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The Golden Lotus #2
The Golden Lotus Volume 2: Jin Ping Mei
"The greatest novel of physical love which China has produced." —Pearl S. Buck
A saga of ruthless ambition, murder, and lust, The Golden Lotus (Jin Ping Mei) has been called the fifth Great Classical Novel in Chinese literature and one of the Four Masterworks of the Ming novel. Admired in its own time for its literary qualities and biting indictment of the immorality and cruelty of its age, it has also been denigrated as a "dirty" book for its sexual frankness. It centers on Ximen Qing, a wealthy, young, dissolute, and politically connected merchant, and his marriage to a fifth wife, Pan Jinlian, literally "Golden Lotus." In her desire to influence her husband and, through him, control the other wives, concubines, and entire household, she uses sex as her main weapon. The Golden Lotus lays bare the rivalries within this wealthy family while chronicling its rise and fall. It fields a host of vivid characters, each seeking advantage in a corrupt world.
The author of The Golden Lotus is Lanling Xiaoxiaosheng, whose name, a pseudonym, means "Scoffing Scholar of Lanling." His great work, written in the late Ming but set in the Song Dynasty, is a virtuoso collection of voices and vices, mixing in poetry and song and sampling different social registers, from popular ballads to the language of bureaucrats, in order to recreate and comment mordantly on the society of the time.
This edition features a new introduction by Robert Hegel of Washington University, who situates the novel for contemporary readers and explains its greatness as the first single-authored novel in the Chinese tradition. This translation contains the complete, unexpurgated text as translated by Clement Egerton with the assistance of Shu Qingchun, later known as Lao She, one of the most prominent Chinese writers of the twentieth century. The translation has been pinyinized and corrected.
A saga of ruthless ambition, murder, and lust, The Golden Lotus (Jin Ping Mei) has been called the fifth Great Classical Novel in Chinese literature and one of the Four Masterworks of the Ming novel. Admired in its own time for its literary qualities and biting indictment of the immorality and cruelty of its age, it has also been denigrated as a "dirty" book for its sexual frankness. It centers on Ximen Qing, a wealthy, young, dissolute, and politically connected merchant, and his marriage to a fifth wife, Pan Jinlian, literally "Golden Lotus." In her desire to influence her husband and, through him, control the other wives, concubines, and entire household, she uses sex as her main weapon. The Golden Lotus lays bare the rivalries within this wealthy family while chronicling its rise and fall. It fields a host of vivid characters, each seeking advantage in a corrupt world.
The author of The Golden Lotus is Lanling Xiaoxiaosheng, whose name, a pseudonym, means "Scoffing Scholar of Lanling." His great work, written in the late Ming but set in the Song Dynasty, is a virtuoso collection of voices and vices, mixing in poetry and song and sampling different social registers, from popular ballads to the language of bureaucrats, in order to recreate and comment mordantly on the society of the time.
This edition features a new introduction by Robert Hegel of Washington University, who situates the novel for contemporary readers and explains its greatness as the first single-authored novel in the Chinese tradition. This translation contains the complete, unexpurgated text as translated by Clement Egerton with the assistance of Shu Qingchun, later known as Lao She, one of the most prominent Chinese writers of the twentieth century. The translation has been pinyinized and corrected.
640 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1596
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227 people want to read
About the author
Lanling Xiaoxiao Sheng
53 books24 followersLanling Xiaoxiao Sheng (Chinese: 蘭陵笑笑生) or "The Scoffing Scholar of Lanling", a clear pseudonym.
Jin Ping Mei (Chinese: 金瓶梅; pinyin: Jīn Píng Méi), translated as The Plum in the Golden Vase or The Golden Lotus, is a Chinese naturalistic novel composed in vernacular Chinese during the late Ming Dynasty. The anonymous author took the pseudonym Lanling Xiaoxiao Sheng (蘭陵笑笑生), "The Scoffing Scholar of Lanling," and his identity is otherwise unknown (the only clue is that he hailed from Lanling in present-day Shandong).
The identity of the author has not yet been established, but the coherence of the style and the subtle symmetry of the narrative point to a single author. The British orientalist Arthur Waley, writing before recent research, in his Introduction to the 1942 translation suggested that the strongest candidate as author was Xu Wei, a renowned painter and member of the "realistic" Gong'an school of letters, urging that a comparison could be made of the poems in the Jin Ping Mei to the poetic production of Xu Wei, but left this task to future scholars. The "morphing" of the author from Xu Wei to Wang Shizhen would be explained by the practice of attributing "a popular work of literature to some well-known writer of the period".
Jin Ping Mei (Chinese: 金瓶梅; pinyin: Jīn Píng Méi), translated as The Plum in the Golden Vase or The Golden Lotus, is a Chinese naturalistic novel composed in vernacular Chinese during the late Ming Dynasty. The anonymous author took the pseudonym Lanling Xiaoxiao Sheng (蘭陵笑笑生), "The Scoffing Scholar of Lanling," and his identity is otherwise unknown (the only clue is that he hailed from Lanling in present-day Shandong).
The identity of the author has not yet been established, but the coherence of the style and the subtle symmetry of the narrative point to a single author. The British orientalist Arthur Waley, writing before recent research, in his Introduction to the 1942 translation suggested that the strongest candidate as author was Xu Wei, a renowned painter and member of the "realistic" Gong'an school of letters, urging that a comparison could be made of the poems in the Jin Ping Mei to the poetic production of Xu Wei, but left this task to future scholars. The "morphing" of the author from Xu Wei to Wang Shizhen would be explained by the practice of attributing "a popular work of literature to some well-known writer of the period".
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
December 23, 2015
Leer este libro es casi como vivir una existencia paralela: está compuesto por dos voluminosos tomos (al menos en la edición de Atalanta), el primero de 1180 páginas y el segundo de 1620. Pero más allá de su monolítica extensión (a mí me llevó medio año leerlos) es un libro que quedará resonando en la mente del lector por mucho tiempo. El autor, que sólo es conocido por el seudónimo de Lanling Xiaoxiao Sheng o El erudito de las carcajadas, nos ofrece un relato descarnado que describe con minucia realista los actos sexuales, la corrupción y los más variopintos vicios de la sociedad China durante algunos años del reinado de la dinastía Song (siglo XII), por lo que se le consideró por varios siglos como un texto «maldito». La edición de Alicia Relinque es invaluable por la cantidad de referencias a los juegos de palabras y eufemismo sexuales, sin los cuales el lector poco avezado quedaría huérfano o al menos extraviado de significados.
April 9, 2019
Seda raamatut oleks kõige parem lugeda nii, et kohe esimese osa lõppedes loed ka teise osa ära. Väga palju on seoseid ja kuna nimed on kõik võõrapärased, siis ei tule teist raamatut lugedes kohe meelde, et kellega tegu on ja mis seos tal eelnevalt oli.
Kokkuvõtteks oli tegemist väga huvitava lugemisega. Tegemist on raamatuga, mis võiks kuuluda kasvõi kohustusliku kirjanduse nimekirja või siis vähemalt nende raamatute hulka, mida elu jooksul võiks läbi lugeda. Tegemist Hiina klassikalise kirjandusega. Lugu on huvitavalt kirja pandud ja läbi põimitud. Liiderlikkus saab lõpuks karistatud :p
Mõned väljavõtted:
Hea sõna laseb meil talvel ka kõige krõbedama külma ära unustada, kuri sõna aga paneb meid isegi südasuvel külmetama, ütleb vanasõna. Lk 99
Ta ei mõelnud sellele, et saatanal on kombeks oma võlgnikele arve esitada just siis, kui nood on kõige õnnelikumad. Lk 115
Küll kavatsustega end inimene vaevas,
kuid viimaks siiski kõike juhtis taevas. Lk 192
Kokkuvõtteks oli tegemist väga huvitava lugemisega. Tegemist on raamatuga, mis võiks kuuluda kasvõi kohustusliku kirjanduse nimekirja või siis vähemalt nende raamatute hulka, mida elu jooksul võiks läbi lugeda. Tegemist Hiina klassikalise kirjandusega. Lugu on huvitavalt kirja pandud ja läbi põimitud. Liiderlikkus saab lõpuks karistatud :p
Mõned väljavõtted:
Hea sõna laseb meil talvel ka kõige krõbedama külma ära unustada, kuri sõna aga paneb meid isegi südasuvel külmetama, ütleb vanasõna. Lk 99
Ta ei mõelnud sellele, et saatanal on kombeks oma võlgnikele arve esitada just siis, kui nood on kõige õnnelikumad. Lk 115
Küll kavatsustega end inimene vaevas,
kuid viimaks siiski kõike juhtis taevas. Lk 192
March 14, 2018
Finally! Justice! This novel is the second half of the story which is largely the fall of the house of Ximen. The reader finally got to see providence even the playing field. While I don't want to spoil TOO much (it really isn't spoiling as the chapter titles give away what is going to happen), I will say that everyone gets their just desserts. The only issue I have is that Ximen Qing dies before he can see the fall of his house. There were specifically 3 characters that I had hope in and 2 pulled through. Wu Song came and did exactly what I hoped he would. Qiujue ratted on her mistress to Yueniang. The only one who did NOT do pull through was Sun Xue'e and she got a raw deal throughout the entire novel.
Jinlian goes into a whole new level of psycho. She becomes so jealous of Li Ping'er's baby that she trains her cat to kill the baby. (Well, sort of. That child was extremely easily startled so the cat really only threw the baby into major hysterics that lead to the baby's death.) And that is just one instance.
As far as the book's reputation is concerned it still holds up in this installment. Anything that 2 humans can do together sexually is done in this book. However, I was highly impressed with how the author weaved the plot and sexuality together. In truth, it was almost a necessary component in order to remember the kind of people that the reader is dealing with. As long as you will not be offended by some of those scenes, I would recommend this book.
Jinlian goes into a whole new level of psycho. She becomes so jealous of Li Ping'er's baby that she trains her cat to kill the baby. (Well, sort of. That child was extremely easily startled so the cat really only threw the baby into major hysterics that lead to the baby's death.) And that is just one instance.
As far as the book's reputation is concerned it still holds up in this installment. Anything that 2 humans can do together sexually is done in this book. However, I was highly impressed with how the author weaved the plot and sexuality together. In truth, it was almost a necessary component in order to remember the kind of people that the reader is dealing with. As long as you will not be offended by some of those scenes, I would recommend this book.
May 13, 2022
The Golden Lotus Volume One, the first of four volume Jin Ping Mei as translated by Clement Egerton, was quite readable.
But in The Golden Lotus Volume Two, things start getting a lot more dense. I'm still enjoying the story when it follows the ladies at home, but I'm less excited by the political stuff and all the shenanigans Hsi-Men and his buddies are up to and I'm having a terrible time keeping track of all the people Hsi-Men does business with and who he has bribed with what and the like.
Plus Egerton includes all the sexual passages, but he censors them by putting parts of them into Latin. In the first book this was no big deal; in this book there's enough Latin going on that at one point I started thinking of the characters as being in ancient Rome instead of in China. And what he chooses to put into Latin is just weird -- a perfectly innocuous sentence will be in Latin here ("The woman smiled and looked at him"), while a conversation about anal sex will be in English there.
I would also like to know how accurately Egerton is translating so many, many proverbs and passages that sound Biblical to me. In introduction to his English translation of Jin Ping Mei (The Plum in the Golden Vase), David Tod Roy speculates that the original author was a great fan of Confucian philosopher Hsün Tzu (Xunzi), who believed that "In this world the heart of man alone remains vile," and that human nature must be restrained by training and ritual, in which case I'm thinking Egerton may be using Biblical language, but he's legitimately representing what the original book actually said and taught.
While for the most part this novel reads very "modern", the author does occasionally address the reader or otherwise moralize, and, as with the poetry, I quite like that aspect of the book. If the Latin passages point out the parallels between the situations in this book with the dying Roman Empire, passages like, "My dear readers: monks, nuns and go-betweens should never be allowed to enter the palaces and dwellings of the gentry where there are ladies. They pretend to talk of religion and to tell edifying stories, but secretly they do all manner of mischief" remind me of stuff from the European Middle Ages.
As with all great literature, this book rises above the cultural beliefs and assumptions of the time and shows us aspects of human nature as it is in all cultures and at all times.
But in The Golden Lotus Volume Two, things start getting a lot more dense. I'm still enjoying the story when it follows the ladies at home, but I'm less excited by the political stuff and all the shenanigans Hsi-Men and his buddies are up to and I'm having a terrible time keeping track of all the people Hsi-Men does business with and who he has bribed with what and the like.
Plus Egerton includes all the sexual passages, but he censors them by putting parts of them into Latin. In the first book this was no big deal; in this book there's enough Latin going on that at one point I started thinking of the characters as being in ancient Rome instead of in China. And what he chooses to put into Latin is just weird -- a perfectly innocuous sentence will be in Latin here ("The woman smiled and looked at him"), while a conversation about anal sex will be in English there.
I would also like to know how accurately Egerton is translating so many, many proverbs and passages that sound Biblical to me. In introduction to his English translation of Jin Ping Mei (The Plum in the Golden Vase), David Tod Roy speculates that the original author was a great fan of Confucian philosopher Hsün Tzu (Xunzi), who believed that "In this world the heart of man alone remains vile," and that human nature must be restrained by training and ritual, in which case I'm thinking Egerton may be using Biblical language, but he's legitimately representing what the original book actually said and taught.
While for the most part this novel reads very "modern", the author does occasionally address the reader or otherwise moralize, and, as with the poetry, I quite like that aspect of the book. If the Latin passages point out the parallels between the situations in this book with the dying Roman Empire, passages like, "My dear readers: monks, nuns and go-betweens should never be allowed to enter the palaces and dwellings of the gentry where there are ladies. They pretend to talk of religion and to tell edifying stories, but secretly they do all manner of mischief" remind me of stuff from the European Middle Ages.
As with all great literature, this book rises above the cultural beliefs and assumptions of the time and shows us aspects of human nature as it is in all cultures and at all times.
September 9, 2022
This review consists almost entirely of notes on the choice of translation.
Having further researched the translation options of this story, I have to say, I wish there were resources about the two main English options. Here is what I’ve surmised:
After finishing the first half, I realized that Plum in a Golden Vase is the same story as the Golden Lotus - assumed they were different and would have it read next.
However, from what I can tell, and from the fact that there are almost double the pages in PGV compared to GL, that translation is much more in depth and gratifying - potentially more worthwhile.
If you just want to get into the story, don’t have much knowledge about the literature of the time, GL is the better (1200 pages) taster choice. Overall, especially with the first part of the two volumes, I was satisfied with the way the translation handles the story. Much is condensed but the most juicy, dramatic parts are given a good amount of space and explanation/description. As in, SPOILERS, Pan Jinlian and Ximen Qing’s meeting, the death of Li Ping-er’s baby, and Ximen Qing’s own death.
It reads quickly since it gets quite repetitive, Ximen visited this guy, gave money to this maid, these silks arrived in a trunk, blah, blah, blah. Though it seems this could be doing a service to those of us who would be bored by the details of such interactions/events in the longer translation, it may also be coming at the cost of the natural rhythym of the plot line as it seems to pause for the reader as we read a sort of to-do list of all of Ximen’s recent economic ventures.
Another thing to note is that, though sold as erotica, this version is quite tame compared to what I have heard about PGV. The translator, Clement Egerton, put the explicit scenes in Latin in his original 1939 translation - this is no longer true, at least in the copy I read, and remains strongly metaphorical in nature and again, repetitive.
To conclude, do your own research into Golden Lotus versus Plum in a Golden Vase - if you’re feeling super ambitious, I’d say go for PGV over GL, but if you want to get the story and the general culture, morals, and ideas of the time, through the framework of literature, Golden Lotus suites that purpose just fine! Also, PGV may be harder to find, at least it was for me - through a library system.
Having further researched the translation options of this story, I have to say, I wish there were resources about the two main English options. Here is what I’ve surmised:
After finishing the first half, I realized that Plum in a Golden Vase is the same story as the Golden Lotus - assumed they were different and would have it read next.
However, from what I can tell, and from the fact that there are almost double the pages in PGV compared to GL, that translation is much more in depth and gratifying - potentially more worthwhile.
If you just want to get into the story, don’t have much knowledge about the literature of the time, GL is the better (1200 pages) taster choice. Overall, especially with the first part of the two volumes, I was satisfied with the way the translation handles the story. Much is condensed but the most juicy, dramatic parts are given a good amount of space and explanation/description. As in, SPOILERS, Pan Jinlian and Ximen Qing’s meeting, the death of Li Ping-er’s baby, and Ximen Qing’s own death.
It reads quickly since it gets quite repetitive, Ximen visited this guy, gave money to this maid, these silks arrived in a trunk, blah, blah, blah. Though it seems this could be doing a service to those of us who would be bored by the details of such interactions/events in the longer translation, it may also be coming at the cost of the natural rhythym of the plot line as it seems to pause for the reader as we read a sort of to-do list of all of Ximen’s recent economic ventures.
Another thing to note is that, though sold as erotica, this version is quite tame compared to what I have heard about PGV. The translator, Clement Egerton, put the explicit scenes in Latin in his original 1939 translation - this is no longer true, at least in the copy I read, and remains strongly metaphorical in nature and again, repetitive.
To conclude, do your own research into Golden Lotus versus Plum in a Golden Vase - if you’re feeling super ambitious, I’d say go for PGV over GL, but if you want to get the story and the general culture, morals, and ideas of the time, through the framework of literature, Golden Lotus suites that purpose just fine! Also, PGV may be harder to find, at least it was for me - through a library system.
October 12, 2025
In one of the most famous Chinese literary works (with an epic scale of over 1200 pages), we have a novel that examines the value of one's life, its actions, and their consequences. The main theme here is to see that no matter how easily the mighty might rise and believe they are untouchable, they will eventually fall and their world begins to decay. The Golden Lotus is a novel that covers the lives of tens of characters and their relationships, yet it focuses on two central figures: On the one hand, we have Ximen Qing, a wealthy merchant and magistrate and libertine who's main life goals are wealth and sexual conquests. On the other hand, we have Pan Jinlian, a woman who, after being dissatisfied with her marriage, conspires with Ximen Qing to kill her husband and ends up becoming his 5th wife, aspiring to gain supremacy over his household.
This is a really good novel with brilliant architecture. It takes us on different journeys with its characters' arcs. It focuses on human nature and is character driven. It will take time and patience to finish, but, to me, it was worth it.
This is a really good novel with brilliant architecture. It takes us on different journeys with its characters' arcs. It focuses on human nature and is character driven. It will take time and patience to finish, but, to me, it was worth it.
August 1, 2020
Eesti keeles 2-osalise raamatuna ilmunud romaani sündmused põhinevad tõenäoliselt perekonnakroonikatel ja on ajalooliste faktide järgi dateeritud aastatesse 1111 - 1127. Kirja on nad pandud 16. sajandil ja romaani peetakse üheks viiest tähtsaimast klassikalise hiina proosakirjanduse teoseks. Originaali pealkiri on Jin Ping Mei ehk Ploomiõied kullast vaasis - vihje rikka perekonna naistele.
Eestikeelne tõlge on tehtud saksakeelse põhjal ja see on vähemalt kolm korda lühem, kui originaal, kuna originaal sisaldas veel kordades rohkem detaile ajastu eluolu, kommete jm kohta. Sellest hoolimata kirjeldab romaan põhjalikult oma aja elu, mis on hoolimata sadade aastate pikkusest ajavahest sarnane ka tänapäevasega, näiteks bürokraatia, korruptsiooni, ahnuse ja intriigide osas. Jin Ping Mei on ülihinnaline allikas hiina sajanditevanuse igapäevaelu tutvustamisel.
Eestikeelne tõlge on tehtud saksakeelse põhjal ja see on vähemalt kolm korda lühem, kui originaal, kuna originaal sisaldas veel kordades rohkem detaile ajastu eluolu, kommete jm kohta. Sellest hoolimata kirjeldab romaan põhjalikult oma aja elu, mis on hoolimata sadade aastate pikkusest ajavahest sarnane ka tänapäevasega, näiteks bürokraatia, korruptsiooni, ahnuse ja intriigide osas. Jin Ping Mei on ülihinnaline allikas hiina sajanditevanuse igapäevaelu tutvustamisel.
May 23, 2025
Mis mõte oli eesti keeles kaheks köiteks jagada, kui peatükkide numeratsioon ja kõik muu jätkub sealt kus pooleli jäi? 1994-5 olid selleks põhjuseid, ma oletan.
Ühe üle võlli keeratud mehe surmaga ei muutu maailmas midagi, tulevad teised ja jätkavad võibolla et isegi hullemini. Pea-meestegelases avaldus hiljem ka inimlik pool, seda ei suuda teised korrata. Rõhk on nüüd rohkem naiselikul valetamisel, varastamisel, õelusel ja kiimal.
Neid Ts… isiku- ja kohanimesid ma mingilt maalt enam ei üritanudki meeles pidada. Võibolla ainuke raamat elus, kui mulle meeldivad äratõlgitud nimed. Geograafia jooksis üldse täiesti mööda.
Hinnet langetavad samad põhjused, mis esimesegi köite puhul. Ühisteks plussideks on mõlema puhul kõnekujundlikkuse kõrgtase ja vanasõnad. Neid viimaseid oleks võinud lausa ükshaaval ülesse märkida, tagantjäreletarkus, võibollakunagi.
Ühe üle võlli keeratud mehe surmaga ei muutu maailmas midagi, tulevad teised ja jätkavad võibolla et isegi hullemini. Pea-meestegelases avaldus hiljem ka inimlik pool, seda ei suuda teised korrata. Rõhk on nüüd rohkem naiselikul valetamisel, varastamisel, õelusel ja kiimal.
Neid Ts… isiku- ja kohanimesid ma mingilt maalt enam ei üritanudki meeles pidada. Võibolla ainuke raamat elus, kui mulle meeldivad äratõlgitud nimed. Geograafia jooksis üldse täiesti mööda.
Hinnet langetavad samad põhjused, mis esimesegi köite puhul. Ühisteks plussideks on mõlema puhul kõnekujundlikkuse kõrgtase ja vanasõnad. Neid viimaseid oleks võinud lausa ükshaaval ülesse märkida, tagantjäreletarkus, võibollakunagi.
July 1, 2023
enjoying this epic story of a polygamous household - loving the interpersonal dramas that unfold. Defintely racy, love some of the phrases also wish i understood some of the context to some of them - why the term 'oily mouth', what exactly is a sulphur ring?
April 30, 2018
"Though we keep learning to the end of our days, we still know very little"
January 7, 2026
Recomiendo la entrevista con la traductora Alicia Relinque en el Club de Lectura del Instituto Confucio de Madrid en Youtube. Fascinante obra, fascinante trabajo de traducción.
El exceso, la injusticia, los regalos, las comidas, los banquetes, los sobornos, las telas, las envidias, las intrigas, los celos, las venganzas, los sutras, los palanquines, las canciones, los palacios, los negocios, los cargos, las miradas, las chaquetas, las joyas, los cumpleaños, los hijos, la quinta hermana, las propinas, los médicos, los adivinos, los juicios, las estaciones, el té y el vino, las camas, la guerra, los sentimientos de nube, los pensamientos de lluvia, el sueño de una rama del sur...
Verdaderamente el hombre propone así o asá y el cielo dispone aquí y acullá
El exceso, la injusticia, los regalos, las comidas, los banquetes, los sobornos, las telas, las envidias, las intrigas, los celos, las venganzas, los sutras, los palanquines, las canciones, los palacios, los negocios, los cargos, las miradas, las chaquetas, las joyas, los cumpleaños, los hijos, la quinta hermana, las propinas, los médicos, los adivinos, los juicios, las estaciones, el té y el vino, las camas, la guerra, los sentimientos de nube, los pensamientos de lluvia, el sueño de una rama del sur...
Verdaderamente el hombre propone así o asá y el cielo dispone aquí y acullá
February 25, 2013
Very sexy and profound book.
January 14, 2017
Este segundo volumen continua relatando las aventuras de Ximen Qing, sus esposas y el resto de los personajes que les rodean. Un clásico de la literatura erótica china de la dinastía ming.
January 11, 2021
Crítica salvaje a la época en q se desarrolla, envuelta en una novela erótica.
Prefiero esta edición a otras por sus múltiples notas a pie de página.
Prefiero esta edición a otras por sus múltiples notas a pie de página.
June 16, 2022
1620 páginas de misoginia, budismo y confucianismo.
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