Six Records of a Floating Life

Six Records of a Floating Life (Chinese: 浮生六記 ‘Fu Sheng Liu Ji’) is a classic work of Chinese literature written by scholar and author Shen Fu (1763-1825). The text combines elements of memoir and poetry as the author recounts and reflects upon his own life. It is a major source of information on domestic life during the Qing Dynasty and is one of the most celebrated pieces of 19th-century Chinese literature.

Six Records of a Floating Life was written around 1809 and rediscovered in 1877 when its incomplete manuscript was found languishing in obscurity in a second-hand book market. Only four of the eponymous “six records” still exist, with all forgeries claiming to be the final two parts now discredited. The book does not follow the usual chronological structure of a typical autobiography; instead each of its parts is dedicated to a different topic, and each topic is dealt with through the author’s remembrance and discussion of relevant events and periods from his life. A major focus of the extant text is the relationship between Shen Fu and his late wife Chen Yun, which is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest literary-historical romances of its time. Major themes that are explored in the book include The Enduring Nature of Love and Companionship, Filial Piety and the Position of Women, and The Value of Simplicity and the Natural World.

This guide uses the 1983 Penguin Classics edition of the book translated into English by Leonard Pratt and Chiang Su-Hui. This version of the text uses an outdated romanization system (Wade-Giles). This guide uses standard Pinyin transliterations without tone markers and follows quoted Wade-Giles transliterations with the Pinyin in square brackets.

Content Warning: This book discusses suicide, alcohol addiction, sexual violence, and rape.

Summary

Six Records of a Floating Life is divided into six parts, each of which deals with a different subject through the common lens of Shen Fu’s own life experience. Only four of these parts are included in the text because the final two sections—“A History of Life at Chungshan [Zhongshan]” and “The Way of Living”—are lost.

The beginning of the text focuses on the relationship between Shen Fu and his late wife Chen Yun. It covers the duration of their lives together from their meeting and marriage as teenagers, through the decades of their conjugal life until Chen Yun’s untimely death. Shen Fu presents a series of short excerpts and episodes that illustrate Chen Yun’s excellence as a woman and wife and emphasize the happiness and harmony of their union. The couple enjoys notable festivals, traditional pastimes, and trips. They unsuccessfully pursue the courtesan Han Yuan.

The text then gives information on several leisure activities that Shen Fu values and enjoys, as well as some advice on living frugally and arranging a tasteful home and garden. He pays particular attention to activities such as flower arranging and the cultivation of potted trees, as well as hosting and socializing with friends. He praises Chen Yun’s innovation and ingenuity and reminisces fondly about their time living in his friend’s house, the Villa of Serenity.

Shen Fu then details many of the hardships that befall him and his family. These misfortunes include domestic disharmony with his parents, Chen Yun’s long-term and ultimately fatal “blood sickness,” and Shen Fu’s chronic financial difficulties. Over the course of their marriage, successive hardships see Shen Fu and his wife lose their possessions, stability, inheritance, and access to their children. Shen Fu’s misfortunes culminate in the deaths of his wife Chen Yun, his father, and his only son in rapid succession.

Next, Shen Fu tells of some of his travels through China and the notable sights he has seen, such as temples, gardens, and mountains. This is the only section in which Chen Yun plays little part. Shen Fu takes a months-long detour on a business trip to conduct a costly affair with a young sex worker named Xi’er.