Gang Just Right
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Summary
Cai Jing, the great corrupt official of the Song dynasty, would have several hundred quails killed for a single meal. If he were doing mukbangs today, what kind of level would that be?
Wang Can, one of the Seven Masters of the Jian'an era in the Eastern Han, never cared for songs his whole life—he loved the braying of donkeys instead. When the mood struck, he could even rap along to a donkey's bray. On today's variety shows, wouldn't that make his popularity soar?
Ancient texts also record a kind of monster with serious psychological problems—in today's jargon, a textbook case of split personality!
And then there's a popular character in a mobile game almost everyone plays today who is actually based on the King of Hell from mythology. Suspense dramas and detective films are everywhere now—but have you ever heard of a crime-solving protagonist who is a fly?
We've all heard of European and American supermodels and Brazilian supermodels—did you know there were supermodels in ancient China too? But I'd advise you not to set your sights on them. As for why, just open this book and savor it in detail...
This book gathers the finest stories from Guo Degang's decades of observations and experiences, unearthing overlooked history with wit and humor. Within lie vast amounts of historical knowledge, all-encompassing!
Editor's review
From the editor's perspective, the book's value lies in the sincerity of its cross-genre nature. It evades the usual inspirational or tell-all formulas of celebrity books and does not strive for literary polish; instead, in a relaxed tone, it records a jianghu performer's most authentic look at life. The chapters on "rules," "face," and "eating" may seem trivial, but they are steeped in the survival wisdom and ethical concepts of traditional folk society. Readers can glimpse the cultural soil on which the art of xiangsheng depends, as well as some of the reasons behind Guo Degang's complex character—both a stubborn devotion to tradition and a sharp deconstruction of worldly conventions.
The book has a 7.5 rating on Douban, with polarized reviews: admirers praise its vivid language and original insights as a window into Guo Degang's intellectual world, while critics find the content scattered and lacking in depth. Fairly speaking, if you expect systematic intellectual argument, this book is not the best choice; but if you want to feel a lively expression that comes from the marketplace and has not been disciplined by the academy, and to grasp the serious reflection on life behind the joking, this book offers a rare sample. It is more like a pot of tea whose strength only you can judge—best savored slowly in leisure to appreciate its bitter-sweet aftertaste.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- People interested in Guo Degang's personal experience and thinking who want to know the man beyond the stage
- Readers who enjoy marketplace culture and folk wisdom and are interested in nonfiction essays
- Readers seeking a relaxed reading experience who enjoy humorous, witty writing with a touch of philosophy
- Those curious about the social ecology behind traditional performing arts and xiangsheng culture
Not a good fit for
- Readers expecting systematic xiangsheng theory, a professional tutorial, or a complete autobiography
- Readers who prefer tightly structured, thematically focused, highly literary works
Reading tips
- Treat it as a bedside book or fragmented-time read; there's no need to finish it in one sitting—flip through a few pieces at a time
- As you read, you might relate the pieces to Guo Degang's xiangsheng works or life experience for a deeper sense of the context behind the words
- The book touches on many traditional customs and marketplace slang; when you encounter something unfamiliar, a quick lookup can help you savor the flavor
About the publisher
Guowen Runhua Culture Media (Beijing) Co., Ltd. is a book planning organization whose main publishing areas are foreign literature, science fiction and social novels, with 34 titles in its catalogue. Its representative list combines Korean and French literature, ranging from Choi Eun-young's Even with the Faintest Light and Kim Cho-yeop's The World Just Left Behind to Georges Perec's W: My Private Auschwitz; works such as Hwang Sok-yong's The Familiar World and Welcome to the Bookshop in Hyunam-dong reflect an attention to social reality and everyday experience. Its translators and authors include Xu Lihong, Xue Zhou, Fan Yanmei and Wang Jin, indicating a stable translator base for introducing contemporary foreign fiction. Because public information is limited, other publishing areas are not described here.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 一 历朝智慧，史海拾贝
- 历史上的“超级摩托车”——汗血宝马
- 古人背的名牌包
- 扮猪吃老虎
- 谷雨，一个天上掉馅儿饼的节日
- 谈诗
- 假太监骗吃骗喝
- 起个好名真费劲
- 说说一位青年的颜值
- 郑和找麒麟
- 大冤种
- 说说古代另一位伟大的母亲
- 真驴友得爱听驴叫
- 枕边风
- 职场战争悠着点
- 说说历史上的一位超模——冯小怜
- 司马懿“真香”
- 司马相如的“疯狂”
- 随份子真让人头疼
- 《三国》里的“背锅侠”
- 上巳节
- 皇帝为什么喜欢黄色？
- 龙傲天射龙
- 曾国藩写挽联
- 孔子也以貌取人
- 百年一见的恋情
- 打死人不偿命
- 大宋第一干饭人
- 扑克来了
- 倒霉特工
- 小偷丞相
- 梨园是吃梨的地儿吗？
- 你这是干净得要死啊
- 爱猫成癖
- 明朝“精致男孩”
- 熊孩子
- 谈“饼”
- 请客不能输
- 汉朝的外国香水
- 生鱼片，咱早就开始吃了
- 比肩刘子业的暴君
- 洗手专家米芾
- 下棋不语真君子
- 蛇解暑
- 小满别走亲戚
- 刘邦吃饺子
- 古人也攀比
- 皇上和巧克力
- 谈考试
- 考老师
- 古代人怎么放假
- 斗鸡走狗那些事儿
- 说曹娥
- 吃大蒜也有罪
- 吃货蔡京
- “吃鸡”超人
- 花式作死
- 测字不要作
- 吃鸭子
- 不能乱姓
- 看你面相贵不可言
- 邋遢大王王安石
- 摆烂王
- 白袍将军
- 时尚是个圈，宋人领跑几千年
- 史上第一位女间谍
- 风筝趣闻
- 专情霸总倒追十五年
- 只当了一个时辰的皇帝
- 猪狗冲锋队
- 二 妖魔鬼怪，互相伤害
- 超级英雄在你身边
- 跟雷神打官司
- 手办蝴蝶兰
- 可盐可甜说盐枭
- 老秀才行善得贵子
- 露营防山魈
- 吕城没有关帝庙
- 没事你可千万别逗鬼
- 白骨妇
- 起死回生
- 立秋鬼也贴秋膘
- 末伏说旱魃
- 苍鹤精
- 风神
- 骗人容易骗神难
- 人格分裂的豹人
- 思乡鬼
- 人还是该读点书
- 沙尘暴里藏妖魔
- 瞎鬼告状
- 渣男猪八戒渡弱水
- 张顺开偷看生死簿
- 杂技先驱飞头獠子
- 钟馗庙
- 穿胸国
- 蚕马神
- 李冰战龙虾
- 司厕之神紫姑
- 鬼王宗布
- 鬼中神射手
- 锅都能成精
- 喝酒不醉是有酒虫
- 壶公
- 姜子牙救鬼得兵书
- 五谷神
- 密集恐惧症慎入
- 善待宠物能得意外之财
- 神仙也私奔
- 王贪财招了妖怪婿
- 游戏里有阎罗王的原型
- 一个不太一样的成仙故事
- 张果老原是只蝙蝠精
- 中国古代的“克苏鲁”是谁
- 三 民间诡案，邪门刁钻
- 千万别惹媳妇儿生气
- 借钱不给害人命
- 苍蝇也能当神探
- 打更人强行插足案
- 哥哥弟弟、哥哥弟弟
- 拐卖良家妇女
- 糊涂神探酿冤案
- 藏脑袋的疯道士
- 收藏女鞋的和尚
- 谋杀亲夫案
- 烧羊断案
- 乌龟报恩
- 逍遥法外
- 一场激情引发的血案
FAQ
What is the relationship between this book and Guo Degang's xiangsheng?
Is the content very scattered? Is there a main thread?
Is it suitable as a gift for someone who isn't a Guo Degang fan?
Comments
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About the author
Guo Degang, born in Tianjin in 1973, is a Chinese crosstalk performer, film and television actor, and host, as well as the founder of the Deyunshe troupe. He began learning traditional storytelling at the age of eight and later turned to crosstalk, studying under Hou Yaowen. In 1996 he founded Deyunshe and has long devoted himself to performing and promoting crosstalk on stage, helping this traditional folk art form regain wide attention; in 2013 he appeared for the first time on CCTV's Spring Festival Gala. Beyond performing, he is an active writer, with 19 works in the collection, spanning biography, essays and miscellaneous writings, history, and folk literature. His writing draws on stage experience, reading, and observations of human affairs, with a humorous, brisk style steeped in colloquial speech and the flavor of storytelling, making it easy and rewarding to read and giving him considerable influence among both crosstalk fans and general readers.
