Review of Zhuangzi: The Complete Writings, trans. with intro. & notes by Brook Ziporyn

At Rhino.


Teaser quote: Suppose you decided that you were going to commit to loving old Chinese poetry the way it is loved by Chinese literati. Stop right there. You might not realize what you’re agreeing to. Look at the terms of the contract very carefully. You’re not just saying you want to love old Chinese poetry; you’re saying you want to love it the way it was meant to be loved. That first thing? just loving it? Piece of cake. But loving it as intended—means making yourself Chinese. Even if you are Chinese you might have to make yourself Chinese.


[originally posted Wednesday 10 February 2021]