Michael's Chinese Classics Challenge

[Mjrobertson]

In 2013 my main reading goal is to read the 4 classic novels of Chinese literature (in English translation).

1. Dream of the Red Chamber/The Story of the Stone (five volumes - have read the first volume already. Will buy them as I read them)

2. Journey to the West (Already have - will read on Kindle)

3. Romance of the Three Kingdoms (Already have. 4 volumes - 2224 pages)

4. Outlaws of the Marsh (Already have. 4 volumes - 2141 pages)

So, I probably have about 16 fairly long volumes to read through. Looking forward to it! I've already gotten a little head start by finishing the the first volume of the Story of the Stone which was fantastic!).

[Candiss]

What a wonderful challenge! Numbers 1, 2, and 3 are on my "must get around to reading" list, and #4 I'd not heard of. Best of luck to you. :)

[Mjrobertson]

Thanks! Number 4 is perhaps more commonly known as The Water Margin. I remember watching the tv show of it when I was young.

[Mjrobertson]

Ok, I'm kicking off the challenge tomorrow with volume 2 of The Story of the Stone!

[Mjrobertson]

I've been sick for the last couple of weeks so I haven't made any particular progress yet on this reading challenge. In many ways, I'm taking it very easy and know that I have the whole year ahead of me to tackle it. I've been reading a little here and there, but just for interest. I realised that I do a lot of online reading of articles as well as in various magazines. Last year, I read few actual books but never actually stopped reading at all.

I like that I don't have a set number of volumes in mind..e.g. read x books, as my thinking has increasingly led me to believe that as soon as something becomes a list, it becomes a chore to be slogged through. I did that in my first year on goodreads and while it did encourage me to read more, towards the the end it did become just about making my target.

So, with all thoughts of arbitrary targets erased, I'm looking forward to getting back into the second volume of The Story of the Stone with renewed vigour. The volumes themselves are somewhat arbitrary divisions, given that the novel is just very long and I don't think it was originally split up. That's a modern marketing invention.