Caofangzi 《草房子》text file for use with CTA

[艾墨本]

I've been reading this book and love it. However, I would like to analyze the full text using Chinese Text Analyzer to help me prioritize the vocabulary I'm studying.

 

I have failed to find it online, as has my Chinese friend. 

 

Does anyone have this book in a copy-and-past-able form?

 

[mouse]

Is this it?

 

http://www.sbkk8.cn/caowenxuan/caofangzi/

[imron]

A good way to search for this sort of thing is to google for <name of book>  .txt.

In this case searching for

 

《草房子》 .txt 

 

Should get you numerous results - though many online e-books have inaccuracies such as missing sections and incorrect characters due to scanning errors.

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[艾墨本]

@mouse

 

Thank you for the link. I had seen that one before but the task of copy and pasting chapter by chapter was daunting. At this point it seems I have no other options.

 

@imoron

 

Thanks for the recommendation. I'll do that next time I'm searching for the text. I was doing 草房子全文. I'm not worried about minor errors this time around since I'm not actually reading it in CTA but just want to analyze the content some.

[mouse]

There are some pdfs available, eg here.

[艾墨本]

Thank you for the PDF version!

 

I have also gone through and compiled the chapters into one large txt file.

 

If anyone wants this in the future, please contact me. 

Edit: realized I can upload the file directly to here. As @Imron pointed out, though:

many online e-books have inaccuracies such as missing sections and incorrect characters due to scanning errors.

I also didn't format it to be easy on the eyes.

Caofangzi complete text.txt

[Guest realmayo]

Can I ask why you like the book?

[艾墨本]

@Realmayo: first and foremost, it has easier language while still maintaining "mature" content. As I venture into reading Chinese novels, I think this is the most important aspect for me.

 

As for literary merit, I find each of the characters to be well fleshed out. There is 桑桑, the son of the head of the school who knows what's right but still falls victim to his own curiosity. 秃鹤 who continuously battles his self esteem issues with grand displays of fearlessness. And, my favorite, 将一轮 who falls painfully in love. The love story manages to grow, develop, and change in ways that match the two characters and their surroundings (avoiding spoilers).

 

Another aspect that I really enjoy is how interconnected the different stories are. While each chapter has focused on a different character so far, they all remain deeply rooted in the same place. In this way, the title is very suitable; without featuring a single protagonist, the 草房子s house them all. It's less a story of the people and more a story of the stories they have left behind and traced upon the land. This sort of perspective permeates each and every story and links them all together to form a nice cohesive whole.

 

When I was reading 撒哈拉的故事, the short story format lost me. It didn't seem internally consistent despite remaining in the same location. I set 撒哈拉的故事 down and picked up 草房子, it was exactly what I needed. 

 

Another part that I enjoy is that it doesn't try to be too realistic. The descriptions and the metaphors blend with life itself. At some points, it's unclear what is really happening and what is simply descriptive. This blending emphasizes the character's perspective over the omniscient narrator's objective viewpoint. For me, it animates the characters in ways that honest description doesn't. I can more clearly see the decision making process of these imaginative kids or the love sick 将一轮. 

 

I wish I could say more, but I fear the depth of my reading comprehension still has a long way to go. I am finding this book helps motivate me to keep studying and learning new words beyond their English translation. 

[Guest realmayo]

Thanks for the recommendation, I'll add it to my reading list! In fact I've also got 撒哈拉的故事 on the go at the moment, for dipping in and out of ... once I'm through with that I'll switch to this.

[艾墨本]

What do you think of 撒哈拉的故事?

[Xiao Kui]

I'm also a fan of 草房子, a Chinese friend recommended it years ago because i told her at the time my reading level was jr high - have read 2/3 the way through it, put it down just because of busy-ness, picked it up again  years later and had to start over because I'd forgotten too much. Very enjoyable read.  another novel that reminds me of it is 飘来的狗儿， also features children during the CR. I think I like seeing the CR from this perspective - offers a more lighthearted take on a difficult period in China's history. Yes, it was a rough time, but life went on and kids were kids. 

[Guest realmayo]

What do you think of 撒哈拉的故事?

 

I like it, I find it quite refreshing. I think that might be because it's the first book I've read in Chinese that, apart from translated novels, isn't set in China, isn't all about China.