Laughter of the Cloud Immortals

天花主人北京汇聚文源文化发展有限公司 · ChinaJul 2024

2.8

Word count: 52K words
Chapters: 4

Summary

Traditional Chinese thought and culture have a long history and are highly original, inventive, and literary. Early forms of thought are especially distinctive: religious theology, classical texts of Chinese medicine, ancient military strategy, Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism, and the Hundred Schools of Thought, feng shui and metaphysics, the Twenty-Four Histories, and local customs and geography are all vast and profound in content. This "Essence of Classic Chinese Culture: Original Texts" series preserves the appearance of the original books, with the aim of preserving and transmitting traditional Chinese thought and culture. By reading the literary essence left by ancient sages, readers can cultivate their temperament and subtly appreciate the classics of Chinese learning.

Editor's review

Yunxian Xiao is included in the "Essence of Classic Chinese Culture: Original Texts" series, which takes the preservation of the original books' appearance as its editorial principle and is suitable as an entry point for understanding traditional fiction and the pleasures of reading Chinese classics. The title and the attribution to Tianhua Zhuren suggest a work with a classical narrative flavor, from which readers can appreciate the imaginative style and linguistic rhythm of old literati. The value of this book lies not in providing modern scholarly annotation but in allowing readers direct contact with the original text and a sense of how traditional thought and culture naturally flow through literature. When reading, one might keep it by the bedside or on the tea table and read one or two pieces at a time, without striving for plot continuity, but rather noting the narrative tone, character dialogue, and manner of moral commentary. Readers accustomed to fast-paced reading may need a little patience to adjust to the expressive manner of ancient vernacular; readers who enjoy the original appearance of editions and are willing to read slowly can gain a plain reading pleasure. Overall, this is a small book suitable for casual browsing and also for reading in comparison with other classics in the same series.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Casual readers who enjoy classical fiction and traditional narrative works
Readers of Chinese classics willing to read the original text slowly without relying on modern annotation
General readers who want to experience the rhythm of ancient vernacular through short pieces
Readers collecting popular editions of Chinese classics who wish to understand the original appearance of traditional texts

Not a good fit for

Beginners who need detailed annotation and vernacular translation to read smoothly
Readers who prefer the strong plotting and fast pace of modern full-length novels

Reading tips

Read one or two pieces a day, without striving to finish quickly, and pay attention to language and character dialogue.
Keep a pen at hand and mark unfamiliar words or interesting expressions as you go, then look them up together after finishing.
Read alternately with other classics in the same series to appreciate the differences in expression across genres.
After reading, write three to five sentences recording the plot or characters that left the deepest impression.

About the publisher

北京汇聚文源文化发展有限公司 China

Beijing Huiju Wenyuan Cultural Development Co., Ltd. is a cultural institution focused on publishing traditional Chinese classics. Public information about the company is limited, and its publishing profile is mainly reflected in the 83 books in the database. Judging from its representative titles, the company attends to classics across the traditional Four Categories of Chinese literature. The Lotus Sutra relates to Buddhist literature; Comprehensive Institutions, A Record of Reading in the Prefectural Studio, and The Meaning of Textual Criticism are works of history and bibliography; New Songs from the Jade Terrace is a literary anthology; Agricultural Administration in Its Entirety concerns agricultural policy and practice; and Annotations to the Gongyang Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals and Discourse on the Song Dynasty reflect the directions of classical scholarship and historical commentary. Its authors include Du You, Chao Gongwu, Xu Ling, Xu Guangqi, He Xiu, Zhang Xuecheng, and Wang Fuzhi, as well as anonymous works. Its common categories center on classic works, social sciences, Eastern philosophy, literary appreciation, and philosophical reading, indicating a publishing orientation characterized by the organization of traditional scholarly primary texts and the promotion of traditional cultural reading.

版权信息
云仙笑
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FAQ

Is this book suitable for readers with no foundation in classical Chinese?

It is not very suitable for complete beginners. The book mainly preserves the original appearance of the text and has no modern vernacular translation or detailed annotation, so ancient vernacular expression may create reading obstacles. Readers with some experience in reading classical Chinese, or those willing to read slowly with the help of reference books, can give it a try.

What are the features of the "Essence of Classic Chinese Culture: Original Texts" series?

According to the publication information, the series focuses on preserving the original appearance of the books, with the purpose of preserving and transmitting traditional Chinese thought and culture. Its content covers religious theology, classical texts of Chinese medicine, ancient military strategy, Confucian, Daoist, and Buddhist thought, local customs and geography, and so on, and it is suitable for readers who wish to come into direct contact with traditional texts.

Does reading this book require reading from beginning to end in order?

Not necessarily. Classical fiction texts can be skipped through or read selectively according to interest, one or two pieces at a time, focusing on the narrative manner and linguistic interest. If you want to understand the overall structure, you can go back and read it through.

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About the author

天花主人 Author

Tianhua Zhuren is an author signature in the study of classical Chinese fiction whose identity remains unverified; no clear record exists of his real name, courtesy name, native place, or dates of birth and death, and available public information is very limited. What can be confirmed is that two novels are attributed to this name: Jingmeng Ti (The Cry in a Dream, unannotated edition) and Yunxian Xiao (The Laugh of the Cloud Immortal). Judging from the extant texts, both belong to the tradition of vernacular fiction, blending social manners with legend and romance; they are narrated in colloquial language, with intricate plots and a didactic edge, reflecting the common tastes of Ming and Qing popular fiction. Jingmeng Ti uses a dream as its frame, alternating the real and the illusory, while Yunxian Xiao uses tales of immortals and mortals to comment on human nature and social life. Because biographical material is lacking, later discussion has focused on the texts themselves, and the works are classified as cultural reading for enthusiasts and scholars of classical fiction.