Six Records of a Floating Life(after view)

Long revered as a classic work of Chinese literature, Six Records of a Floating Life is the autobiographical narrative of Shen Fu, a young poet and painter whose passion for life and devotion to his beloved wife Yun have won him a place in the hearts of his readers for more than a hundred years. Although the introduction describes this work as a "valuable social document," regarded primarily by scholars as an excellent portrait of daily life during the Ch'ing Dynasty in eighteenth century China, Six Records of a Floating Life is so much more than that. His tale begins with the self-deprecating statement, "Unfortunately I never completed my studies, so my writing is not very skilful," yet Shen Fu manages to weave a complex tale of romance, camaraderie, family obligation, social inequity, and human tragedy, imbued throughout with buoyant humor, profound pathos, and transcendent mysticism. While adhering to the constraints of classical Chinese literary composition, within the confines of social correctness befitting the times, the craft and depth of this early work by a self-professed amateur are unparalleled.

  As evidenced by the chapter titles, The Joys of the Wedding Chamber, The Pleasures of Leisure, The Sorrows of Misfortune, and The Delights of Roaming Afar, Six Records of a Floating Life is a multi-faceted chronicle of the author's life, with each of its chapters framed within a thematic context. As the story unfolds, significant events are told and retold in consecutive chapters, revealing them each time in a different light, with varying degrees of nuance and detail. The result is a layered effect that sometimes keeps the reader at arm's length, and at others, intimates some of Shen Fu's most private moments.

      I think  Six Records of a Floating Life is not only the memorize work, I think it is special that the describe of the love of Shen Fu for his wife. In the traditional china article, most of people are write about the worry for country, to people, it is special that  Shen Fu also introduces many friends, family members, and teachers throughout his chronicle.  Especially the love to wife, in history,

 it is rare work is describing about wife.(362)