How a crazy monk led me to enlightenment
<p><span word="China">China</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="four">four</span> <span word="classic">classic</span> <span word="novels">novels</span> - <span word="A">A</span> <span word="Dream">Dream</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Red">Red</span> <span word="Mansions">Mansions</span>, <span word="Journey">Journey</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="West">West</span>, <span word="Romance">Romance</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Three">Three</span> <span word="Kingdoms">Kingdoms</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Outlaws">Outlaws</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Marsh">Marsh</span> - <span word="are">are</span> <span word="mandatory">mandatory</span> <span word="reading">reading</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="expat">expat</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="wants">wants</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="better">better</span> <span word="handle">handle</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="mysteries">mysteries</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Middle">Middle</span> <span word="Kingdom">Kingdom</span>.</p><p><span word="They">They</span> <span word="offer">offer</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="insight">insight</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="psyche">psyche</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="guidebook">guidebook</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="ever">ever</span> <span word="reveal">reveal</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="warned">warned</span>. <span word="Each">Each</span> <span word="novel">novel</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="about">about</span> 1,500 <span word="pages">pages</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="between">between</span> <span word="working">working</span>, <span word="learning">learning</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span>, <span word="traveling">traveling</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="being">being</span> <span word="distracted">distracted</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="million">million</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="curiosities">curiosities</span> <span word="here">here</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="took">took</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="year">year</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="nearly">nearly</span> <span word="read">read</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="all">all</span>.</p><p><span word="Journey">Journey</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="West">West</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="funniest">funniest</span> <span word="books">books</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="ever">ever</span> <span word="read">read</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="marvelous">marvelous</span> <span word="mix">mix</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="folklore">folklore</span>, <span word="religion">religion</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="anti">anti</span>-<span word="bureaucratic">bureaucratic</span> <span word="satire">satire</span>.</p><p><span word="A">A</span> <span word="Dream">Dream</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Red">Red</span> <span word="Mansions">Mansions</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="Romeo">Romeo</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Juliet">Juliet</span>-<span word="style">style</span> <span word="tragedy">tragedy</span> <span word="set">set</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="declining">declining</span> <span word="years">years</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Qing">Qing</span> <span word="Dynasty">Dynasty</span> (1644-1911). <span word="Think">Think</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Desperate">Desperate</span> <span word="Housewives">Housewives</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Entourage">Entourage</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="characteristics">characteristics</span>.</p><p><span word="Romance">Romance</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Three">Three</span> <span word="Kingdoms">Kingdoms</span> <span word="reminds">reminds</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="lot">lot</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Lord">Lord</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Rings">Rings</span> - <span word="poems">poems</span> <span word="scattered">scattered</span> <span word="between">between</span> <span word="narrative">narrative</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="lots">lots</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="amazing">amazing</span> <span word="characters">characters</span>. <span word="One">One</span> <span word="king">king</span> <span word="rides">rides</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="battle">battle</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="red">red</span> <span word="ox">ox</span> <span word="wearing">wearing</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="little">little</span> <span word="bit">bit</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="rhino">rhino</span> <span word="armor">armor</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="else">else</span>.</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="favorite">favorite</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="Outlaws">Outlaws</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Marsh">Marsh</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="tells">tells</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="story">story</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="warts">warts</span>-<span word="and">and</span>-<span word="all">all</span> <span word="heroes">heroes</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="fight">fight</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="people">people</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="rights">rights</span> <span word="against">against</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="corrupted">corrupted</span> <span word="Song">Song</span> <span word="government">government</span>.</p><p><span word="There">There</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="Yang">Yang</span> <span word="Zhi">Zhi</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Blue">Blue</span>-<span word="faced">faced</span> <span word="Beast">Beast</span>, <span word="Ruan">Ruan</span> <span word="Xiao">Xiao</span> <span word="Wu">Wu</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Reckless">Reckless</span> <span word="Rash">Rash</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Xuan">Xuan</span> <span word="Zan">Zan</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Ugly">Ugly</span> <span word="Son">Son</span>-<span word="In">In</span>-<span word="Law">Law</span>. <span word="Wu">Wu</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Elder">Elder</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="called">called</span> <span word="Three">Three</span> <span word="Inches">Inches</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Mulberry">Mulberry</span> <span word="Bark">Bark</span>, <span word="because">because</span> <span word="he">he</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="short">short</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="ugly">ugly</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="there">there</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="guy">guy</span> <span word="called">called</span> <span word="Dried">Dried</span> <span word="Pecker">Pecker</span> <span word="Head">Head</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="Brad">Brad</span> <span word="Pitt">Pitt</span> <span word="look">look</span>-<span word="alike">alike</span>.</p>
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