The Bell of Humor

真德秀Jul 2024

Rating 3.9

Word count: 98K words
Chapters: 7

Summary

Traditional Chinese culture has a long intellectual history, marked by a high degree of originality, inventiveness, and literary quality. Early forms of thought are highly 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, and customs and local gazetteers are all profound and extensive. This "Essence of Classical Chinese Culture: Original Texts" series preserves the original appearance of the books, with emphasis on preserving and transmitting traditional Chinese thought and culture. By reading the literary essence left by ancient sages, readers cultivate their temperament and subtly absorb the classics of Chinese learning.

Editor's review

Xieduo is a Qing dynasty collection of classical Chinese short tales of the strange. The title combines xie, suggesting witty exhortation, and duo, an ancient warning bell, and the stories often use talk of ghosts, foxes, and spirits to allude to human society and manners; the style is humorous while conveying moral admonition, offering a window into the appeal of Qing dynasty notebook fiction and literati views. This edition belongs to the "Essence of Classical Chinese Culture: Original Texts" series, emphasizing preservation of the original appearance of the book and transmission of traditional thought and culture; it is suitable as an introductory reader for classical fiction and for casual bedside browsing. Readers can appreciate ancient narrative techniques, verbal wit, and moral concern in the short stories, and can also observe how the tradition of tales of the strange developed in the Qing dynasty. Note that the available information only indicates that the book belongs to the classics of Chinese learning original-text series; specific contents, annotation format, and edition information are not detailed, and readers should rely on the actual content of the book.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy classical Chinese short stories and tales of the strange and want an accessible entry into classical fiction
Literature enthusiasts interested in traditional moral admonition and depictions of social manners
Readers who need a text preserving the original appearance for reference or casual browsing
General readers who wish to encounter classics of Chinese learning through stories

Not a good fit for

Beginning readers expecting modern vernacular annotation and detailed explanations
Readers who prefer long continuous plots or modern fiction
Those with major difficulties in reading classical Chinese and no auxiliary tools

Reading tips

Read story by story, pausing briefly after each to consider its satirical target
Keep a dictionary of common classical Chinese characters at hand to resolve vocabulary obstacles
Read alongside similar collections of tales of the strange to observe similarities and differences in subject matter and style
Take notes on favorite aphorisms and plot summaries for easy review

版权信息
天府贤书谐铎卷一
谐铎。卷二
谐铎。卷三
谐铎。卷四
谐铎。卷五
谐铎。卷六

FAQ

What does the title Xieduo mean?

Xie means witty exhortation, and duo was an ancient warning bell; together the title can be understood as using humorous stories for warning and admonition. The book often uses ghosts, foxes, and spirits to allude to human society and manners, so watch for the admonitory meaning behind the stories.

Is this book suitable for beginners in classical Chinese?

This book belongs to a series that preserves the original appearance of texts, and its classical Chinese poses a certain threshold for beginners. If your classical Chinese foundation is weak, it is advisable to use reference works or read alongside an annotated edition, progressing gradually.

Do I need to read it in order from beginning to end?

Xieduo is a collection of short pieces that are relatively independent, so you need not read straight through. You can skip around according to interest, or read one or two pieces at a time, which suits fragmented time and casual browsing.

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

真德秀 Author

Zhen Dexiu was an important Neo-Confucian scholar of the Song dynasty, and his writings circulated widely in later ages. This site holds three of his works: Xishan Zhengxun, Xieduo, and Xinjing. Among them, Xishan Zhengxun is a work of political discussion and moral instruction, reflecting his concern with official governance and ethical edification; Xinjing deals with the cultivation of mind and nature, in line with Eastern philosophy and marked by strong speculative character; Xieduo, with its playful title, blends seriousness with wit. Because public information is limited, details of his life remain unavailable, yet from the extant works one can see that Zhen Dexiu wrote with solidity and plainness, argued clearly, and combined the value of literary appreciation with intellectual inspiration, making these works suitable for readers interested in ancient political writing, moral philosophy, and literary technique.