Drunk on the Book of Songs

Name: Drunk on the Book of Songs
ISBN: 9787538772388

Xiling XueShidai Literature Publishing House · ChinaMar 2024

3.3

Word count: 219K words
Chapters: 69
ISBN: 9787538772388

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Summary

The Book of Songs is hailed as "the most beautiful book in the world," condensing the simplicity of the world's beginning. It has circulated for more than two thousand years in the light of time, injecting itself into the depths of your and my souls, as vivid as yesterday. This book selects classic works from the Book of Songs and interprets the love, hate, anger, resentment, bitterness, sweetness, and sourness of women throughout the five-thousand-year history of China. Through the fates of women in the era of the Book of Songs, it analyzes sacrifices, warfare, marriage, farming, customs, and human feelings under the ritual and music system, so that the people who once wrote and sang these ancient ballads may live again and present the thickness of life and the thinness of time. Seas change into mulberry fields, and what settles is human affairs; what remains unchanged through all ages is human feeling. Reading the Book of Songs and looking along these beautiful characters, a thousand years seem like an instant. The rich daily lives and hearts full of thoughts of the sages were inadvertently cast by these lines into the vast river of history.

Editor's review

Zui Shijing is not a traditional annotation or academic study of the Book of Songs, but a poetic and life-oriented personal interpretation of this ancient classic by writer Xi Lingxue through her distinctive female perspective and prose style. The author, Xi Lingxue, whose original name is Liu Kaiyi, is a well-known contemporary writer and screenwriter, especially skilled in historical subjects and women's emotional writing; her writing is known for its delicacy, beauty, and emotional richness. In this book, she skillfully interweaves chapters from the Book of Songs with personal life experience and modern emotional observation, attempting to bridge the gap between classical poetry and the modern soul.

In terms of content value, the book is positioned more as "prose introducing the Book of Songs" or "essays on classical culture." It does not pursue the rigor of exegesis and textual research, but focuses on capturing the emotional warmth and life scenes behind the words of the Book of Songs, guiding modern readers—especially women—who feel intimidated by classical literature to discover the intimacy and beauty of the Book of Songs. The author often starts from a line of poetry or an image and associatively expands into eternal themes such as love, marriage, and life's fortunes, with writing full of emotional association and literary imagination. This interpretive approach injects strong contemporaneity and readability into the Book of Songs, turning it from "a classic in textbooks" into "tangible emotion."

However, it should be made clear that if readers expect rigorous academic analysis, detailed background verification, or precise word-by-word explanation, this book may not meet that need. Its core value lies in providing a "window of interest" full of personal color and literary beauty, intended to stimulate readers' curiosity about and love for the original text of the Book of Songs and perhaps lead them to read more authoritative annotated editions. The graceful sentiment and romantic reminiscence of classical life that pervade the book constitute its unique reading charm. For readers who wish to find a trace of classical poetic nourishment in a busy life, or who long to approach the Book of Songs in an easy way, this is an attractive guide.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in the Book of Songs but intimidated by the difficulty of classical Chinese, hoping to find an easy introduction
Readers who love prose essays, especially female readers who appreciate beautiful writing and delicate emotion
Readers seeking a reading experience that connects classical literature with present-day life and emotion
Writers who need inspiration for literary creation or appreciate personalized, literary interpretations of classics

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking serious academic research such as word-by-word exegesis and historical verification of the Book of Songs
Readers who prefer objective, rational, and systematic analysis of literary classics

Reading tips

It is recommended to regard this book as a collection of essays meant to inspire interest; reading it alongside an authoritative annotated translation of the Book of Songs (such as versions by Cheng Junying or Yu Guanying) will be more effective.
There is no need to rush while reading; browse at random and savor the associations and reflections the author draws from a given line, enjoying the beauty of the writing itself.
After reading a chapter of this book, try to look up and recite the corresponding original text in the Book of Songs, and feel the tension and pleasure between the classical original and modern interpretation.

About the publisher

Shidai Literature Publishing House China · Founded in 1984

Shidai Literature Publishing House is a literary publisher known for foreign literature and classic works. Judging from the more than 300 titles in the catalog, its publishing focus is on foreign literature, essays and miscellaneous writings, classic works, and world masterpieces, with attention to translation quality and series-based presentation. Representative books include Yukio Mishima's Spring Snow, Runaway Horses, The Decay of the Angel, and Forbidden Colors in the Zitu Classic Library series, as well as Yasunari Kawabata's Snow Country, Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Lu Xun's essays, and the four-volume The Sea of Fertility. Its translator resources include Chen Dewen, Gao Huiqin, Lu Qiushi, and Ding Kaite, while the authors involved include Yukio Mishima, Yasunari Kawabata, Lu Xun, and Jane Austen. The publisher is characterized by translated literature and reissues of classics, balancing popular reading with cultural accumulation; public information about its complete catalog and publishing plans is limited.

版权信息
引子我们为什么要学《诗经》？
☉周南
《关雎》为什么是《诗经》第一首？
《桃夭》：像桃花般美好的女子
《芣苢》《螽斯》《麟之趾》，百子千孙的图腾
《汉广》：从单相思到三大戒律
☉召南
《鹊巢》：到底是谁的窝
《草虫》与《出车》，西周时的一场战争
《江汉》《甘棠》，请不要动那棵树
《殷其雷》：老公快回家
《摽有梅》：恨嫁女的大声疾呼
《小星》：小公务员之歌
《野有死麕》：荒烟蔓草的爱情
☉邶风
《柏舟》：怨妇的心是一件没洗的旧衣服
《燕燕》：千古送别诗之祖
《击鼓》：执子之手，与子偕老
《凯风》：母爱犹如一缕南来的风
“式微式微”，我在等你回家
《静女》：最好的礼物是茅草
☉鄘风
《君子偕老》：古装女子的发型课
《载驰》：许穆夫人的水袖风云
☉卫风
《淇奥》：理想中的美男子
《硕人》：美丽的开头，悲惨的结局
《氓》：被刻在历史柱上的渣男
《伯兮》：女为悦己者容
“投桃报玉”，爱情从来不平等
☉王风
《黍离》：知我者谓我心忧
《君子于役》：最家常的思念最动人
☉郑风
《将仲子》：那个爬墙头的臭小子
“郑风淫”，溱洧水边最多情
《子衿》：那件多情的绿衣裳
《有女同车》：孟姜与宋子
☉齐风
《鸡鸣》：黎明前的悄悄话
《南山》《敝笱》：亦正亦邪的大女人文姜
☉魏风
《园有桃》：举世浑浊我独清
《硕鼠》与《相鼠》，再说赋比兴
☉唐风
《山有枢》：最古老的守财奴
《绸缪》《风雨》，让我终于遇见你
《葛生》：我的心里有座坟
☉秦风
《蒹葭》：最美的暗恋情歌
《黄鸟》：不想和你一起死
《无衣》：你是我真正的兄弟
☉陈风
《宛丘》《月出》：有个美人在跳舞
《株林》：美色杀人的夏姬
☉郐风
《隰有苌楚》：该哭还是该笑
☉曹风
《蜉蝣》：用生命去跳舞
☉豳风
《七月》：一部简约的陕西农民历
《伐柯》：媒人比嫁妆更重要
☉小雅
《鹿鸣》：一支让人欢乐又有压力的歌
《采薇》：我什么时候能回家
《隰桑》：暗恋是一棵不开花的树
☉周颂
《清庙》：遥远的东方有一条龙

FAQ

Can this book help me pass exams or understand the Book of Songs in depth?

This book mainly provides emotional interpretation and stimulation of interest; it is not an academic study or exam-preparation textbook. If you need to understand the Book of Songs' place in literary history, detailed annotations, or use it for academic research, it is advisable to read annotated editions by professional scholars.

Is the author's interpretation accurate? Could there be over-interpretation?

The author makes clear that her writing is prose creation based on personal reflection rather than academic verification. The book is full of literary imagination and personal emotional projection and can be seen as a kind of creative poetic dialogue with the ancients. Accepting this "one school's view" prose style is the premise for reading this book.

Is this book suitable for middle school students?

It is suitable as supplementary reading for middle school students to expand literary literacy and classical interest. Its beautiful writing and delicate analysis of emotion help enhance literary sensibility. However, note that some associations with modern ideas of love and marriage may differ from the standardized interpretations in middle school classrooms, and can serve as a supplement offering multiple perspectives.

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About the author

Xiling Xue Author · Chinese · 1971

Xiling Xue, whose real name is Liu Kaiyi, was born in Beijing in 1971, grew up in Dalian, and now lives in Xi'an. A writer and screenwriter, she also serves as editor-in-chief of the magazine Lover and has written full-time since 1998. She has published more than sixty books, including novels, essays, and monographs on Redology, and has been called "the contemporary Eileen Chang" by Taiwan media. Her work spans literary creation and cultural essays; four of her titles are included here: Li Qingzhao: Naturally the Foremost Flower, A Biography of Lu Yu, The Splendor of Wei and Jin (2 volumes), and The Drunken Book of Songs. These works focus largely on ancient figures and classical poetry, while also touching on the history and culture of the Wei and Jin periods, combining a scholarly foundation with readability and exerting a certain influence among readers of biography, culture, and classical poetry.