The Rolling Ball

AnonymousBashu Publishing House · ChinaJul 2024

1.5

Word count: 84 words
Chapters: 1

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Summary

Zhuanwan, Chapter Thirteen (lost)

Editor's review

This book corresponds to "Zhuanwan, Chapter Thirteen," a chapter that has been lost. Its reading value therefore lies not in providing a complete chapter but in confronting the "absence" inherent in the transmission of ancient texts. The 2024 Bashu Press edition presents this title as a surviving catalogue entry, reminding us that ancient texts are not naturally complete and that chapter titles in catalogues are sometimes only traces recorded by later hands. For readers familiar with the relevant classics, this book can serve as a reference point for textual editions and the provenance of chapter titles, helping distinguish "extant text" from "chapters that once existed but are now lost." Its length is limited, and it is unsuitable as a standalone work for seeking intellectual content; it is better used in conjunction with catalogues and reconstruction materials of the relevant classics. Read with a philological awareness: first confirm the chapter's lost status, then consider what the preservation of its title means, and avoid mistaking a catalogue entry for a readable main text. For general readers, its significance is closer to a reminder about textual incompleteness than to a complete body of knowledge.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers concerned with the provenance of ancient chapter titles and textual survival and loss
Research-oriented readers who need to verify catalogue information in relevant classics
Enthusiasts of traditional culture curious about the phenomenon of lost texts

Not a good fit for

General readers hoping to read the complete content of a chapter
Readers seeking intellectual exposition or literary appreciation
Beginners who mistake a catalogue entry for a readable main text

Reading tips

Before reading, confirm that Zhuanwan, Chapter Thirteen is lost, to avoid expecting a complete main text.
Compare it with catalogues of the relevant classics and note cases where the title survives but the content is missing.
For research, label catalogue-entry information separately from reconstruction findings to keep the textual layers clear.

About the publisher

Bashu Publishing House China · Founded in 1983

Bashu Publishing House is a publisher centered on collating and publishing classical Chinese cultural texts, with its main publishing areas covering classical literature, Eastern philosophy, ancient poetry, and educational classics. Its library currently holds 1,075 titles, including representative works such as Dream of the Red Chamber, the Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Gathering, Renjian Cihua, and Out to the Frontier, involving authors such as Cao Xueqin, Wang Xizhi, Wang Guowei, Wang Changling, Liu Xie, and Yan Yu. These reflect the publisher's focus on literary classics, poetry criticism, and philosophical readings. Its publishing character lies in working around ancient texts and canonical works, with attention to textual collation and presentation. Public information on its more detailed publishing background and series plans is limited; this introduction is based only on the library's book information.

版权信息

FAQ

Why does Zhuanwan, Chapter Thirteen have no main text?

According to the sources, Zhuanwan, Chapter Thirteen is lost—that is, its original content did not survive. This book presents the chapter's status as a surviving title in transmission, not a complete readable main text.

What is the point of reading a lost chapter?

The point is to recognize that the transmission of ancient texts is incomplete. A title preserved while its text is missing helps readers understand the relationship among catalogues, surviving titles, and textual reconstruction, and cultivates vigilance about textual gaps rather than equating a catalogue with extant content.

Is this book suitable as an introductory reader?

Not really. It is limited in length and concerns a lost chapter, lacking a main text that general readers can read continuously. Without a basic concept of textual survival and loss, readers may misunderstand the book's nature; it is advisable to learn the background of the relevant classics first.

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About the author

Anonymous Author

Anonymous is not a real personal name but a general Chinese designation for authors whose names are unknown, lost, or unsigned. Neither nationality nor dates of birth and death can be verified, and available public information is limited, so the works attributed to this name are the only basis for description. The collection holds 2,078 works under Anonymous, spanning medicine, classics, historical readings, ancient poetry, classical literature, and philosophy. Representative works include The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon: Lingshu, Mencius, The Book of Documents, Nineteen Old Poems, Complete Song Ci, and The Peacock Flies Southeast. Most of these works took shape through long transmission and editing, emerging either from collective folk creation or from authors whose names were lost over time. In ancient China, the Book of Songs, the Great Learning, and many popular storybooks and plays were signed Anonymous because their authors could not be traced. Anonymous works cross the classics, histories, philosophical writings, medical texts, and poetry; their subjects are broad, and their styles vary from archaic simplicity to clear naturalness, making them important and influential sources for understanding ancient Chinese thought, medicine, and literature.