Product Description

"The Golden Lotus", which Pearl S. Buck called "the greatest novel of physical love China has ever produced", was first published in England in 1939, in an expurgated version consistent with the standards of the time. It is now published unexpurgated, giving a full and complete translation into English. The character of the book is such that it can be studied by those interested in the cultural history of China, as a national work - in the same way that the "Decameron", "Arabian Nights" and the "Canterbury Tales" are regarded as national works. It offers an observation of social and sexual life in China during the period when it was written. At the same time, it also addresses a wider field of sexuality. "The Golden Lotus" is a portrait of family life in a polygamous household during the Sung dynasty, in the reign of Hui Tsung (AD 1101-26). It is told with an extreme frankness and detail. It is an epic work that follows the lives of Hsi-men Ching, his wives, the women of his household, the singing girls with whom he associates, his disreputable friends and the officials with whom he comes into contact. A popular tradition says that the writer to whom the work is attributed poisoned the pages of the manuscript of "The Golden Lotus" and then offered it to his enemy, the Prime Minister, in the hope that he would become so excited by the subject, and so engrossed in his reading, that he would absorb the poison as he turned the pages. "The Golden Lotus" existed in manuscript only for many years and, when it was first printed nearly a 100 years after its assumed author's death, it was promptly placed on the list of prohibited books by the famous Emperor K'ang Hsi. This edition is presented in the form of a four volume set in a slipcase.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4207215 in Books
• Published on: 1979-06
• Format: Box set
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback

Language Notes
Text: English, Chinese (translation)

Customer Reviews

Heavy going, but great if you have perseverance
This is a classic novel of Ming dynasty China. It paints an amazing picture of everyday life - the domestic strife, the courtiers and sycophants, the corruption, the use of pressure (subtle or otherwise), all within a Confucian framework. While both the heroine and hero ultimately die tragically, the novel offers hope for the future.

And yes, there is a fair amount of graphically-described sex, so if you are not happy with this, don't buy the book. But it is not pornography. It is a realistic picture of what life was like in those days, and a varied sex life was deemed normal and healthy, and not something to be worried about. The book does make the point that excess in sex as in anything else is ultimately destructive, and invites the reader to learn the moral lesson.

The non-Pinyin proper names will confuse some readers, and there are few notes for clarity. Also the habit of giving numbers to frequently-ised names is unfriendly to the modern reader, though it may help to distinguish between characters. Put if you can cope with this, and are prepared to put up with the leisurely pace of the Chinese gentleman, this is a fine book.

Why use Latin for a Chinese classic?(part 2)
There are approximately 50 passages in the 1939 version of this Chinese classic that are completely written in Latin. All of them are the erotic scenes. Clement Egerton uses the Latin to make the passages more "respectable". I feel they ruin the experience completely for the non-Latin reader. If you don't read Latin be very careful if you order this book. Maybe the 1979 version uses English only, but be sure to check it out first. Three stars only for this translation. Hopefully someone else will have the will to translate this masterpiece without feeling the need to mask over the erotica.

A lingering Chinese erotic life
Golden Lotus is a wonderful story if you want to discover the forbidden topic of ancient Chinese erotic life style. It is the only Chinese book I have read so far that describes the love making scenes in detail. It is about the traditional Chinese customs and how to make friends and deal with your enemies. And also, if you love Chinese food, the story makes your mouth water as well as it is filled with banquets and tea sessions. The story is slow and filled with wonderful human emotions. If you want to know more about the traditional Chinese life style, literature, customs and culture, this is the book for you, go and get it and you will have so much fun!