num_pages: 176
description: 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 Yun, 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.
language: English
title: Six Records of a Floating Life
titlecomplete: Six Records of a Floating Life
genres: Asian Literature, Chinese Literature, 19th Century, Biography, China, Classics, History, Asia, Nonfiction, Memoir
ratings_count: 1497
publisher: Penguin Classics