Classic Chinese Novels

[Anon No.14896751]

I'm looking to read more classic literature from the Orient. Of the four/six classic Chinese novels which ones should I read and why? What is the broad theme of each book? I'm not looking for a summery necessarily; I can find that online. Rather I'd like your take on their respective moral themes/purpose. Specifically I'm referring to:

Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Journey to the West
Water Margin
Dream of the Red Chamber

Unofficial History of the Scholars
The Golden Lotus

[Anon No.14897768]

Bump

[Anonymous No.14897797]

>>14896751
The Water Margin is an interesting read if you want a taste of the literature of that period since the entire book is an encyclopedia of tropes, images of people and their morals/traditions, even if somewhat cartoonish. It is quite repetitive though, not worth reading for the plot itself.

[Anonymous No.14897798]

>>14896751

Ngl p cringe hearing “Orient” these days. Not out of personal offense but the fact that anyone would deliberately use an anachronism is so corny to me lol

[Anon No.14897901]

>>14897798
I grew up with my grandfather's library. I guess I've always had fond memories of the word.

[Science - Scientia - Knowledge No.14898099]

>>14897798
Imagine calling the far East after a tiny part of the eastern coast of the aegean sea instead of "Orient".

[Anonymous No.14898160]

i'm currently re-reading The Three Kingdoms, first time reading the unabridged version, it's incredibly meandering, i can imagine it being a total drag for some people but it's the perfect young male autist book, no descriptive prose or any fluff whatsoever, just endless battles and double-crossing

just finished the chapter where Lu Bu is killed, when he looks at himself in the mirror, knowing he's finished and says 吾被酒色傷矣, i felt that

[Anonymous No.14899369]

>>14896751
nothing good came out of china you faggot. its all rat mentality bullshit. i hope you get corona and choke on your own phlegm and die

[Anonymous No.14899371]

>>14899369

Anon all he wanted was some book recs...

[Anonymous No.14899407]

>>14897797
>>14896751
Second Water Margin, I didn't find it repetitive at all though. It's hilarious

[Anonymous No.14899418]

>>14897798
Cringe ass concern troll!

[Anon No.14900843]

Bump

[Anon No.14901812]

[Anonymous No.14901821]

>>14898160
>just endless battles and double-crossing
wtf would a nigga read that for instead of reading manga?

[Anonymous No.14902008]

from what i understand, Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Journey to the West are there mostly due to historical importance, and not that many would consider them "great works" in the traditional literary sense. however they are of importance to reflect a general "mood" of their respective era (warring period, tang)

Dream of the Red Chamber and to a lesser extent The Golden Lotus are probably the best "books" under a western lens (oh and the latter is an erotica)

Unofficial History of the Scholars is there as a bit of a curiosity, "Unofficial History" is the key word here.

Water Margin is basically a serialized novel for the masses, which explains its very macho/archetypal themes, its kinda like the superhero movie of its time


you might want to check out The True Story of Ah Q, and/or Classic of Mountains and Seas, which are sometimes overlooked by westerners

also don't bother reading chinese poetry because although i hate it when other people say this, its quite untranslatable

source: i failed all my chinese classes

[Anon No.14902732]

>>14902008
Thanks for that

[Anonymous No.14902903]

>>14902008
Lu Xun def has a handful of stories worth reading, Kong Yiji being the best