After Reading

Wang ShizhenJun 2024

3.8

Word count: 56K words
Chapters: 58

Summary

Traditional Chinese thought has a long history and is highly original, inventive, and literary. Early intellectual forms are distinctive: religious theology, classical Chinese medicine, ancient military strategy, Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism, the Hundred Schools of Thought, feng shui and metaphysical learning, the Twenty-Four Histories, and local customs and geography are all profound and extensive. This "Essence of Classical Chinese Culture: Original Texts" series preserves the appearance of the original books, with emphasis on 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

Dou Shu Hou was written by Wang Shizhen of the Ming dynasty and belongs to the category of reading notes, mostly offering comments and textual criticism on the classics and historical figures he read about, with a distinct flavor of literati commentary. The 2024 edition preserves the appearance of the original book and focuses on recording the traditional text. Its value lies not in systematically teaching Chinese classical learning, but in showing how a Ming literatus read and evaluated the ancients and ancient books; readers can appreciate the method and questioning awareness of traditional reading notes. Its highlight is that the comments are casual yet insightful, suitable for fragmentary reading. Because the text involves a great many ancient classics and figures, it can feel remote without background knowledge; it is best treated as a sample of Ming literati reading tastes rather than an introductory textbook.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in Ming literature and literati notes
Readers of literature and history with some classical Chinese reading ability
Advanced readers who enjoy reading notes and commentary

Not a good fit for

Beginners in Chinese classical learning with weak classical Chinese foundations
Readers seeking a systematic framework of Chinese classical knowledge
Readers who prefer modern vernacular popular explanations

Reading tips

Read in installments by chapter, choosing one or two pieces each time, then review the objects and views the author comments on
Mark unfamiliar names and book titles first, look them up together, then reread
Compare with Wang Shizhen's other writings or literati notes of the same period to appreciate the commentary style
Keep a notebook and record whether you agree with the comments, forming a dialogic reading

版权信息
提要
读书后原序
钦定四库全书读书后巻一
读庄子一
读庄子二
读荘子三
读荘子让王篇
读列子
读墨子
读尹文子
读孔丛子
读刘子
读子华子
读楚语论
读黄石公
读陆子
钦定四库全书读书后巻二
读淮南子
读贾子
读徐干中论
钦定四库全书读书后巻三
读文中子
读朋党论
钦定四库全书读书后巻四
读皇极经世观物内篇
读通书正蒙
读大学
读中庸
钦定四库全书读书后巻五
读秦本纪一
读秦本纪二
读魏志
读宋史
读荀子
读扬子
读管子
读逸周书
读家语
读关尹子
读鬻子
读列子
读亢仓子
读鬼谷子
读邓析子
读吕氏春秋
读韩诗外传
读白虎通
读三坟
读元命苞
读卫霍传
读会昌一品集
钦定四库全书读书后巻六
读圆觉经
读坛经一
读坛经二
钦定四库全书读书后巻七
钦定四库全书读书后巻八

FAQ

Is Dou Shu Hou a book about reading methods?

No. It is closer to reading notes and commentary: the author comments on and critically examines the classics and historical events he read about, rather than teaching reading methodology. Readers can observe traditional literati reading tastes and commentarial methods, but it should not be used as a reading guide.

What level of classical Chinese is needed to read this book?

It is advisable to have intermediate or higher classical Chinese reading ability and to understand short classical Chinese comments independently. The book involves many ancient classics and allusions to figures, which can stump beginners. If your classical Chinese foundation is insufficient, start with annotated selections or consult reference works.

Can this book be read as Ming historical material?

It can be used as supplementary material, but with caution. It consists mainly of personal reading comments and textual criticism, with the author's subjective judgments, and is not a systematic history. Researchers can use it to understand Ming literati intellectual horizons and evaluative tendencies, but judgments concerning historical facts should still be checked against reliable historical sources.

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About the author

Wang Shizhen Author · China (Ming dynasty) · 1526–1590

Wang Shizhen (1526–1590), courtesy name Yuanmei and styled Fengzhou and Yanzhou Shanren, was a native of Taicang in Nan Zhili (present-day Taicang, Jiangsu). A Ming dynasty literary figure, historian and literary critic, he was a leading representative of the Later Seven Masters and dominated the literary scene for some twenty years, rising to the post of Minister of Justice at Nanjing. His writings span poetic and literary criticism, historical notes and biographies. Twenty-five of his works are included in this collection, among them Yiyuan Zhiyan, Yanshan Tang Bieji, Biographies of Chief Grand Secretaries since the Jiajing Reign, and several compilations of Ming anecdotes and records, as well as Jianxia Zhuan. Yiyuan Zhiyan sets out his literary views and exerted a lasting influence on the poetic and prose trends of the mid-to-late Ming. His historical and miscellaneous works preserve a wealth of information on Ming institutions and figures. His style is learned and disciplined, combining critical sharpness with narrative interest, and he is often mentioned in categories of classical literature and philosophical reading.