In Praise of Laughter

赵南星Nanhai Publication Company · ChinaSep 2023

4.0

Word count: 13K words
Chapters: 9

Summary

The "Great Series of Chinese Classical Texts" is a large-scale e-book project launched by Yuelan Culture. The project aims to collate and rediscover rare and fine editions of ancient Chinese texts, bringing works that lend themselves to transmission and easy reading back into circulation in e-book form after editing, for the benefit of readers. The series is divided into sub-series by dynasty, and each sub-series can be further divided into several major categories following the classical division of jing, shi, zi, and ji. To make reading easier, the editions selected are mostly in classical Chinese rendered into plain language. The series can be summed up as: simple and accessible, easy to read, a transmission of classics.

Editor's review

Xiao Zan is a collection of jokes by Zhao Nanxing of the Ming dynasty, standing apart in the tradition of joke literature. Unlike mere compilations meant to amuse, it often appends comments and encomia after short, witty stories, using laughter to criticize social mores and satirize human nature—combining entertainment with thought. This edition belongs to the "Great Series of Chinese Classical Texts" e-book series, whose aim is to collate rare and fine editions and make them accessible to contemporary readers; the editions selected are mostly classical Chinese rendered into plain language, simple and easy to read. For readers who want to browse lightly after work while also savoring the humor and insight of the ancients, the book's scattered, short pieces are well suited to bedside or commute reading. Readers interested in Ming notes and the joke genre can also see the distinctive method of combining jokes with commentary. Note that the content is collated ancient text whose humor tends toward literati wit rather than the dense punchlines of modern jokes.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers who enjoy ancient notes and joke collections
Readers who want light reading of classical Chinese rendered into plain language in fragmented time
Readers interested in Ming social mores and literati satire
Those who need short pieces for after-dinner conversation

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting the dense punchlines of modern jokes
Scholars seeking only in-depth monographs for systematic study of Ming literature
Beginners unaccustomed to the idiom of classical Chinese rendered into plain language

Reading tips

Read three to five pieces at a time; don't chase progress—focus on savoring the commentary after each joke.
When something strikes a chord, jot it down and think about it against real human affairs—it adds to the enjoyment.
Try reading the commentary before the story to appreciate the author's intent in using laughter to make a point.

About the publisher

Nanhai Publication Company China · Founded in 1988

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.

版权信息
《笑赞》
正文一
正文二
正文三
正文四
正文五
正文六
正文七

FAQ

Is this book just a collection of jokes?

Not entirely. Though the stories are short and witty, most are followed by commentary, and the author often uses laughter to satirize social mores and human nature. So it has both an amusing side and a side that uses jokes to make points and criticize ills—light reading that also leaves something to ponder.

Can readers with only an average grounding in classical Chinese understand it?

This edition belongs to the "Great Series of Chinese Classical Texts", whose editions are mostly classical Chinese rendered into plain language, edited to be simple and easy to read. Readers with ordinary classical Chinese can read smoothly; slow down for the occasional difficult word or phrase.

Is it better read in one sitting or browsed in fragments?

Better browsed in fragments. The pieces are short and independent of one another, so reading a few on the commute or before bed doesn't affect coherence, and there's no need to read from beginning to end in order.

Related on WeRead

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

赵南星 Author

Very little is known about the author Zhao Nanxing from publicly available sources: neither the dates of birth and death, nor the place of origin, nor the nationality has been clearly recorded, so an understanding of the person must rest mainly on the surviving works. Two of his works are held in the collection, Xiaozan (In Praise of Laughter) and Shangyi Bencao (Materia Medica of the Superior Physician). The former is classified under Eastern philosophy and the latter under health, a considerable range of subject matter that shows the author wrote in both the literary-historical and the medical directions. Xiaozan presents jokes together with commentaries, using humorous stories to convey moral instruction; its language is concise and tinged with satire, carrying the lucid air of late-Ming occasional prose. Shangyi Bencao is a work on materia medica, focusing on the organization of drugs and the exposition of medical principles, and reflecting a practical concern for relieving human suffering. One playful and one serious, the two works together sketch the image of a writer attentive both to the ways of the world and the human heart and to bodily health.