A Record of Things Heard
Tags
Summary
Editor's review
Who it's for
A good fit for
- General readers who enjoy notebooks, miscellanies, and anecdotal sketches
- Readers interested in history and culture who care about old social life and local customs
- Researchers seeking scattered clues for source collection to use as reference
- Readers accustomed to fragmented reading who like dipping into short entries
Not a good fit for
- Readers expecting systematic exposition or a complete narrative
- Rigorous researchers who require every record to have strict source verification
- Readers with no interest in miscellanies written in a rather classical style
Reading tips
- It need not be read from cover to cover; skip according to interest and read a few entries closely each time.
- Keep a notebook and note recurring names and places to form an overall impression.
- Compare the records with other notebooks or local documents to distinguish rumor from firsthand record.
- After finishing a portion, review what was recorded and try to summarize the range of subjects the author attends to.
About the publisher
Nanhai Publication Company is a comprehensive publisher known for its literature and arts titles, covering fields such as classical poetry, martial arts fiction, and folk literature. Judging from the more than 1,600 books in the database, the company has released classical poetic works including the Nineteen Old Poems and the Nine Songs, as well as multiple volumes of Huanzhulouzhu's series The Swordsmen of Mount Shu, along with related writings by authors such as Guan Hanqing, Qu Yuan, Zuo Si, and Wang Zhihuan. Its publishing character lies in balancing the organization of classic texts with the dissemination of popular literature, placing poetry anthologies alongside long martial arts novels and presenting a relatively diverse literary profile. Public information is limited, and further details about its editorial practices and series planning remain to be supplemented.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 洪承畴
- 毛文龙
- 汤潜庵
- 和
- 可儿
- 孔林遗裔
- 满帝拜偶像
- 松筠
- 葛将军
- 西人洪氏谈
- 吴文节死事
- 洪杨琐事
- 张勤果畏妻
- 鲍超求救书
- 陈右铭劝玉梅效忠文
- 三圣七贤
- 李秀成
- 石达开
- 彭玉麟
- 李鸿章笑史
- 太平战史
- 中国用洋将之始
- 甲午余痛
- 张佩纶得妻
- 龚照
- 王文勤
- 伊藤博文
- 崇礼
- 崇绮
- 郭意诚
- 刘坤一
FAQ
What does Suowen Lu mainly record?
How should the historical value of such anecdotal miscellanies be assessed?
Is it better to read it all at once or in batches?
Comments
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About the author
Wang Shinong is an author about whom limited public information is available. What is known is that two works appear under this name, with the representative title being Suo Wen Lu (Records of What Was Heard). Judging from the common categories, the writing touches on two fields, folk literature and Eastern philosophy, a combination that suggests the material may lean toward anecdotes and hearsay while conveying reflections on life and human affairs. The title Suo Wen Lu itself carries the sense of recording what has been heard, which fits the orientation of folk literature; the classification under Eastern philosophy indicates that the content goes beyond mere story collecting and may include the organizing and extending of traditional ideas. As birth and death dates, nationality, and biographical details cannot be verified, it is difficult to reconstruct the background and intellectual lineage of the author, or to determine the chronological relationship and specific differences between the two works. Overall, the profile of Wang Shinong's writing still requires more material to become clear; the available clues only sketch the outline of an author moving between folk narrative and philosophical reflection, and the value of the works remains to be further explored by readers and researchers.
