I’m 92% of the way through Outlaws of the Marsh. This part is loosely based on actual history, Song Jiang was one of the commanders sent to fight Fang La’s rebellion.

I can tell I’m getting close to the end. Some of the Chieftains have died. Being a Heavenly Spirit or an Earthly Fiend only means they make it to the oath in chapter 72, each has a destiny awaiting them.

#Reading #ChineseClassics #SongJiang #WaterMargin #OutlawsOfTheMarsh #AllMenAreBrothers #History #ChineseHistory

I got a new copy of Romance of the Three Kingdoms (Moss Roberts, Chinese Classics). I don’t see any credit for these illustrations, but I very much appreciate them. It definitely helps to know which are the major characters when you read.

My previous copy was lent out and never returned.

#Literature #ChineseClassics #ThreeKingdoms #RomanceOfTheThreeKingdoms #Reading #MossRoberts

Sometimes Outlaws of the Marsh feels long and a bit repetitive, certain patterns repeat. But then you come across a unique section that’s incredible.

Chapter 56, Shi Qian the Flea on a Drum’s theft of Xu Ning’s ancestral armor is fantastic and really should be a scene in a movie or anime.

#Reading #Literature #ChineseClassics #OutlawsOfTheMarsh #WaterMargin #AllMenAreBrothers #FleaOnADrum #ShiQian #Heist #MissionImpossible

“Song Jiang was a chivalrous man whose main interest was skill with weapons. Sex had only a moderate appeal.”

“In the lamplight Song Jiang noted with pleasure what a fine figure of a man Wu Song was”

Okay, I know it’s a translation and medieval Chinese culture is something I have no understanding of at all, but I know homosexual subtext when I see it.

#Literature #Subtext #BestFriends #Gay #Queer #OutlawsOfTheMarsh #WaterMargin #AllMenAreBrothers #ChineseClassics #BrokeBackMarsh

This is big news:

OUP Launches Classical Chinese Literature Series

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/newsbrief/index.html?record=4373

#ChineseLiterature #ChineseLit #ChineseClassics #Translation #OUP

Folks on Twitter talking about the concept of humanity in classical texts. Anyone want to draw this? or feed it into an AI image machine?

"Yes! This is the description of 老子 in the 酉陽雜俎:
形長九尺，或曰二丈九尺。耳三門，又耳附連環，又耳無輪郭。眉如北斗，色綠，中有紫毛，長五寸。目方瞳，綠筋貫之，有紫光。鼻雙柱，口方，齒數六八。頤若方丘，頰如橫壟，龍顏金容。額三理，腹三志，頂三約把，十蹈五身，綠毛白血，頂有紫氣。"

via: @CiaoCiaota@Twitter.com

https://twitter.com/CiaoCiaota/status/1681044307669655552

#老子 #酉陽雜俎 #Laozi #WhatIsAMan? #Chinese #ChineseClassics