The Rich Man's Record of Awakening the World

落魄道人May 2024

Rating 3.4

Word count: 58K words
Chapters: 17

Summary

Also known as The Rich Man's Awakening, this is a realistic novel set against the backdrop of money, portraying characters from all walks of life. In the late Qing dynasty, as the commodity economy developed, the pursuit of wealth spread rapidly through society. Using money as its thread, the work depicts a group of petty, mean-spirited figures led by the wealthy landowner Qian Shiming. With bitter loathing, the author exposes their ugly faces in full. Laughter, mockery, scolding—all become literature. It exerted a certain influence on the late-Qing novels of exposure. The novel's spine is the 'mother-and-child coin,' which is extended and developed, advancing layer by layer, and finally concludes with the gathering of the mother-and-child coins. The novel's thematic structure is highly unified: centered on the supreme coin—the mother-and-child coin—and the banter, satire, and ridicule it provokes, it portrays the motley world of vulgar society with penetrating sharpness. Through allegorical stories of gold and silver coins that play on empty associations and blend illusion with reality, the book conveys its satirical intent. The characters surrounding this allegory or plot are all drawn from every corner of real society. Many characters are entangled together, and the depiction of the ugliness of human hearts, the bewitchment of money, and the shallowness of public morals is blended on a single palette, so that the satirical meaning emerges of itself. The author observes with minute clarity the various people beneath the dazzling halo of money, one by one, and censures and satirizes those rich who are arrogant because of wealth, who despise the poor because of wealth, who bully the poor because of wealth, and who flaunt their strength because of wealth; at the same time, he likewise attacks those scholars and commoners who flatter the rich and curry favor with the noble, who disregard shame, who fawn on the rich and dislike the poor, and who envy the noble and resent the rich, holding that the former are rich without benevolence and the latter are poor and have lost their resolve—both kinds have lost their integrity and single-mindedly seek profit while setting righteousness aside.

Editor's review

The Wealthy Man's Warning to the World (also known as The Wealthy Man's Warning to the World, Continued) is a realistic novel that uses money as its backdrop to portray every kind of person. Set against the social reality of the late Qing dynasty, when the commodity economy was developing and the pursuit of money was spreading, the novel takes "mother-and-child money" as its main thread, extending and developing it layer by layer and concluding with the gathering of the mother-and-child money. The book's thematic structure is simple and concentrated: around supreme money and the banter, satire, and mockery it provokes, it carves a penetrating portrait of every facet of worldly society. With an attitude of deep loathing, the author censures and satirizes the rich who are arrogant in their wealth, who look down on the poor, who bully the impoverished, and who flaunt their strength; and he attacks equally the scholars and common folk who flatter the rich and curry favor with the powerful, who despise the poor and fawn on the wealthy, and who envy the noble and resent the rich. He holds that both kinds of people have lost their moral purpose, seeking only profit and setting righteousness aside. Through allegorical tales in which gold and silver money are fancifully attached to reality and illusion blended, the book conveys its satirical message; laughter, mockery, and invective all become fine writing. It exerted a certain influence on the late Qing novels of social censure. When reading, note how its allegorical structure and satirical technique serve to expose the shallowness of the times.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in the late Qing novels of social censure and the tradition of satirical literature
Readers of literature and history who wish to understand, through fiction, the changes in social mores after the rise of the commodity economy in the late Qing
Readers who enjoy allegorical narrative and a gallery of characters linked by money as a thread
Researchers concerned with the critique of wealth and the satire of worldly ways in traditional literature

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer modern full-length novels with intricate plots and complete character development
Readers of practical books seeking a positive outlook on wealth or financial inspiration
Those who lack patience for satirical technique and allegorical structure and want only light entertainment

Reading tips

First grasp the main thread of "mother-and-child money" and note how it links the various characters and events.
As you read, distinguish the author's satirical treatment of the rich and of those who fawn on the rich, and appreciate the target of his criticism.
Read with some background knowledge of the late Qing novels of social censure to understand the book's place in the satirical tradition.
After finishing a passage, pause to review how its allegorical plot corresponds to the realities of social mores.

版权信息
第一回论人我当思人即我我即人计得失须知得是失失是得
第二回钱落空身轻浮大海心向上手援遇燧人
第三回时规被小人作贱钱愚受一文牵制
第四回坐井观天得钱便作骄态斯文扫地失意怎肯低头
第五回时伯济有去无来钱士命只进弗出
第六回万笏见柴起意时生遇李安身
第七回化僧饱暖思行浴邛诡饥寒起道心
第八回试利场柴主拖威摸奶河邛诡被杀
第九回施利仁重富贵甘心受辱墨用绳卖聪明当面倒霉
第十回掩耳偷铃不搜自己房帏吹毛求疵只觅别人破绽
第十一回自汛将军无药可治脱空祖师有法难使
第十二回钱愚心虚求佛化僧胆大弄鬼
第十三回时伯济时运来前后一人名顿改小人国大人国高低两地各攸分
第十四回时伯济得时便得济钱士命要钱不要命
第十五回飞钱原作飞钱用恶人自有恶人磨
第十六回半世经营无只字祸因恶积一家欢乐得双钱福缘善庆

FAQ

What is the relationship between this book and novels of social censure such as The Scholars?

According to the source material, laughter, mockery, and invective in this book all become fine writing, and it exerted a certain influence on the late Qing novels of social censure. It belongs to the same category of works that expose social mores through satire, but its thematic structure is highly unified, centering on "mother-and-child money" and the banter, satire, and mockery that money provokes. It can serve as a reference for understanding the tradition of the novel of social censure.

What role does "mother-and-child money" play in the novel?

Mother-and-child money is the main thread of the whole book. The work uses it as a clue, extending and developing it layer by layer and concluding with the gathering of the mother-and-child money. Around supreme money, the book portrays every kind of character, from the arrogant rich to those who fawn on the wealthy and curry favor with the powerful, and conveys its satirical message through allegorical tales.

Does the author take one side in his attitude toward the rich and the poor?

According to the source material, the author censures and satirizes the rich who are arrogant in their wealth, who look down on the poor, who bully the impoverished, and who flaunt their strength; at the same time, he attacks equally the scholars and common folk who flatter the rich and curry favor with the powerful, who despise the poor and fawn on the wealthy, and who envy the noble and resent the rich. The author holds that the former are rich but unkind, while the latter are poor and have lost their resolve; both kinds of people have lost their moral purpose, seeking only profit and setting righteousness aside.

Is this book suitable for reading as historical material on late Qing society?

It can be read as supplementary material. The work is set against the social reality of the late Qing dynasty, when the commodity economy was developing and the pursuit of money was spreading, and it portrays every facet of worldly society. But it is, after all, an allegorical satirical novel and should not be treated as strict historical source material; it is better suited to conveying how people of the time observed and criticized the shallowness of social mores.

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About the author

落魄道人 Author

Luopo Daoren is one of the authors who left signed works in the field of classical Chinese literature; his real name, dates of birth and death, native place, and life story are all unknown, and publicly available information is limited. Nine works are currently catalogued under his name in the collection, with representative titles including Chang Yan Dao (Common Sayings), Fuweng Xingshi Lu (The Rich Man's Warning to the World), and Baxian Zhuan (Biographies of the Eight Worthies), along with several unannotated editions in circulation. These works are generally classified under classical literature, social fiction, literary appreciation, classic works, Eastern philosophy, and folk literature, suggesting that his writing focuses on worldly satire and the varied conditions of society in accessible language, bearing the flavor of folk storytelling and moral admonition. Judging by their titles, Chang Yan Dao and Fuweng Xingshi Lu both carry the intent of criticizing social customs and awakening readers, while Baxian Zhuan belongs to the tradition of tales about notable figures. Because the name is evidently a self-chosen sobriquet, his identity has long been difficult to verify with certainty, and his works retain some reference value in the study and compilation of folk literature and classical fiction.