Greatest Chinese Novels Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Golden Lotus

No one knows who the actual author of the 'Jin Ping Mei' was, though there is speculation it could have been a schloar named Xiao Xiaosheng. Probably the first realist Chinese novel, it was published in 1610 during the latter years of the Ming Dynasty.

Answer: Li Ruzhen

In Li's great novel we follow the adventures of Tang Ao through strange lands, much like Swift's Gulliver. The 'Jing Hua Yuan' is a satire on Chinese society and highlights the folly of mankind.

Answer: Monkey

The 'Xi You Ji' was written by Wu Cheng-en and first translated into English by the prolific Arthur Waley, one of the pioneers in translating Chinese and Japanese literature into the English language. We also call it 'Monkey' because it features a mischievous monkey, Sun Wu Kong, as one of its main characters. Nowadays, Sun is the star of many Asian cartoon shows and books...something like a Don Quixote.

Answer: Dream of the Red Chamber

'Hong Lou Meng' more directly translates as 'Dream of the Red Chamber', and is considered by many to be the greatest Chinese novel. Cao Xueqin, wrote the first 80 chapters of this very dense work, a tale of love, family, morality, and a host of other themes. The final 40 chapters were written by someone else, probably Gao E who prepared the manuscript for publication.

Answer: Tang Xianzu

In 'The Peony Pavilion' we follow the life of a scholar-bureaucrat named Du Bao who thrives on his official work, and dreams of lovely nature.

Answer: Luo Guanzhong

Luo based his work on 'The History of the Three Kingdoms' by Chen Shou, who lived during the late Han Dynasty of the 3rd century. This is a story of three heroes who live during the time of the fall of the Han Dynasty and its aftermath, known as the Three Kingdoms Period of Chinese history.

Answer: Floating Life

In this set of memoirs Shen Fu describes the frustration of unattainable aspirations, the corruption of officialdom, the difficulty of family life and the role of arranged marriages in developing social problems, among other topics.

Answer: Lu Xun

Lu Xun was born Zhou Shuren, but took on his pen name in the early 20th century. His first published work was 'Diary of a Madman' (Kuangren Riji) in 1918, with 'Ah Q' coming out in 1920. If you read only one Chinese novel, read one of his...

Answer: Returning Home

'Rickshaw Boy' is also called 'Camel Xiangzi' (Luotuo Xiangzi), probably his greatest work. 'Teahouse' was one of his plays, while 'Crescent Moon' was a short story written by Mr. Lao. Sadly, he was one of the many victims of the Cultural Revolution.

Answer: Family

'Family' (Jia) was written during a difficult time in Chinese history, with civil war and the Japanese invasion just two of the major concerns. Naturally, Ba Jin's novel has been compared with the 'Dream of the Red Chamber' because of its themes, but it certainly covers more modern themes. Perhaps a better comparison would be to Pearl Buck's 'The Good Earth'? Thank you for trying this quiz...please let me know if there are any names you are having difficulty pronouncing, I'm more than willing to give advice!