Liu Feiyan

天虚我生Jul 2024

Rating 2.8
Word count
23K words
Chapters
22

Tags

Classical Literature Classical RomancePoetic ExchangeGentry LifeJoys and SorrowsLove EntanglementsTender SentimentRomantic NarrativeGarden ImageryLate Qing NovelSuzhou Scenery

Summary

Outside the city of Suzhou lies a vast garden, five mu in extent. Within it is a pool of clear water, blue as spread silk, green as trailing brocade; and every year in early June, when the lotuses bloom in full, it seems to turn into a sea of fragrance. On either bank the weeping willows are a lovely green, veiling flying towers and lofty pavilions beyond count to the eye.

Editor's review

Tianxu Wosheng's Liu Feiyan opens with a richly visual description of a garden: five mu outside the city of Suzhou, a clear pool, lotuses in full bloom in early June like a sea of fragrance, weeping willows veiling flying towers and lofty pavilions. The prose is clear and graceful, carrying the unhurried delicacy characteristic of Republican-era romantic narrative; readers can almost smell the lotus fragrance and see the high pavilions deep in the green willows. The book's value lies not in thrilling plot but in atmosphere and texture: it is like a slowly unfolding scroll of a Jiangnan garden, suited to a quiet afternoon of reading, letting the eye wander with the author's brush between pool banks, willow shade, and pavilions. For readers who love old-school romance and are interested in the narrative style of Republican-era literature, this book offers a window onto the storytelling tastes of that era; for those who wish to step away from a busy daily life and take a breath of fresh air through words, it is also a paper garden one can enter at any time. Note that the book moves slowly and is dense with description; it is not to be read as a fast-paced story but savored for its language and mood.

Who it's for

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Reading tips

  1. Read the opening garden description slowly, building the visual image before entering the characters' story.
  2. One or two chapters a day is enough; don't rush, let the atmosphere settle.
  3. When you reach scenic passages, pause to imagine the layout and appreciate the author's layering of description.
  4. After finishing, return to the opening and compare it with your first reading to see what details you missed.

Contents

  1. 版权信息
  2. 第一章 突来之客
  3. 第二章 没情理之举动
  4. 第三章 青年妇人
  5. 第四章 怪客之来
  6. 第五章 施逖生之敌
  7. 第六章 美满之希望
  8. 第七章 侥幸入城
  9. 第八章 柳非烟之历史
  10. 第九章 夤夜扣门
  11. 第十章 非烟被劫
  12. 第十一章 侠情变换
  13. 第十二章 非烟死乎恶人死矣
  14. 第十三章 劫非烟者孰知非位明
  15. 第十四章 第二次美满之希望
  16. 第十五章 白发老妪
  17. 第十六章 又是个突来之客
  18. 第十七回 恶人之结果
  19. 第十八章 园中之约
  20. 第十九回 危哉侠男儿
  21. 第二十回 冤狱冤狱
  22. 第二十一章 柳非烟之结局

FAQ

Why does the book spend so much of its opening on garden scenery? From the material, the opening lays out the scene with a five-mu garden outside Suzhou, a lotus pool, weeping willows, and flying towers and high pavilions. This is a common way for old-school romance to begin: first create a setting through scenery, letting readers enter a quiet, fragrant space, then bring in the human story. Don't rush to find plot; receive this atmosphere first, and the narrative that follows will flow more smoothly.
I've never read Republican-era romance novels. Can I still read this book? Yes. Although the prose carries the flavor of old-school vernacular, it is generally clear and the descriptions are concrete and perceptible; there is no hard barrier to reading. Start with the opening garden passage, get used to the rhythm of the sentences, then continue; if you meet unfamiliar old-fashioned expressions, understanding them from context is enough—no need for word-by-word research.
What background knowledge do I need to read this book? No special background is required. The material shows the story begins in a garden outside Suzhou, a Jiangnan regional setting; a little common knowledge of Suzhou gardens and the lotus season helps you picture the scene, but it is not essential. Focus on the visual and olfactory sensations the prose creates, and you will enter the book's reading state.

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About the author

天虚我生 Author

Tianxu Wosheng is a pen name relatively familiar to readers of modern Chinese popular literature and classical fiction. His real name, native place, dates of birth and death, and biographical details are not well documented in publicly available sources, so what can be known about him comes mainly from his surviving works. Three of his works are held in this collection, the representative ones being Lei Zhu Yuan (Tears on the Pearl) and Liu Feiyan, commonly classified under classical literature and classic works. Lei Zhu Yuan is known for its romantic subject matter, with delicate writing that dwells on the emotions of its characters and the ways of the world; Liu Feiyan likewise belongs to the category of fiction and continues this gently unfolding narrative style. His writing generally follows the traditional chapter-based form, with elegant language and characterization that bear the distinct flavor of late Qing and early Republican fiction. These works offer useful texts for studying the thematic interests and aesthetic tastes of popular fiction of that period.