Chapters from a Floating Life

2012 Reprint of 1960 Edition.  Exact facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software.  "Chapters from a Floating Life"  (also translated as "Six Records of a Floating Life") is an autobiographical novel by Shen Fu (1763 - 1825) who lived in Changzhou (now known as Suzhou) during the Qing Dynasty. The six chapters are, namely, Wedded Bliss, The Little Pleasures of Life, Sorrow, The Joys of Travel, Experience (missing), and The Way of Life (missing). Only four of its six parts survive. The Fifth and Sixth parts claimed to have been found were declared to be fraudulent by scholars. The word "Floating Life" comes from a poem of Tang poet Li Bai ( ...Floating life just like a dream, how much fun can we have?).  The autobiography is a compelling blend of autobiography, love story and social document written by a man who was educated as a scholar but earned his living as a civil servant and art dealer. In this intimate memoir, Shen Fu recounts the domestic and romantic joys of his marriage to Yun, the beautiful and artistic girl he fell in love with as a child. He also describes other incidents of his life, including how his beloved wife obtained a courtesan for him and reflects on his travels through China. Shen Fu's memoir shows six parallel layers' of one man's life, loves and career, with revealing glimpses into Chinese society of the Ch'ing Dynasty.