儒林外史

by Wu Jingzi, 吴敬梓

A masterpiece from the Ming dynasty, Wu Ching-tzu's The Scholars ranks with Dream of the Red Chamber, Journey to the West, and the Water Margin as one of the greatest classic novels of China. The Scholars is the first Chinese novel of its scope not to borrow any characters from history or legend and it is the first work of satiric realism to achieve an almost complete disassociation from the religious beliefs of the people. Departing from the impersonal tradition of Chinese fiction, Wu abandons such established narrative formulas as folk songs and poetic verse in favor of autobiographical experiences, descriptive realism, and characters modeled after his friends and relatives — elements that combine to give this critique of the Confucian civil service system an unprecedented immediacy and humor.

Genres: China, Classics, Fiction, Chinese Literature, Literature, Asia, Historical

442 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1750

About the author

Wu Jingzi (simplified Chinese: 吴敬梓; traditional Chinese: 吳敬梓; pinyin: Wú Jìngzǐ; Wade–Giles: Wu Ching-tse, 1701—January 11, 1754) was a Chinese scholar and writer who was born in the city now known as Chuzhou, Anhui and who died in Yangzhou, Jiangsu.

(from Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Larou]

Depending on who you ask, there are either four or six so-called “Classic” Chinese novels. I strongly doubt that canon formation works any better in China than it does here and that the Eastern Canon is any more reliable than the Western one, so there are likely a considerable number of less famous novels which are at least as good as those four or six – but for someone who has only a very superficial knowledge of China and almost no experience of Chinese literature, those four or six are probably a good place to start.

The Scholars by Wu Jingzi (which I read in the German translation where it is charmingly but somewhat enigmatically named “The Path to the White Clouds. Stories from the Forest of Scholars”) is among the six but (for whatever reason) not the four. It was written early in the 18th century but is set during the Ming period (1368-1644). Supposedly it is a satire, but to be honest I would never have guessed that if it hadn’t said so on the book cover. There are some funny (sometimes very funny) moments in the novel’s almost 1,000 pages but the comic aspect is only a comparatively small part of the whole and while there certainly is some ongoing criticism of the Chinese scholar class and the examination system which produces it, the overall tone did not strike me as very satirical. The reason for this may very well be the distance in space and time a 21st century Western reader will invariably have to the world of the novel – viewed from afar, the exaggeration which is constitutive for satire shrinks and dwindles until it becomes unrecognisable.

Now, you’d expect that satire stripped of its satirical subject and impetus would become pure Fantasy (Gulliver’s Travels would be an excellent example for how that happens) but weirdly, with The Scholars something quite the opposite occurred and I found myself perusing – to my not inconsiderable surprise, as this was not at all what I had been expecting – a book which for all purposes read like a realistic novel.

Not your run-of-the mill realistic novel, however, because probably the first thing to strike any reader of The Scholars is that it is a novel without a main protagonist. There is no “hero” or “heroine” here at all, instead the novel follows a character for a number of chapters (the numbers of which can vary quite a bit), then moves on to the next. The transitions are handled very deftly, one often notices only belatedly that the focus of narrative attention has shifted to a different person; and this seamlessness is one of the reasons why I’d still consider this a novel rather than a collection of stories. The other one is the degree to which this tapestry of narratives is woven together tightly – characters we have read about are mentioned or appear again, characters that are mentioned become the protagonist of their own narrative, and the whole multitude of stories is firmly held together by the common theme of the feudal examination system (which in turn serves to throw light on a variety of human vices and the occasional virtue).

And maybe it is not quite correct to say that The Scholars has no main protagonist – maybe it is closer to the truth that it does not have an individual protagonist but rather a collective one, namely Chinese society as a whole. And the novel’s scope really is vast, even encyclopedic – it ranges from the most refined strata of society to the coarsest ones, from palaces to brothels, features nobles and peasants, city and country dwellers, and really pretty much everything you could imagine and then some. And while there is no continuous plot there always is something happening on every single page, no single thread but many stitches, a mosaic rather than an oil painting. Psychology is pretty much absent in this novel, its characters have no interiority to speak of and are presented only through their words and deeds – the narrator’s gaze always remains firmly fixed on the outside, on what is observable. And for the most part, the novel’s language is quite terse – I say for the most part, because time and again there are brief descriptions, mostly of scenery, which while still simple and unadorned are also strikingly beautiful. Those moments however are fairly rare, and I think are supposed to be – the view on a lake, a sunset in the mountains, a boat moving down a river: they are quite fleeting, but there always is a certain quiet serenity about those moments which sets them apart from the frenzied hunt for fame and posts which most of the novel’s characters pursue.

So – considering its not inconsiderable length and the laconic tone of its prose, considering the novel is mostly a very matter-of-fact narration of various events, you can probably imagine just how large a number of stories are being told here: the number may very well be somewhere in the hundreds. And what is probably most astonishing about The Scholars is that it miraculously manages to never repeat itself, but that each of the many, many stories is different from the others. The sheer inventiveness of this novel is staggering and its author Wu Jingzi must have been in possession of a truly inexhaustible imagination to have come up with all of this. And while it builds a vast story palace in front of our eyes, it fills it with all kinds of bits and pieces about life in China during the Ming period – the clothes, the buildings, the customs, what people ate, how they treated each other. Wu Jingzi goes into considerable detail about everyday life, possibly more detail than some readers will be prepared to swallow. For my part, I found it extremely fascinating; even though I was sadly lacking in context to place most of those details in, I came away with a vivid, if somewhat vague, picture of everyday life in ancient China.

I admit that I had some concerns when I started with The Scholars and was not sure it would be at all readable for a contemporary Western reader with no previous knowledge of Chinese culture; but in the end I ended up enjoying it much more than I expected to – enjoying it so much, in fact, that I’m planning to tackle the other five “Classic Chinese novels,” too. I am not at all sure how this is going to work out, but right now I am very much looking forward to the next one.

[Nathan "N.R." Gaddis]

The six great novels of China.

The Scholars
Dream of the Red Chamber
Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Vol. 1
Outlaws of the Marsh, Vol. 1-4
The Journey to the West, Volume 1
The Plum in the Golden Vase Or, Chin P'Ing Mei: Volume One: The Gathering

For more see Chih-Tsing Hsia's The Classic Chinese Novel: A Critical Introduction.

[Jim Grimsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book when I was in college and recently picked it up again to reread. No fear that the book would hold up; it's one of the six great books of Chinese literature, a set of classics that have been taught for generations. There's really nothing else I've read that compares to it in terms of subject or style. This is an hilarious depiction of snobbery, academia, and pretension; also of sincerity, generosity, and humanity. The whole of the Chinese world falls into these pages. Well, that sentence sounds a bit pretentious, since I don't know the whole of China; but the book is exhaustive and convincing in its depiction of every sort of daily life from the era. The structure of it is intricate and unusual; it's described as being more like a collection of stories than a novel, but the real structure is more complicated than that. We meet a character, follow his life through a problem, maybe for an extended period of time, and then something happens - often a meal, a drinking session, a feast, a poetry-writing contest - and a new character enters. There is a kind of fadeout of the old episode and then we follow the new character. As though as readers we are meandering through the world ourselves. The world itself is fascinating. In every context there is a means of reinforcing the social hierarchy; at dinner parties, for instance, the guests sit in ranked positions. There are constant discussions of who should bow and who should not. Characters exist in terms of family obligations, friendships, social position, and debts. And food. There is so much food. After three days of reading I'm starved for pork dumplings. This is the kind of writing that Isak Dinesan refers to as "tale" rather than modern story; the inner lives of the characters are absent except for occasional glimpses. The story is driven by events, by the plain outline of what happens, and in this way covers an enormous territory. It falters in the last third in my opinion; the episodes become less certain and more muddled. But it is a magnificent book. This particular edition has gorgeous woodcut illustrations in it depicting the various scenes. A treasure.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A satire of the Chinese imperial examination system in the 18th century Qing Dynasty and of the literati it produced. The examination system goes back to 200 AD and continued to 1911. Chinese officials in all that time were drawn almost exclusively from the ranks of those few who passed. The odds were 3300 to 1 of passing the highest rank in the Qing Dynasty. There were 9 levels and even those who failed or passed the lowest rank were respected elites. The subject matter always included the Confucian classics, but during the Qing practical subjects like agriculture and economics were tested too.
The novel gently lampoons all aspects of the system and the literati in a series of tangentially related vignettes, often quite funny and sometimes very touching.

[Rhoddi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm sad. It's over. Other than a few dry parts and a little repetition, this was an amazing set of stories connected into one long novel. It's a great way to find how the examination system worked in China as well as the every day stuff as well. If you love the other "Classics" novels of China, then you have to read this one as well. And now back to being sad.

[Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book a great deal, but I don't know anyone I would recommend it to. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who wasn't already familiar with Chinese history and intellectual discourse through to the Qing Dynasty.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a Chinese and we have one or two pieces of The Scholars in our textbooks in junior high. But I did not have any feelings about this book at that time. Only this year, I started reading the whole version. It turns out that I like The Scholars very much. The figure that impresses me the most is the young scholar named Kuang Chaoren or Kuang Chao-Jen (it means 'superman'), who was very poor at the very beginning and worked really hard to make a better life for his parents. It is the typical morality of filial piety that is honored as the most important quality of a person in old China and also one of the theories the governors used to educate or rule the common people. Because of his ability and his filial piety, the local official took him as a promising young scholar and offered him many benefits. So far Kuang Chaoren looks like a positive, inspirational and encouraging role. After he went back to the city, he met some poets who did not give a damn about the imperial examination, which made them so cool to Kuang. Soon after the meeting with another person Pan, Kuang realized that those poets were literally con men and braggarts. Kuang decided to collaborate with Pan to make some money, which means he had to make some fake documents or being a ghostwriter for a rich guy. He was actually conducting crimes. After Pan was imprisoned, Kuang instantly drew a clear demarcation line with Pan and escaped to a larger city. Luckily with the help of the former local official again, he passed one important test and became a candidate for officials. But until now, lying and bragging to other people have been his hobbies...
In addition, there are many really funny scenes in this book. Think about the last moment of Yan Jiansheng, the extremely stingy man who struggled not to breath his last just because a kerosene lamp had two wicks which was a huge waste of oil in his point of view. If I want to write a comedy book of modern China, I would definitely love to copy something out of it.
People may think it too negative or sarcastic, but I do enjoyed reading it. I believe humanity will never advance thoroughly with time. I still found a lot of people around me have this or that feature described in this book.

[Eressea · Rating 4 out of 5]

大部份台灣人
應該都是國中讀王冕
高中讀范進中舉
就沒有然後了吧
我也是這樣，國小時曾經大概翻翻
那時看不懂，轉去看西遊記三國演義去了
國高中國文課上完也沒想去看
最近中亞大特價買了一本註釋來看
現在看滿多哽都又酸又好笑
看得速度比當代小說都快

不過小時候教條上學到的諷刺科舉亂像
好像還是看不太懂
長越大越覺得白話章回小說還是很難懂的
沒有註釋一堆名詞和科舉制度根本不知道在幹麻
這樣怎麼能懂作者要諷刺什麼呢~

以現代觀點來看小說的架構很鬆散
雖然支線也會收，但各種人物像連環套一樣不斷出現
卻沒有明確的劇情推進，只是一堆彼此有關係的人演單元劇而已

看完只覺得好人都不長命
有錢膽小怕事的人活該被搶奪家產
正直的人戲份很少
而且多半迂的可笑，不比那些得了官癌的人好到那去
好些得了官癌的傢伙也不過就銅臭味重了點
還比那些休掉糟糠妻或打腫臉充胖子被抓包的"名士"好多了
最嘲諷的是這一堆嘉靖間品行不良沽名釣譽冒名頂替的垃圾
到了萬曆四十幾年全都被旌表了
叫那些(雖然很迂的)高風亮節之士情何以堪呢?

最近看得這幾本古典章回小說
有趣的是在裡面找尋回民蹤跡
儒林外史裡回民的戲份比金瓶梅多很多
但本書裡的回民除了"教門不用大葷"不吃豬肉之外
酒色財氣樣樣都來，而且還迷信文曲星
這一堆教門人的行為
似乎可以印證我以前看過的"清代西北回民事變"裡頭
說康熙對古蘭經好奇
結果找來的阿訇只會念卻不解其意
但也是有精通阿語波斯語的
只是教外的人大概不會注意到~
所以儒林外史這樣寫，究竟是作者不懂
還是當時回民漢化已深呢?

總之意外的好讀，但沒料想中的好看

[Barack Liu · Rating 5 out of 5]

119-Rulin waishi-Wu Jingzi-Novel-1749
Barack
2017/0 5 / 06
2020/05/ 1 1

—— "In the past, it was not enough to praise the sordidness, but now the debauchery is endless. The spring breeze is proud of the horseshoe, and I can see the Chang'an flowers in one day. "

"The Scholars", the first edition was published in 1749. Novel books. There are 56 chapters in the book. It uses realism to depict the different expressions of various people's "fame and wealth". It represents the culmination of ancient Chinese satirical novels, and created an example of direct evaluation of real life with novels.

Wu Jingzi was born in Quanjiao, Anhui in 1701, and died in 1754. He was born into an official family. After the death of his father, Wu Jingzi, who was isolated and helpless, ended in failure in the civil war fighting for his inheritance, leaving him with little money. In addition, he was not good at making a living, making friends, and making lavish moves, and he quickly squandered his father's legacy. However, he still refused to enter the office and was impoverished in his later years. Representative works: "The Scholars" etc.

Part of the catalog
1. In the first time, it is said that the wedge is used by Chen Dayi to hide the full text by celebrities
2. The second round of Wang Xiaolian's knowledge and discipline, Zhou Mengshi, in his late years, reached the No.
3. In the third round, Zhou Xuedao, the scholar, and Hu butcher, made a murderous report
4. For the fourth time, the monk Jian Wangzhai was involved in a lawsuit against the Qiufeng squire
5. In the fifth round, Wang Xiucai discusses setting up a sideline to strictly supervise his life and death
6. The sixth time the squire is sick and troubles the widow of the boat house
7. The seventh session of Fan Xuedao's Journal of Shien Wang and Chao Dun Friendship
8. The eighth time Wang observes the poor life and good times, the son of Lou meets poor friends in his hometown
9. The ninth time Lord Lou donated money to redeem his friend Liu Shoubei, who pretended to be a boatman
10. The tenth time Lu Hanlin Liancai chose his son-in-law, Gongsun Fu, and recruit

"There are many divergent paths in life from north to south, and mortals must be mortals. The rise and fall of a hundred generations, the river wind blows down the front trees. There is no evidence for fame and wealth, and I try my best to always miss the streamer. Three cups of dirty wine are intoxicated, Where does the water flow flower thank you?"

" Wang Mian lived in seclusion in the Kuaiji Mountains and did not say his name. Later, he fell ill and died. The neighbor collected some money and was buried at the foot of the Kuaiji Mountains. That year, Qin Lao Yishou finally came home. It is ridiculous that a literary scholar said that Wang Mian, both Calling him the king of the army, why did Wang Mian ever serve as a day official? So confess. "

In fact, I really don't like the self-proclaimed high temper of literati. Muddy water that does not go to the official, will be able to ensure his innocence character . But this is the spirit of joining the world advocated by Confucianism, and it is more like the attitude of Taoism to avoid the world . "The Analects of Confucius" wrote, " Said: "Those who talk are all over the world, but who can change it? And instead of a scholar who is a pioneer, how about a scholar who is a pioneer? "Successfully. The Zilu walks to report. The master said in a daze: "Birds and beasts must not be in the same group, but who are we who are the followers of the people? There is a way in the world, but Qiu is not easy to do. " The Mencius" wrote, " I have heard that I am brave enough to be a master." Reflexive but not shrinking, although brown and broad, I am not worried; reflexively shrinking, although tens of thousands of people, I will go. "

Both Confucius and Mencius did not pretend to be high-minded and chose to avoid the world . Instead, they practiced themselves, always holding a sincere heart that hopes to make a difference . Isn't the difficulty they face much more difficult than escape from the world? If they feel that the darkness of officialdom is inconsistent with their own character. Then how can you make a career and benefit the world ? Seclusion Zhong Nanshan at most only count spared. He talks about helping the world . How can such so-called celebrities contribute to the people? Where is commendable?

" It turns out that the Ming Dynasty scholar-officials called Confucian students "friends" and Tongsheng as "little friends"; for example, Tongsheng is also called "old friend" even if he enters school, even if he is a teenager. Eighty years old, also known as "little friend". Just like a daughter who marries: it is called the "bride" when she marries, and then it is called "grandma", and "wife" is not called the "bride"; if you marry and be a concubine , Even if his hair is gray, he still has to call him a "bride. "

It should be said that China's feudal society's method of selecting officials by imperial examinations was very advanced in the world at that time. As long as you can get fame, you can leap forward. Change social class. This class of flow passages , than the world on the same period in other countries by descent stratifiers of advanced methods . I think , which is why China was so well-developed one . After the start of the industrial age, China's backwardness was also due to the backwardness of systems and concepts . So a country can develop , its system has a very large contact. That is why the country will experience rise and fall . Just like a company, if there is no way to change its system with the changes of the times, it will be eliminated by the times.

" A guest inside said: "What's wrong with Zhou guest, why is he crying like this? "Jin Youyu said: "The old customers do not know, my uncle was originally not a businessman. Because he has been studying hard for decades, a scholar has never done a job. Seeing Gongyuan today, I feel sad. "Just because this sentence told Zhou Jin's true heart, he ignored everyone and burst into tears. Another guest said: "On this matter, we should only blame the old guest. Zhou Xiangfu is a gentleman, for What brought him out to do such a thing? "Jin Youyu said: "It's only for the poor, and there is no library to do it, so I have no choice but to go this way. "Another guest said: "Looking at the situation of Uncle Ling, after all, it is good to learn in his chest; because no one knows him, he has been wronged to this field. "Jin Youyu said: "He has the ability to learn, but luck is not good!" "

The guest said: "Supervised students can also enter the arena. Zhou Xianggong has talents and learning, why not donate him a prison? Entering the arena, it is not in vain to worry about today." Jin Youyu said: "I think so too, just Is there a sum of money there?" Zhou Jin was crying now. The guest said: "It's not difficult. I have a few brothers here, each of whom has put out dozens of taels of silver, and enters the arena with Zhou Xianggong. The silver? That is, if the minister of Zhou did not return it. We are the people who walked the rivers and lakes. How many silvers have not been broken there? Besides, this is a good thing. How do you like it?" Everyone said together: "'The beauty of a gentleman's adult'." It's bravery to see righteousness. " What are we not willing to do? I just don't know whether Zhou Xianggong is willing to submit?" Zhou Jin said: "If this is the case, I will be reborn parents. If Zhou Jin becomes a donkey and a horse, I have to pay for it. !" Climbed to the ground and knocked a few heads; everyone bowed down. Jin Youyu also thanked everyone and ate several bowls of tea. Zhou Jin stopped crying, talked and laughed with everyone, and returned to the line. "

"Seven Swords and Thirteen Heroes" wrote, "Qin Qiong sells horses and Zixu plays flute. Since ancient times, a hero has also been sleepy." No matter how heroes are, there are times when they are embarrassed. If you get help from others at this time, get a chance, and supplement with some luck , your destiny will change. If you don't get help from the outside world at this time , or you are out of luck, you wo n't get a chance. It may be that everyone has no way of success.

" Zhou Xuedao watched it in his heart, closed the door and went in. When he came out to put the first card, I sat on it, and saw the boy in linen coming up and handing in the paper. The clothes were rotten, and a few pieces were torn in the number. Zhou Xuedao looked at himself. On his body, how brilliant is the scarlet robe brocade? Because I flipped through the roster and asked that Tongsheng: "You are Fan Jin? "Fan Jin knelt down and said: "Tongsheng is." Xuedao said: "How old are you this year?" Fan Jindao: "It is written in the children's book that it is 30 years old, and the actual age of Tong Sheng is 54." "Xuedao said: "How many times have you taken the test?" Fan Jindao: "Tongsheng took the exam at the age of 20 and has taken the exam more than 20 times. "Xuedao said: "How can I not go to school?" "Fan Jin said: "It's always because of the absurdity of children's writing, so the elders never rewarded it." Zhou Xuedao said: "This may not be the case. You go out, the paper waits for a closer look. "Fan Jin knocked his head down.

At that time, it was still early and there was no Tongsheng handing in papers. Zhou Xuedao read Fan Jin's papers carefully. I was not happy and said, "What do these words say! I have to go to school." I ignored it. After sitting for a while, no one came to hand in the paper, I thought to myself: "Why not read Fan Jin's paper again? If there is a ray of clues, pity him for suffering." I read it again from beginning to end. It feels a bit interesting; I was about to look again, but there was a boy who came to hand in the paper. The Tongsheng knelt down and said, "I beg for an interview." Xuedao and Yan said: "Your writing is already here. What are you interviewing?" The Tongsheng said: "Tongsheng's poems, lyrics, songs, and fu are all, please Master asks questions for an interview." Xuedao changed his face and said: "Why do you need to talk about Han and Tang dynasties when you are a child? Like you as a child, you should only make essays attentively; what do you learn from him? granted this scale text, is it to you to talk about this with mixed learn it? see you like this business name and not pragmatic, it works naturally being abandoned, they are more careless floating gas, then look incredible! about! rush Go out!" After a command, a few wolves and tigers walked by, and the boy crossed his arms and somersaults all the way to the door.

Although Zhou Xuedao drove him out, he also took the papers to have a look. That Tongsheng was called Wei Haogu, and the writing was clear. Xuedao said: "Take him low to school." After taking the pen, I clicked a little at the end of the paper to make a note. I took a look at Fan Jin's papers, and after reading it, he sighed and said: "This kind of text, even if I read it once or twice, I can't understand it. It is not until three times that I realize that it is the best text between heaven and earth. ! It can be seen that there are confused examiners in the world, and I don’t know how many talents Qu Shao has made!” Busily took the pen and circled it, adding three circles to the surface of the scroll, which filled in the first place; and took Wei Haogu’s paper and filled in the number one. Twenty. Collect the volumes and bring them in. Fan Jin was the number one since the incident occurred. "

Despite his genuine talent it is important, but sometimes the who interview evaluation is also very important, standards are man-made. Different interviewer , evaluation of the same person may be completely different. Even the same interviewer , most likely at different times for the same individual evaluation is not the same. Unfortunately , although these factors exist objectively, they are difficult to control. All we can grasp is our own strength .

"Now that you are in the fraternity, you have to stand up for everything. For example, in my industry, there are decent and decent people and your elder relatives. How dare you pretend to be big in front of us? Farmers and dung scrapers are just flat-headed people. If you lay hands with him and sit on an equal footing, this is a broken school rule, and even my face is dull. You are a loyal and useless person, so these words I have to teach you so as not to make people laugh." Fan Jin said: "Father-in-law saw what he taught." Hu Tuhu said again: "Mother-in-law also came here to sit and eat. The elderly are sad to think about small dishes every day. My daughter also eats some; After entering your house, in the past few decades, have you eaten lard two or three times? Poor! Poor!"

"Child prodigy poetry" wrote, " North Korea for the lands and Lang, twilight Teng Tang emperor. " Once the status changes, their own body class at the instant transfer also occurs. The way of connecting people and things will also change. There are also many descriptions of this kind of different attitudes due to different status in "The Officialdom".

"Don't get too proud of yourself! You only think that you have hit a mate, and you want to eat a swan fart!" I heard people say that it was not your article when it was the mate, or the grandmaster saw that you were old and felt sorry. I give it to you, but now I am suspicious of my master! These middle-aged masters are all stars in the sky; you don’t see the masters in Zhang’s Mansion in the city, all of them have ten thousand furnitures, each with big ears. Like your sharp-mouthed monkey cheek , You should also take a picture of yourself with soaking pee; if you don’t have any problems, you just want to eat a swan ass! I took this heart as soon as possible, next year in our business, I will find a restaurant for you, earn a few taels of silver every year, and support your old immortality Your mother and your wife are serious! You asked me to ask me to ask me if I kill a pig in a day, but I can’t make any money and throw all the money in the water for you, telling my family to drink northwest wind?"

" Fan Jin walked into the house in twos and saw that the middle newspaper had been up and down, he wrote: "A good news for your master Fan Yujin, the seventh place in the Guangdong Provincial Examination in high school,'Yayuan', and the Beijing News published Huang Jia. Fan Jin didn't want to look at it, read it again, read it again, patted his hands and laughed: "Hey! All right! I was hit! "Speaking, I fell back and clenched my teeth, not awake. "

[Jackson Cyril · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished in 1750, this novel depicts the world of the Chinese literati, gently lampooning the corruption among their ranks and the failures of the Imperial examination system-- how it values certain skills over another and how certain formidable candidates are overlooked due to the caprice of individual examiners. Though it lacks the structural unity of say the "Golden Vase" or the "red chamber", and remains largely a collection of loosely related stories, it makes for delightful reading; and few novels of the 18th or 19th century can match its stunning realism.

[Eadweard · Rating 3 out of 5]

See Hadrian's review.

[Helmut · Rating 4 out of 5]

Satirisches Sittengemälde

Das "Rulin Waishi" hat in der Literaturgeschichte Chinas sehr unterschiedliche Bewertungen erhalten. Wurde es zunächst als brilliante Satire der korrupten Bildungselite gesehen, litt man es später immer weniger, da die literarische Qualität hinter den großen klassichen Romanwerken der Ming- und Qing-Dynastie doch zurückblieb. Heute wiederum sieht man es hauptsächlich als unschätzbare Quelle für das Leben der gebildeten und in der Prüfungshölle Chinas mehr oder weniger erfolgreichen Oberschicht.

Dies ist dann auch der Hauptnutzen, den ich bei meiner Lektüre an diesem Roman gefunden habe; die satirischen Aspekte, ohne Zweifel vorhanden, sind doch für den heutigen comedy-übersättigten Menschen sehr im Hintergrund, insbesondere, da die chinesische Prüfungskultur auch ohne Satire für uns extrem fremdartig und fast schon komisch wirkt. Was einem positiv auffällt sind eben die Beschreibung von "echten Menschen", nicht von großen Helden wie in "Drei Königreiche" oder hässlichen Dämonen wie in "Reise nach Westen"; die Scholaren dieses Buches haben Geldprobleme, lassen sich von umtriebigen Bösewichten hereinlegen und geraten auch mal auf den falschen Weg. Bestechung, Betrug und Plagiarismus werden als gang und gäbe beschrieben, gleichzeitig Alkoholismus und Weltvergessenheit der "Literaten" ebenso angeprangert wie die Geld- und Machtgier gewisser Offizieller.

Ein Kritikpunkt, der des öfteren gebracht wird, ist, dass dieser Text eigentlich kein Roman im eigentlichen Sinne ist: Er hat keinen klaren Fokus und keinen durchgehenen Handlungsstrang, die Personen kommen und gehen und werden dann nicht mehr erwähnt. Das "Rulin Waishi" liest sich also mehr wie eine Sammlung von Kurzgeschichten denn wie ein Roman; man muss aber sagen, dass die Übergänge mit einer mir in dieser Form bisher unbekannten Bravour so fließend sind, dass man erst einige Seiten später merkt, dass der Autor uns klammheimlich einen neuen Handlungsstrang mit neuen Personen untergeschoben hat. Daher stockt der Erzählfluss nie, und, wenn man sich darauf einlässt, breitet sich vor dem Leser ein Kaleidoskop der unterschiedlichsten Szenen aus dem Leben der chinesischen Scholaren aus.

Die Übersetzung von Gladys Yang aus dem Jahr 1956 liest sich sehr flüssig und modern, und auch wenn in diesem Buch nicht wirklich viel "passiert", wird einem doch unheimlich viel "gezeigt".

[Francis Chin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume is just a collection of meandering tales, with no central plot or main characters. As current characters meet new characters, the narrative will start following the new characters and the old ones are forgotten. Extremely engrossing and addictive. All kinds of incidents take place and you never know what is going to happen next. One morning you're admiring the view of a famous lake, and in the afternoon you are in court because someone has accused you of murder, and tomorrow you will be playing chess in the marketplace or go on a journey to find your long-lost relative.

Here's an excerpt from Chapter 24: Murder suit & other cases at the yamen (local court)

Niu Pu was walking home. He had not gone far, when a neighbour accosted him. “Mr Niu!” he called. “Come over here a moment!” Having pulled him into a quiet alley, the neighbour went on: “Your wife is having a row with somebody!”

“With whom?”

“Just after you left, a sedan-chair arrived with a load of luggage, and your wife let in a woman. That woman swears she is your former wife and insists on seeing you. She and your wife are at it now hammer and tongs! Your wife wants you to go back at once.”

At this Niu felt as if plunged into icy water. “This must be the work of that damned old Rat,” he thought. “He’s sent my first wife along to stir up trouble!”

There was nothing for it, though, but to pluck up courage and go back. When he stood outside the door listening, however, it wasn’t his first wife he heard carrying on inside, but somebody with a Chekiang accent. He knocked at the door and went in; and when he and the woman met, neither knew the other.

“Here is my husband!” cried Niu Pu’s wife. “Do you still claim him as yours?”

“You’re not Niu Pu-yi!” exclaimed Mrs Niu.

“I certainly am,” declared Niu Pu. “But I don’t know you, ma’am.”

Read the complete anecdote on my Readers Web site: http://reader.homestead.com/the_schol...

I recommend this English edition: The Scholars by Wu Ching-tzu, translated by Yang Hsien-yi & Gladys Yang. Lots of fabulous illustrations (see my Web site)

[Edward Butler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This 18th century Chinese classic (in Chinese, the Rulin Waishi) is a novel whose protagonist is, in effect, an institution, namely the civil service examination system. The novel's form perfectly suits its subject, passing the narrative from character to character, tracing the webs of association and patronage that constitute the class of the literati, or scholar-bureaucrats, as well as those on its fringes, who aspire to join it by passing the exams, deliberately spurn membership in it despite their personal scholarship, or in some cases, illegitimately claim membership in it by fraud. The novel is a veritable taxonomy of the literati during the time it spans (almost a hundred years); every conceivable type is to be found here, from the exemplary to the mediocre to the scoundrel to the eccentric, and yet none of them seem like mere types.

The edition I read, however, left something to be desired. The translation, I should say, is fine. But the paperback is needlessly oversized, which made it awkward to read. Second, the editing was abysmal; it was full of typos and formatting errors. I subsequently bought a used copy of the Columbia University Press edition; I don't know whether it has the same errors, but I am guessing it won't. Third, it really could have used an index, which would have made it much easier to appreciate the novel's structure by tracing the reappearances of characters.

The Columbia University Press edition seems to be out of print. It is the same translation and has the same illustrations, though they are reproduced more clearly. It similarly lacks an index, but is a normal, slightly oversized paperback.

[Andra Constantin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of fables and stories about the character of the scholars and learned people of China in the 1500's.
Hard to follow the characters if you are unused to the Chinese names especially since in the book there are over 20 Chi and Yu as characters in various stories and not all of them from the same family.

The first volume seems to be just a collection of fables following various scholars - corrupted scholars and honest scholars, rich scholars and poor scholars - their good or bad deeds, their behavior and the transformation one has after entering the world of the scholars - after passing his exams.

The second volume brings all the scholars talked about in the 1st volume under the same roof - they spend time together and are involved in diverse combination into different good or bad activities.

This is a book about a corrupt society who's values are upside-down at most times. A society where the women are a little more than furniture.

Interesting reading. One advice - do not read it on an empty stomach. Every second page there is a meal described and in pretty appetizing terms too.

[Rosemary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rare opportunity to read a Chinese novel from the Qing dynasty in English translation. (Not too many of them around.) For those of Chinese heritage, a chance to see why scholarship and examinations are so culturally important, a look at the role of food in the daily lives of the literary scholars--we are still eating some of the same things, a look at aspects of daily life such as transportation (river boats were important), pawn shops. Makes me wish for some pictures or paintings to give the stories some visual context of what China looked like back then.
Interesting for those of us raised learning eurocentric history.
I read the 1972 edition published by The Universal Library, Grosset and Dunlop, NY, 1972 with forward by CT Hsia, professor of Chinese, Columbia University.

[Hubert Byron · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the companion piece to The Story of the Stone series where instead of being immersed into the lives of women in Imperial China, you see it from the side of the men.

[Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting insights into Ming Dynasty China.

[LW · Rating 4 out of 5]

Net als ik er me eindelijk bij neergelegd heb dat het episodisch is, en dat het geen zin heeft om al die personages te onthouden want ze komen toch niet meer terug, blijven we plots ergens rond hoofdstuk 30 wel een tijd bij iemand stil staan, de verwijfde maar gulle Tu, en krijg ik de indruk dat een aantal van de andere reeds vermelde figuren zich rond hem verzamelen.
De hele tijd is het realistisch gebleven, de titel liegt niet, het zijn verhalen over scholars die al dan niet door de verscheidene examens geraken, de ene een deugdzaam persoon, een andere een oplichter, maar plots krijg je in hoofdstuk 38 een stijlbreuk. Kuo tieh-shan gaat op zoek naar zijn vader en wordt opgejaagd door tijgers (die zich wel heel makkelijk misspringen en zichzelf op een tak of een ijspegel doodsspietsen) maar ontmoet ook mythische wezens:

It had a single horn and a single eye behind one ear and was one of those beasts called piwans. No matter how thick a sheet of ice, a piwan can shatter it with one roar.
“That is my Snow Brother,” said the monk.

We hadden de pagina daarvoor al een ontmoeting met een wezen dat door een tijger naar een gevangen prooi wordt geleid:

This second beast was complete white, had a single horn, eyes like huge red lanterns, and held itself erect as it bounded forward. Kuo had no idea what it could be.

En ik ook niet. Een mengeling van een eenhoorn en een Yeti?

Het is uit. Het was aangename literatuur, gevarieerd. Het maakt je niet blij, want het is een realistisch boek. Goeie mensen zijn te dikwijls het slachtoffer van slechte mensen. Wat slechte mensen niet beseffen, is dat goeie mensen niet naïef zijn. Ze zouden net zo slecht kunnen zijn, maar dan wordt het een dog eat dog wereld, en die is voor hen onleefbaar. Dus zit er niets anders op dan zich te laten pluimen tot ze kaal zijn, en dus oninteressant voor de gulzigen. De truc ligt erin, tevreden te zijn met hun kaalheid. Want ze beseffen wat de slechten maar niet lijken te begrijpen, dat bezit niet gelukkig maakt.
Uiteindelijk gaan we allemaal dood.
A hundred years are soon gone, so why despair.

Het boek eindigt passend met een bezoek aan de ooit zo geroemde tempel, nu een ruïne.

[Jeffrey Powanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classic work of Chinese literature, originally published in 1750. This sharp, satirical look at Chinese civic society and the examination system during the Qing dynasty was set during the Ming dynasty to avoid ruffling Manchu feathers. It's a virtually plotless picaresque novel composed of 55 chapters, each telling a different story. Although the novel is long (nearly 700 pages), the chapters are short and fast-paced, so it's never tedious. It is, however, difficult to keep track of the many characters, which is why the book starts with a list of 68 principal characters.

The chief protagonist is Tu Shao-ching, a scholar who resembles the author Wu Jingzi, a man of the ruling class whose family has suffered a downturn. Wu's stories often turn on mundane incidents in the foolish scholars' lives, similar to episodes of the sitcom Seinfeld but set in 18th Century China. But it's not all comedy. The stories also portray the humble, decent, kind folk of China who continuously avoid being corrupted by the system; this is where the novel achieves soul-stirring power.

The meandering, structureless aspect of The Scholars makes it less powerful than Dream of Red Mansion, which features a compelling romantic triangle, but Wu's novel provides stunning details of daily life in Late Imperial China. Although the book is preoccupied with male scholars, there are also several rich portrayals of female characters (such as Tu Shao-ching's wife), who are treated with intelligence and respect. The English translation is by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang, who also translated the edition of Dream of Red Mansion I read.

[Ruth Rhodé · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is hard to discover a plot in the book and at some point the storyline becomes a little boring. I would still recommend the book though, because it gives so much information about the Chinese culture during the Ming dynasty. The book really gives a great review about the political system, the beliefs of the people and the behavior of the intellectual elite. On top of this, it is one of the classic Chinese novels, what makes it in itself worth reading :)

[Gordon Goodwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books ever. Countless characters and locations that somehow all flow together seamlessly, and weaves comedy into moments of tragedy. Wang Hui has always been my favorite character, I could write so much about his encounter with the Prince of Ning and how people throughout the novel refer to and interpret them afterwards. Honorable mention for my idol Ge Laiguan, my problematic fave.

[Dave Marth]

"I'm not disgracing my studies by tailoring. Those (Qing) college scholars don't look at things the way we do. They would never be friends with us. As it is, I make six or seven cents a day; and when I've eaten my fill, if I want to strum my lyre or do some writing, there's nobody to stop me. I don't want to be rich or noble, or to make up to any man. Isn't it pleasant to be one's own master like this?"

[Book Nerd · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is an amusing look at the corrupt bureaucracy and narrow minded academics of the time in China. It's a series of incidents, constantly shifting from one character to another.
These classic Chinese novels are worth reading because of how they give you a look at what life was like at that time.

[Anthony · Rating 2 out of 5]

This “novel” is actually a compilation of “stories” loosely — very loosely — linked together by fleeting characters, and all taking place during the Ming Dynasty. There were a few laugh inducing moments, but on the whole it wasn’t as humorous as I thought it was going to be. I did enjoy the inclusion of a gay character who wasn’t stereotypically gay. The instances of queer folk in ancient Chinese literature are sparse. I’m glad I read it, though. It gives me bragging rights for completing the six great Chinese novels.

[Kevin Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really should have written more notes immediately upon finishing this novel, as some time has past and the text is intricate enough that it's already slipping away from me.

This is a good translation of an important work, though, that I hope to revisit soon.

[Jim Galford · Rating 4 out of 5]

An uniquely honest account of China in the 18th century. Very autobiographical tale of life in the 1700's.

[Karen Chung · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book and recommend it highly. Another item off the reading bucket list.

[Shanen Mendoza · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bobo

[Sabina-Nicoleta Furtună (Sally) · Rating 2 out of 5]

People hanging around talking to themselves and food, lots of food. Where's the satire part in all of this?