Six Records of a Floating Life

A beautiful, intimate memoir from the time of the Ch'ing Dynasty in China

Leonard Pratt is the bureau chief for NBC News in Hong Kong. 
 
Chiang Su-Hui was born and educated in Taiwan. She has a degree in Chinese law and has worked as an educator, writer and broadcaster. 
 
 
Leonard Pratt is the bureau chief for NBC News in Hong Kong. 
Chiang Su-Hui was born and educated in Taiwan. She has a degree in Chinese law and has worked as an educator, writer and broadcaster.

Six Records of a Floating Life (1809) is an extraordinary 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 Yün, 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 exquisite memoir shows six parallel 'layers' of one man's life, loves and career, with revealing glimpses into Chinese society of the Ch'ing Dynasty.

Shen Fu

Leonard Pratt

Chiang Su-hui

The Old Man of the Moon

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Shen Fu

The Old Man of the Moon

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