The Complete Story of the Hu Family

AnonymousJun 2024

2.5

Word count: 113K words
Chapters: 42

Summary

Traditional Chinese thought has a long history and is highly original, inventive and literary. Early forms of thought are distinctive: religious theology, classical Chinese medical texts, ancient military strategy, Confucian, Daoist, Buddhist and Hundred Schools thought, feng shui and metaphysics, the Twenty-Four Histories, customs and local gazetteers—all are profound and vast. This "Essence of the Chinese Classics: Original Texts" series preserves the appearance of the original books, with the priority of conserving and transmitting traditional Chinese thought and culture. By reading the literary essence left by ancient sages, readers cultivate character and quietly absorb the classics of Chinese learning.

Editor's review

Shuo Hu Quan Zhuan appears as part of the "Essence of the Chinese Classics: Original Texts" series. The author is unknown, and the text preserves the appearance of the original book; it belongs to the tradition of traditional storytelling and historical romance. Its value lies in giving readers direct contact with the early form of ancient popular narrative and a feel for the language rhythms, plot arrangement and ethical outlook of folk historical storytelling and family-hero tales, rather than a smoothed-out modern adaptation. For readers studying ancient fiction or popular literature, or those who want to understand the conventions of traditional historical romance, this is material they can confront directly. Reading it requires accepting a mixture of classical and vernacular Chinese and an archaic format: slow down and treat it as an entrance into the scene of ancient folk narrative. It suits supplementary reading in classical fiction, browsing as material on popular literature, or interest reading in traditional culture; there is no need to press straight through—advancing chapter by chapter and reflecting as you read is more rewarding.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in ancient historical romance and popular literature.
Students of classical literature or researchers who need texts of folk narrative.
Readers who enjoy traditional chapter-novel stories and can accept archaic language.
Traditional-culture enthusiasts who want to understand the conventions of ancient family-hero narrative.

Not a good fit for

Readers who need modern vernacular rewrites or simplified editions for young people.
Casual readers who prefer tight plotting and lack patience for the pace of ancient narrative.
Specialist researchers expecting an academic collated edition or detailed annotations.

Reading tips

First read the chapter titles to grasp the story's framework, then proceed chapter by chapter; do not try to parse every word at the start.
Mark unfamiliar titles or allusions as you go and look them up together after finishing a section, so reading is interrupted less.
Read it alongside other traditional historical romances and note similarities and differences in characterization and plotting.
Read one or two chapters a day; briefly summarize the plot afterward to keep the rhythm without rushing.

版权信息
原序
第—回呼家将游春戏猎庞黑虎思美丧命
第二回庞丞相忍气吞声宋仁宗嘱托访美
第三回庞丞相请驾游园多花女花园献媚
第四回庞贵妃欺僭正宫呼得模遭奸设计
第五回庞丞相父女弄权呼家将一门受戮
第六回王金莲奇缘巧遇包文正力救呼郎
第七回包文正硬退庞奸呼守勇病倒王园
第八回王员外巧选东床婿牛夫人劝嫂联姻眷
第九回钦天监观占星象庞贵妃计触龙情
第十回庞丞相乘机进剿包文正奉旨入觐
第十—回斗夫人怒打庞好赵凤奴山前大战
第十二回赵大郎与妹完婚庞丞相高山大败
第十三回庞总兵钦召进京赵大郎演习兵法
第十四回庞四虎四路追赶杨令公显圣惊庞
第十五回五霸山大郎遇寇王金莲喜产麟儿
第十六回太行山守信拜别杨家将保送甥儿
第十七回齐国宝大演阵法老夫人擂台选婿
第十八回石头陀打下擂台呼守信访兄别丈
第十九回桃花潭守信收妖新唐国公主招亲
第二十回花公主许配东床呼延庆书房讲武
第二十一回骑石虎延庆逍遥庞贵妃奸谋渐露
第二十二回万花谷呼郎受法飞石关王环相遇
第二十三回呼延庆辞师归里王金莲新唐访夫
第二十四回齐月娥出猎遇美忠孝王显圣嘱儿
第二十五回呼延庆擒妖得偶守信偷祭铁丘坟
第二十六回牛夫人计救呼郎包文正法场放绑
第二十七回呼家将兄妹相遇铁丘坟兄妹盗祭
第二十八回呼延庆力救太子赵文姬梦仙指引
第二十九回仙岩洞延龙遇美庞飞虎割耳逃回
第三十回庞四虎火烧祝家庄祝素娟飞马往西凉
第三十一回花瑞莲雄关计放四虎将兵遭迷雾
第三十二回庞东海领兵助虐天定山金莲剖诉
第三十三回呼延庆新唐见父仙山洞公主成亲
第三十四回天定山庞琦大战小道童大作妖法
第三十五回岳鸣皋逞术大战天定山国宝受困
第三十六回呼家将大破五行阵金牛岗杀死庞东海
第三十七回老八王硬指奏妃呼家将奉旨除奸
第三十八回三家村女将交兵呼延庆出关提兵
第三十九回庞牛虎戏美亡身呼家将领兵过关
第四十回呼家将力歼庞奸宋仁宗封赠团圆

FAQ

Is Shuo Hu Quan Zhuan the complete original work or an adaptation?

Judging by the series positioning, the book emphasizes preserving the original appearance of the text and focuses on conserving and transmitting traditional thought and culture; it is an original-text edition, not a modern vernacular adaptation. For the specific edition, consult the copyright page and publisher's note; readers may check the preface and editorial notes before buying.

Can I read it without experience of ancient fiction?

You can try, but adjust your expectations. The language and format are archaic and there are no modern annotations to help; beginners may stumble over titles and narrative pacing. Start with the chapter titles to grasp the main thread, use reference works for difficult words and passages, and treat it as slow reading rather than something to race through.

Is this book suitable as outside reading for children?

It is generally not recommended for young children to read directly. A text preserving the original appearance is closer to adult reading material in language difficulty and content; without guidance, children may find it hard to continue. If you want children to encounter traditional stories, choose a vetted young readers' edition first, then read it alongside them with a parent or teacher.

Related on WeRead

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

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.