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The Analects
For the first time in one volume, The Analects illustrated by bestselling cartoonist C. C. Tsai
C. C. Tsai is one of Asia's most popular cartoonists, and his editions of the Chinese classics have sold more than 40 million copies in over twenty languages. This volume presents Tsai's delightful graphic adaptation of The Analects, one of the most influential books of all time and a work that continues to inspire countless readers today.
Tsai's expressive drawings bring Confucius and his students to life as no other edition of the Analects does. See Confucius engage his students over the question of how to become a leader worth following in a society of high culture, upward mobility, and vicious warfare. Which virtues should be cultivated, what makes for a harmonious society, and what are the important things in life? Unconcerned with religious belief but a staunch advocate of tradition, Confucius emphasizes the power of society to create sensitive, respectful, and moral individuals. In many ways, Confucius speaks directly to modern concerns--about how we can value those around us, educate the next generation, and create a world in which people are motivated to do the right thing.
A marvelous introduction to a timeless classic, this book also features an illuminating foreword by Michael Puett, coauthor of The Path: What Chinese Philosophers Can Teach Us about the Good Life. In addition, Confucius's original Chinese text is artfully presented in narrow sidebars on each page, enriching the books for readers and students of Chinese without distracting from the self-contained English-language cartoons. The text is skillfully translated by Brian Bruya, who also provides an introduction.
C. C. Tsai is one of Asia's most popular cartoonists, and his editions of the Chinese classics have sold more than 40 million copies in over twenty languages. This volume presents Tsai's delightful graphic adaptation of The Analects, one of the most influential books of all time and a work that continues to inspire countless readers today.
Tsai's expressive drawings bring Confucius and his students to life as no other edition of the Analects does. See Confucius engage his students over the question of how to become a leader worth following in a society of high culture, upward mobility, and vicious warfare. Which virtues should be cultivated, what makes for a harmonious society, and what are the important things in life? Unconcerned with religious belief but a staunch advocate of tradition, Confucius emphasizes the power of society to create sensitive, respectful, and moral individuals. In many ways, Confucius speaks directly to modern concerns--about how we can value those around us, educate the next generation, and create a world in which people are motivated to do the right thing.
A marvelous introduction to a timeless classic, this book also features an illuminating foreword by Michael Puett, coauthor of The Path: What Chinese Philosophers Can Teach Us about the Good Life. In addition, Confucius's original Chinese text is artfully presented in narrow sidebars on each page, enriching the books for readers and students of Chinese without distracting from the self-contained English-language cartoons. The text is skillfully translated by Brian Bruya, who also provides an introduction.
- GenresNonfiction
232 pages, ebook
Published June 19, 2018
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40 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 9, 2021
A quick and easy read with cute illustrations to visualize Confucius's Analects. I'm not at all familiar with the source material so having it packaged up in a super accessible format gave me exactly what I was looking for: an introduction to the history and highly influential teachings of Confucius.
The book starts with an abridged version of Confucius's life, of his travels throughout the turbulent Chinese kingdoms of yore, then moves directly into the Analects; although they aren't all covered, there's enough here to get a sense of Confucius's overarching philosophy in his striving for benevolence, propriety, virtue, and onwards.
Here were a few that stood out to me:
1:4 - Confucius' pupil Zengzi said: "Every day I critique myself in three ways: Did I somehow fail to work conscientiously for others? Did I somehow let my friends down? Did I somehow fail to practice what I had learned?"
4:14 - Don't worry about not having a position, worry about what it takes to hold one. Don't worry about your worth going unrecognized, pursue qualities worth recognizing.
6:30 - A benevolent person wishes to establish himself by establishing others, and to achieve through helping others achieve. To try to be like that is the secret to benevolence.
And my personal favourite:
14:43 - Once, when Confucius' old acquaintance Yuan Rang saw Confucius coming, he disrespectfully crouched down and waited for him. "When you were young, you didn't understand humility or respect for elders. As an adult you've had no accomplishments; and now you're old and refuse to die. What a disgrace!" With this, he rapped the man on the shin with his cane.
Iconic.
The book starts with an abridged version of Confucius's life, of his travels throughout the turbulent Chinese kingdoms of yore, then moves directly into the Analects; although they aren't all covered, there's enough here to get a sense of Confucius's overarching philosophy in his striving for benevolence, propriety, virtue, and onwards.
Here were a few that stood out to me:
1:4 - Confucius' pupil Zengzi said: "Every day I critique myself in three ways: Did I somehow fail to work conscientiously for others? Did I somehow let my friends down? Did I somehow fail to practice what I had learned?"
4:14 - Don't worry about not having a position, worry about what it takes to hold one. Don't worry about your worth going unrecognized, pursue qualities worth recognizing.
6:30 - A benevolent person wishes to establish himself by establishing others, and to achieve through helping others achieve. To try to be like that is the secret to benevolence.
And my personal favourite:
14:43 - Once, when Confucius' old acquaintance Yuan Rang saw Confucius coming, he disrespectfully crouched down and waited for him. "When you were young, you didn't understand humility or respect for elders. As an adult you've had no accomplishments; and now you're old and refuse to die. What a disgrace!" With this, he rapped the man on the shin with his cane.
Iconic.
November 29, 2023
I have enjoyed reading and studying the Analects multiple times on other occasions, and as of late, after reading Verissimus: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius I have become interested in seeing how visual comics can express philosophy, namely, how they can be beautiful in their own right, while also expressing certain ethical ideas to people who probably are unwilling or unable to read the original ethical texts for the ideas.
So it seemed appropriate to read this, and I will say, I am impressed by it. One must admit there's plenty of artistry to appreciate in the way that the scenes are drawn. Still, I would also admit I do not think this is worth reading for anyone already familiar with the Analects or commentaries upon it. But for the total novice, or indeed for a child fond of cartoons, I think this could be quite the useful intro.
While I do not feel this work caricatures the Analects, it obviously simplifies it, for better and worse. In the end, this kind of word makes a philosophical text more accessible, and that is hard to object to. It feels about as faithful as is practical while still being aesthetically pleasing.
I think it would be practical to collect graphic novels and comics like these, as that would allow me to have an enjoyable and edifying collection of them for children to read. Calvin and Hobbes, is great, don't get me wrong, but supplementing it with more classical philosophy is appealing. I know I loved reading comics and cartoons as a child, and found them a great source of learning.
So it seemed appropriate to read this, and I will say, I am impressed by it. One must admit there's plenty of artistry to appreciate in the way that the scenes are drawn. Still, I would also admit I do not think this is worth reading for anyone already familiar with the Analects or commentaries upon it. But for the total novice, or indeed for a child fond of cartoons, I think this could be quite the useful intro.
While I do not feel this work caricatures the Analects, it obviously simplifies it, for better and worse. In the end, this kind of word makes a philosophical text more accessible, and that is hard to object to. It feels about as faithful as is practical while still being aesthetically pleasing.
I think it would be practical to collect graphic novels and comics like these, as that would allow me to have an enjoyable and edifying collection of them for children to read. Calvin and Hobbes, is great, don't get me wrong, but supplementing it with more classical philosophy is appealing. I know I loved reading comics and cartoons as a child, and found them a great source of learning.
January 26, 2021
Once again an enlightening and fun translation of a classic by C. C. Tsai.
I'm less fond of Confucius' philosophy than those of the other Chinese classics. A little too conventional.
Regardless, thank you kongzi for your wisdom that transcends time.
Some favorites:
19:11 "If you refuse to cross the line in matters of great moral import then in matters of minor import, there will be room for a little give and take"
15:36 "When an opportunity to promote benevolence arises, do not yield, even to your teacher."
19:21 "A gentleman's transgressions are like an eclipse of the sun or moon. When it happens, everyone can see it, and when it's corrected, everyone looks up in high regard."
15:30 "to commit a transgression and not reform is the real transgression."
15:23 "A gentleman does not recommend people based on what they say or disregard what is said based on the speaker"
14:29 "I don't have time to go around criticizing others."
13:23 "A gentleman harmonizes but does not conform, while a lesserman conforms but does not harmonize."
8:17 "When studying it always seems like there's not enough time; and once something is learned, there's always the fear of losing it."
6:30 Zigong asks confucius "What do you think of a leader who helps the masses by spreading kindness? Can this be called benevolence?" Confucius responds "Why stop at benevolence? It is sageliness! Even the ancient Sages Yao and Shun had trouble with this. A benevolent person wishes to establish himself by establishing others and to achieve through helping others achieve. To try to be like that is the secret to benevolence."
I'm less fond of Confucius' philosophy than those of the other Chinese classics. A little too conventional.
Regardless, thank you kongzi for your wisdom that transcends time.
Some favorites:
19:11 "If you refuse to cross the line in matters of great moral import then in matters of minor import, there will be room for a little give and take"
15:36 "When an opportunity to promote benevolence arises, do not yield, even to your teacher."
19:21 "A gentleman's transgressions are like an eclipse of the sun or moon. When it happens, everyone can see it, and when it's corrected, everyone looks up in high regard."
15:30 "to commit a transgression and not reform is the real transgression."
15:23 "A gentleman does not recommend people based on what they say or disregard what is said based on the speaker"
14:29 "I don't have time to go around criticizing others."
13:23 "A gentleman harmonizes but does not conform, while a lesserman conforms but does not harmonize."
8:17 "When studying it always seems like there's not enough time; and once something is learned, there's always the fear of losing it."
6:30 Zigong asks confucius "What do you think of a leader who helps the masses by spreading kindness? Can this be called benevolence?" Confucius responds "Why stop at benevolence? It is sageliness! Even the ancient Sages Yao and Shun had trouble with this. A benevolent person wishes to establish himself by establishing others and to achieve through helping others achieve. To try to be like that is the secret to benevolence."
August 28, 2025
Confucius is pretty wise. Confucianism should learn from him.
Reading this, you sort of understand why the Chinese hierarchical societal system functions the way it does, but you also realize that the stereotype is a very cherry-picked version of what he taught. Filial piety is good and you should do it, but respect is a two way street. You should avoid gossip and cults and question unanimous opinions, and you should be humble and respect your elders and pay respects to the deceased.
Maybe it’s unbecoming to study Confucius in comic form, but I don’t think I would have read this if it wasn’t in this form. I also wouldn’t have enjoyed it nearly as much. So I’m still gonna say 5 stars.
Reading this, you sort of understand why the Chinese hierarchical societal system functions the way it does, but you also realize that the stereotype is a very cherry-picked version of what he taught. Filial piety is good and you should do it, but respect is a two way street. You should avoid gossip and cults and question unanimous opinions, and you should be humble and respect your elders and pay respects to the deceased.
Maybe it’s unbecoming to study Confucius in comic form, but I don’t think I would have read this if it wasn’t in this form. I also wouldn’t have enjoyed it nearly as much. So I’m still gonna say 5 stars.
March 14, 2024
confucius has a lot of boomer takes basically and i’m not sure i get it
January 24, 2019
Accessible but really gets you to think. Lovely illustrations -- the style Confucius is done in reminds me of how the Emperor is animated in Mulan.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews