Customer Reviews

Classical Chinese (Supplement 2): Readings in Poetry and Prose (Princeton Language Program: Modern Chinese)

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This is a good book for those interested in reading classical Chinese texts on their own. The glossaries are very useful, making it easy for those with a basic knowledge of classical Chinese to read new texts from various periods. Pinyin is provided throughout the book along with traditional characters, but the pinyin contains quite a few mistakes. A pity that they didn't have someone proofread it; I'm certain anyone with a basic knowledge of Chinese would've noticed the mistakes.

If you already have a basic knowledge of Chinese, I can wholeheartedly recommend this book: it's a great way to read poetry and prose from many periods in Chinese history, even though there are mistakes here and there. On the other hand, if you don't think you'd be able to spot the mistakes and intend to study the new words you might be better off using another book.

In addition to many of the most famous and representative works by literary greats,
the presentation offers much usefulness for many levels of readers. Helpful explanations are given for other concerns in understanding types of literary formats and vocabulary background commentary.