Chinese Proverbs from Olden Times

by Peter Beilenson

Genres: Nonfiction, China, Poetry

68 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1956

Reviews

[Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is just so much raw, lived experience packed into these short, punchy Chinese proverbs. As a writer, let me tell you, it is insanely hard to write a proverb from scratch without it sounding totally contradictory or just flat-out collapsing. But honestly, maybe that's the whole point. Maybe the ultimate lessons here is that proverbs are allowed to be contradictory, because human nature itself is completely contradictory.

To make a good one work, you have to pair up two seemingly totally different ideas and force them to make sense together. I was actually experimenting with this the other day and wrote, "An ant does not care if it is alive or dead. It just works." It works for the exact same reason a lot of the classic ones in this book do, like, "Man cannot stir one inch without the push of heaven's finger." You're balancing two massive, opposing forces. That is why this whole book feels less like a list of rules and more like a collection of beautifully crafted, lived metaphors for how we actually operate. So yeah good job, Chinese people, for your wisdom. You are seriously good teachers. 5/5 stars.

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

A small book of wisdom. Many of these I've heard before and I imagine most cultures have constructed the same tidbits in their own ways. Many also have spiritual underpinnings, which doesn't generally work for me. Many, though, are observations of people, such as how rich people can make plans while poor people often live day to day. One that I particularly liked and which I have thought of myself, though I have a hard time following it is that if you hurry to shorten long days then long years will also end up short. I generally liked it.

[Progress Tsvanhu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good

[Adrian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Favorite book of mine has alot of simple but Wise saying that are really deep and thought provoking. I'd like another copy to pass on as a gift. FIVE STARS

[Ace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Water and words: easy to pour, impossible to recover.