing is vivid and fluent, easy to read, and incorporates many classical literary phrases, blending artistic expression and popular culture to suit readers of all cultural levels.
The Journey to the West
Mythology
The Journey to the West takes the religious story of Tang Sanzang's journey to the West for Buddhist scriptures as its theme, creating a series of magical worlds and magical characters with unpredictable transformations and brilliant colors. It fuses the surreal religious themes with vivid real-life content, combining detailed realism with unique character personalities. The protagonist Sun Wukong's image is particularly lovable, interesting, and radiant. The entire story is filled with a humorous and fascinating artistic atmosphere, with laughter and playful satire throughout, making readers laugh with amusement.
Strange Tales from the Liao Zhai
Strange Tales from the Liao Zhai is a short story collection with unique charm. It dedicates a significant portion to describing love stories between flower spirits, fox fairies, and sincere scholars, praising ideal and sincere love. At the same time, many works criticize the evils of the imperial examinations and expose the darkness of political reality. The stories are imaginative, full of twists and turns, and create a mystical and enchanting world. The language is exquisitely vivid, with intricate plots that are captivating and engaging, making it a pinnacle of classical Chinese literature.
Notes from the Weiyuan Studio
Notes from the Weiyuan Studio is a representative work of Ming and Qing era note fiction, covering a wide range of social life. It primarily focuses on tales of ghosts and goblins, but also includes urban conversations, local customs, and anecdotes. It reveals social contradictions in various places. The structure is rigorous and concise, with short but engaging stories.