三遂平妖传

[Polyhistor]

Said to have been written in the 1300s by 罗贯中 as a fantasy in 20 chapters, it was substantially rewritten in 40 chapters by 冯梦龙 in the 1600s. I've never been able to find that recension. The original, however, might just be one of the best October reads I've found in any language.

 

I highly recommend this book to anybody who wants to develop the familiarity with Ming vernacular necessary to appreciate the Four Great Novels. It is by far the easiest read I've found. I've been racing through it, reading full chapters in single sittings, which is not generally something most people say with ancient literature in the original.