A First Course in Literary Chinese, Vol. 1 [Paperback]

Harold Shadick (Author), Ch'iao Chien (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 196 pages
• Publisher: Cornell Univ Pr (December 1968)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801498376
• ISBN-13: 978-0801498374
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #408,959 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Strongly recommended., February 10, 2008

By 

Rafal Felbur (Leiden, Netherlands) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A First Course in Literary Chinese, Vol. 1 (Paperback)

I emphatically recommend Prof. Shadick's 3-volume course.
Its strongest point must be its commitment to a thoroughly systematic grammar. Shadick provides a comprehensive terminological framework which he then teaches the student to apply in the analysis of Classical Chinese expressions - from simple to complicated (mainly original passages from authentic Wenyen texts). In this way, the student is equipped with a firm, solid KNOWlEDGE of how the language works, instead of just a more or less vague FEELING (often based, as it is the case with students of Sinology, on their misleading experience with Modern Chinese.)
Admittedly Shadick's method is time- and energy-consuming. His consistent emphasis on systematic grammar and unwillingness to compromise in technical matters makes his book less attractive to those with little time on their hands.
However, for those willing to commit to Classical Chinese, it will prove the invaluable introductory course at the beginning, and an unfailing reference guide in the future.
Strongly recommended.

4.0 out of 5 stars A useful course, March 13, 2011

By 

C. Struven (Plainfield, IL) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A First Course in Literary Chinese, Vol. 1 (Paperback)

First, a disclaimer: I am familiar with this series because it was used as the textbook for an introductory classical Chinese course at my university. I cannot really comment on how useful the series is for self-taught people. Furthermore, Volume 3 was not available at the time (I believe it was and remains out of print), and that volume carries a lot of the linguistic analysis that you really need to understand half of these writings. As I was in a classroom, the professor taught us all the grammar.

All that said, this is an excellent look at classical Chinese prose, covering some very important literary documents (part of The Great Learning is an early passage) and cultural idioms (such as the story of drawing a snake with feet). This text provides the foundation for independent study in the classics.

Volume 1 contains all the passages. The first several passages are accompanied by translations into modern Chinese. Everything is in traditional characters.

Volume 2 is more or less essential for a non-native speaker, and possibly even for a native speaker. It contains the correct definitions of many of the terms used in the passages, which can vary substantially from their modern meaning, and likely will not appear in common Chinese-English dictionaries. The big downside for me was that all the pronunciation keys were in Wade-Giles rather than Pinyin, which is understandable given the age of the book, but it made things quite frustrating for me.