"Best Chinese Novels Ever" type lists

[roddy]

Does anyone know of any lists of the greatest Chinese novels ever written, or is more Google-able than me and can find some? I found this Hunded Best Novels of the 20th Century fairly easily, but everything else I saw is either specific to a year or a genre. I'm curious as to whether any other lists have been complied that perhaps include the last 8 years, or limit themselves to post-1949, or stretch back to include the classics.

[Ole]

There is a big article in wikipedia about Chinese literature. If you don´t know this article , it might be helpful for your search.

[gato]

Are you looking for mostly pre-1900 novels?

Here are some lists:

http://city.msn.com.cn/detail/articles/200808012131214/

好书，给你力量

http://www.tsinghua.edu.cn/docsn/zwx/n_read.htm

　中国古代文学（26种自选18种，5学分学分）

And a lecture on Chinese novels by Lu Xun:

http://www.chinese163.com/luxun/zgxs/032.htm

中国小说的历史的变迁

[HolyShazam]

Ｉ'm not sure how useful this will be, but my girlfriend recently brought me a copy of a book I needed for a class in Beijing, and apparently 洪範書店, a Taiwanese publisher, has put out a set of the 100 greatest Chinese novels. My girlfriend was saying that it includes classics like Dream of the Red Chamber, as well as contemporary literature from China, Taiwan, and I think Hong Kong as well. I can't seem to find a website for this publisher, but I have a few of their books (two-volume copy of a selection of Shen Congwen's fiction and a book by Mo Yan), and they are really high quality, although a bit on the pricy side. You should be able to order them online, I'll see if I can get any more information for you.

[HolyShazam]

Update:

My girlfriend sent me a copy of the list (I believe it was compiled in Taiwan), she included two, made at different times. Unfortunately, neither pages can be viewed from China unless you have a proxy:

http://element_2.mysinablog.com/index.php?op=ViewArticle&articleId=55242

http://www.books.com.tw/exep/prod/books/editorial/awardbooksrec.php?id=0000000972&encoding=C

Edit:

roddy, I checked out the 好书 list, and I find it severely disappointing. I'm hoping one day Chinese academics don't have to pretend that 青春之歌 is actually good fiction, because there is so much better stuff out there. There is also not a single writer from Taiwan on that list, and to include 毛泽东诗词 is just kinda silly.

Edited January 5, 2009 at 04:07 PM by HolyShazam
adding text

[roddy]

No problem, I have a proxy . Thanks for the links.

I was basically just looking for some ideas of more books to read. I'm currently, slowly, working my way through the list in the link I posted, although this is by no means an effort to read the whole thing - if I find something dull I'll try something else, if I find something enjoyable I might read more by the same author, if I can't find something in the bookshop I'll give up. Currently a few chapters into 边城 - all well and good so far, hope neither Cuicui or the yellow dog meets too harsh an end . . .

[HolyShazam]

I'm writing my senior thesis on Shen Congwen...don't worry about Cuicui or the dog, haha. 边城 is quite good, but if you get the chance, read his autobiography. It was written in 1934, I think, so there is a lot of stuff he doesn't cover, but he led a really unique life, and is definitely worth the read. I sent all of the books I have on him home (I bought his 12-volume collection of stories and essays), but my favorite short stories of his are probably 牛，夜，神巫之爱 （which is about the same length as 边城），and 朱龙。

[roddy]

夜 I think I've read - no, wrong, that was 渔. Although it does take place at night.

Not very far into 边城, quite enjoying it. The descriptions of town life and the festivals are fun.