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Six Records of a Life Adrift

By Shen Fu
Series: Hackett Classics
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Six Records of a Life Adrift is the memoir of Shen Fu, a sensitive and artistic man in the Qing dynasty who failed the civil service examinations and led a life as a private secretary, artist, and merchant. His account offers vivid insights into domestic life, government, societal rites, and the role of courtesans in 19th-century China, revealing the nuanced reality of a Qing lower gentryman navigating family, love, and social expectations.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

Ideal for readers interested in Chinese history, memoirs, cultural studies, and those seeking a heartfelt personal narrative from the Qing dynasty era.

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A memoir of a life in the Qing dynasty. It reveals a sensitive and artistic man, who failed at the civil service examinations that were the gateway to official employment and had to settle for becoming an itinerant private secretary, dabbling unsuccessfully in making a living as an artist and a merchant.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

This memoir of a life in the Qing dynasty reveals a sensitive and artistic man, who failed at the civil service examinations that were the gateway to official employment and had to settle for becoming an itinerant private secretary. He dabbled unsuccessfully in making a living as an artist and a merchant.

Underlying Shen Fu's account are vivid examples of domestic life, rites and rituals, the workings of government, and the role of the courtesan in nineteenth-century China.

Graham Sander's translation of Six Records of a Life Adrift, the first in nearly 30 years, is a model of accuracy and fluency, bringing the subtleties of the original to light in English for the first time.

Series: Hackett Classics

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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Praised for its delicate and emotional prose, this new translation by Graham Sanders captures the subtleties of the original text with accuracy and fluency. Reviewers commend it for richly illustrating human nature and providing illuminating notes that explain cultural differences between China and the West. It offers a nuanced perspective on class, gender, and tradition within Qing society.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781603841986

Publisher: Hackett Publishing Co, Inc

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 15 September 2011

Country: United States

Imprint: Hackett Publishing Co, Inc

Illustration: none

Contributors:

  • Translated by Graham Sanders

Audience: Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Width: 140.0mm

Height: 216.0mm

Weight: 227g

Pages: 176

Collections

Asian History History & Archaeology History & Military Non-Fiction Series: Hackett Classics Shen Fu

About the Author

Graham Sanders is Associate Professor of classical Chinese literature at the University of Toronto.

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