Going to Market
Tags
Summary
Catching the Fair (Collector's Edition) is a collection of short stories by Mr Lao She, containing 15 pieces, including "May Ninth," "Hot Buns," "The Little Love Ghost," "Outside Dabeisi Temple," "Mr Trousers," "A Vision," "Holding the Grandchild," "The Liu Family Compound," and "Iron Ox and the Sick Duck." The collection showcases Lao She's realist style and distinctive Beijing flavor: the plots are coherent, the storytelling strong, the language spare and plain, and the characters vivid. Lao She often depicts a series of lower-class urban figures, regarding the sufferings of ordinary people with a gaze at once deep, anxious and thoughtful, and showing his concern for the nation's fate, while also blending in a note of humor and satire. His work has had a major influence on modern literature.
Editor's review
Lao She's short story collection Going to the Fair contains fifteen pieces, mostly drawn from the daily lives and hardships of the lower urban classes, with a tone that shifts effortlessly between sympathy and satire. Its value lies in its concise, colloquial Beijing speech used for characterization and narration; the plots are coherent and story-driven, and characters are vividly established from their first appearance. It suits readers who want to experience the mature form of modern vernacular fiction. The book includes lyrical pieces such as 'The Soul of Vengeance' (Wei Shen) as well as humorous, satirical sketches of social manners like 'Mr. Ma-Ku' and 'Waiting for a Grandson'; read together, they reveal Lao She's range in handling different subjects. In terms of reading situations, it works well as an introductory selection of short stories and is also suitable for reading one piece at a time during commutes or before bed, since each piece stands alone and need not be read in one sitting. Note that some pieces touch on the suffering of the lower classes in the old society; though the tone is humorous, the underlying color is anxiety and concern, and readers should appreciate the compassion behind the satire rather than taking it merely as comedy.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- General readers who enjoy modern literary short stories and want to experience the charm of Beijing-flavored language
- Middle school students and above, for extracurricular enrichment and practice in reading vernacular fiction
- Literature lovers interested in lower-class urban subjects and realist writing
- Office workers with fragmented time who need short, self-contained pieces
Not a good fit for
- Readers who prefer long, continuous narratives and are unaccustomed to the jumpiness of short stories
- Readers expecting light comedy and sensitive to satire and a bitter undertone
- Young children; some pieces involve hardships of the old society and adult social matters
Reading tips
- Start with satirical pieces such as 'Mr. Ma-Ku' and 'Waiting for a Grandson,' then read lyrical ones like 'The Soul of Vengeance' to appreciate the difference in tone.
- After each piece, jot down in two or three sentences the characters' situation and the narrator's attitude, building a feel for satirical technique.
- Read aloud passages with dense dialogue to feel the rhythm of Beijing speech and the characters' voices.
- Reflect on the characters' fates at each story's end to consider Lao She's stance of combining sympathy with satire.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 序
- 五九
- 热包子
- 爱的小鬼
- 同盟
- 大悲寺外
- 马裤先生
- 微神
- 开市大吉
- 歪毛儿
- 柳家大院
- 抱孙
- 黑白李
- 眼镜
- 铁牛和病鸭
- 也是三角
FAQ
Which pieces are included in Going to the Fair?
According to the sources, the book contains fifteen pieces, including 'May 9th,' 'Hot Stuffed Buns,' 'The Little Love Ghost,' 'Outside Dabeisi,' 'Mr. Ma-Ku,' 'The Soul of Vengeance,' 'Waiting for a Grandson,' 'The Liu Family Compound,' and 'Iron Ox and the Sick Duck,' mostly on lower-class urban life.
Can I read this directly if I haven't read Lao She before?
Yes. This is a short story collection; each piece stands alone, and the language is concise and accessible, making it a good introductory selection for approaching Lao She's fiction. After finishing, you can move on to his novels.
Does the humor and satire dilute the depiction of hardship?
No. Lao She's humor is mostly accompanied by anxiety and reflection, and the satire targets characters' circumstances and social mores; the hardships of the lower classes remain the underlying color, and readers should appreciate the compassion after the laughter.
Is it suitable for classroom or book club use?
Yes. The pieces are short with vivid characters, making them easy to discuss individually; topics can be designed around the narrator's attitude, Beijing-flavored language, and lower-class figures, though note that some pieces involve hardships of the old society.
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
Lao She
Author · China · 1899–1966
Lao She, born Shu Qingchun with the courtesy name Sheyu, lived from 1899 to 1966. A Manchu from Beijing, he is a major modern Chinese writer. His writing long centered on urban life in Beijing and on ordinary people at the lower levels of society. His works are mostly social novels and folk literature, and he also wrote essays and miscellaneous prose. His style is plain yet marked by irony and compassion, and he was skilled at using colloquial Beijing-flavored language to portray characters and their fates. His representative works include Camel Xiangzi, Four Generations Under One Roof, and Teahouse, which have had wide influence. In 1951 he received the title "People's Artist." The library holds 488 of his works, commonly classified under social fiction, classics, folk literature, essays and miscellaneous writings, and exam books, showing that his writing continues to circulate among readers and in teaching.
