Library of Chinese Classics: Six Records of a Floating Life

Hardcover
Publisher: Yilin Press (February 2006)
ISBN-10: 7806579400
ISBN-13: 978-7806579404
ASIN: B0011CK2SQ
Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.3 x 0.8 inches

Six Records of a Floating Life (1809) is an extraordinary blend of autobiography, love story and social document written by a man who was educated as a scholar but earned his living as a civil servant and art dealer. In this intimate memoir, Shen Fu recounts the domestic and romantic joys of his marriage to Yun, the beautiful and artistic girl he fell in love with as a child. He also describes other incidents of his life, including how his beloved wife obtained a courtesan for him and reflects on his travels through China. Shen Fu's exquisite memoir shows six parallel "layers" of one man's life, loves and career, with revealing glimpses into Chinese society of the Ch'ing Dynasty.