Heaven Above, the Human World Below
Tags
Summary
Editor's review
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers who enjoy Republican-era popular fiction and want to read Zhang Henshui's works systematically
- Readers interested in urban courtship and marriage themes and psychological portrayal
- General readers who need chapter-by-chapter reading on the commute or before bed
- Students and enthusiasts studying narrative techniques in modern Chinese popular literature
Not a good fit for
- Readers expecting intense plot conflicts or suspenseful twists
- Readers impatient with the Republican-era setting and old-fashioned forms of address
- Readers hoping for clear guidance on courtship and marriage values
Reading tips
- Read in chapter-novel rhythm, pausing every two or three chapters to sort out changes in Zhou Xiufeng's attitude toward the two women.
- While reading, jot down the details describing Huang Lihua's and Yuzi's appearances, and compare the different touches the narrator gives each.
- If familiar with Fate in Tears and Laughter, read the two in comparison and observe the similarities and differences in Zhang Henshui's handling of multi-sided romance.
- After finishing, revisit the opening spring encounter to check whether the protagonist's choice was foreshadowed in the details.
About the publisher
China Culture and History Press has long devoted itself to modern and contemporary literature and culture-and-history reading matter, with publishing directions centered on classic works, social novels, prose and miscellaneous writings, and Eastern philosophy, alongside culture-and-history periodicals such as Zongheng. Among the more than 1,500 titles in the collection, representative books include Zhang Henshui's Ti Xiao Yin Yuan, Lu Xun's Complete Classic Works (10 volumes) and Wild Grass, and Lao She's Four Generations Under One Roof series and the boxed set of Lao She's Classic Works (10 volumes), while its author resources are concentrated on figures such as Zhang Henshui, Lu Xun, Lao She and Sima Qian. Its publishing character lies in solid editorial work on culture-and-history source texts and in issuing famous authors' works in sets, balancing the readability of individual texts with the systematic presentation of complete collections for focused reading and collecting. Beyond these directions, public information on the press's contemporary original publishing is limited, so it is not elaborated here.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 小说大家张恨水(代序)
- 第一回 家住绿杨边风来欲醉 香粉红女伴客去添愁
- 第二回 归去已无家沿街卖卜 远来原有意对榻谈诗
- 第三回 数语发婆心钱施万贯 一帘遮玉影人隔重山
- 第四回 掩面怕重来人间地狱 掉头惊乍去纸上风波
- 第五回 曲意为欢泪珠洒酒碗 会心不远灯火映书窗
- 第六回 闺谑羨乘龙丝萝有托 年华伤旧木博弈犹贤
- 第七回 盛会集名花都沉欲海 寒宵吊瘦月忽起疑云
- 第八回 一曲清歌雪窗温绮梦 三杯淡酒野店送寒车
- 第九回 鲽鹣相随并肩驰陌上 泥云各别俯首过楼前
FAQ
Is this book mainly about a choice in love?
What do Huang Lihua and Yuzi represent?
Will the language feel very old-fashioned?
Comments
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About the author
Zhang Henshui (1895–1967), originally named Xinyuan, was a native of Anhui and a writer of serialized chapter fiction, recognized as a representative author of the Mandarin Ducks and Butterflies school. Over his lifetime he wrote more than a hundred novels, and this library holds as many as 436 of his works. His writing uses the traditional chapter form as its framework, with intricate plots and large casts of characters; he excels at portraying social manners and human feelings amid social change and romantic entanglements, in language that is accessible and fluent, earning him a broad readership. His representative works include Ti Xiao Yin Yuan (A Smile of Woe), Jin Fen Shi Jia (The Golden Family), Chun Ming Wai Shi, and Ba Shi Yi Meng (Eighty-One Dreams), among which the first two have circulated especially widely in many editions. His subjects center on social novels and modern romance, with some allegorical and satirical works, giving him an important place in the history of modern popular literature.