Pung Chow

Harr, Lew Lysle, 1882-Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.3

Word count: 79K words
Chapters: 8

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Pung Chow by Lew Lysle HarrAuthor: Harr, Lew Lysle, 1882-,Language: English, Class: GV: Geography, Anthropology, Recreation: Recreation, Leisure, Release Date: Nov 23, 2008

Editor's review

One of the early English-language monographs on mahjong, this book by Lew Lysle Harr focuses on rules and gameplay, systematically introducing the tiles, combinations, scoring, and play of mahjong. Its value lies in preserving the rules and terminology of mahjong as it entered the English-speaking world in the early twentieth century, making it a useful reference for studying the cross-cultural spread of board and card games and comparing rules past and present. The text is instructional in tone and clearly organized, suitable for reading alongside a set of tiles. Note that its rules differ from modern regional mahjong variants; readers should treat it as a historical rulebook rather than a modern competitive guide. For board and card culture enthusiasts, it is an intriguing piece of material showing mahjong's early overseas appearance.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Board and card game enthusiasts interested in mahjong history and rule evolution
Readers studying the cross-cultural spread of games and leisure culture
Translators and researchers wanting to learn early English mahjong terminology
Hands-on readers who like to read rulebooks while practicing

Not a good fit for

Beginners wanting to learn modern competitive or regional mahjong
Readers who do not play at all and have no interest in board and card culture

Reading tips

Prepare a mahjong set and arrange tiles while reading each chapter to understand combinations and scoring.
Compare with modern rules as you read and note differences in scoring and terminology.
Read the general rules overview first, then select game examples for close reading, rather than plowing through page by page.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Are the rules in this book the same as the mahjong played today?

Not entirely. The book reflects the rules and terminology of mahjong as it entered the English-speaking world in the early twentieth century, and its scoring methods and some combinations differ from modern regional variants. It is best treated as a historical rulebook; for learning modern play, consult a contemporary rulebook for comparison.

Can I understand it without any mahjong background?

The book starts with the tiles and basic combinations and is clearly organized, so beginners can get started. But the text is in English and the rules are old, so it is best to read with a set of tiles at hand and alongside modern Chinese mahjong introductory materials for smoother understanding.

What is this book suitable for researching?

It is suitable for researching mahjong's early spread in the English-speaking world, the translation of game terminology, and the cross-cultural reception of leisure culture. The rule details preserved in the book can serve as material for comparing past and present gameplay, but it should not be used as a basis for modern competitive rules.

Comments

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About the author

Harr, Lew Lysle, 1882- Author · 1882

Lew Lysle Harr (born 1882) is an author about whom relatively little is known; publicly available information is limited, and his nationality, education, and career are not clearly documented. What can be confirmed is that he was born in 1882 and that one work by him is held in the collection, namely Pung Chow. Judging from the title, the book concerns the traditional Chinese tile game mahjong ("Pung Chow" being one of the early English spellings of the game) and belongs to English-language writing that introduces or documents it. Such works generally appeared after mahjong spread to the West in the early twentieth century, explaining the tiles, rules, and play to English-speaking readers in a popular, practical style. Because sources are limited, Harr's other writings and personal history await further verification, and this book remains the main clue to his authorial profile.