Which books had Jin Shengtan reviewed?
Jin Shengtan (1618 - 1680) was a famous writer, critic, and ideologist in the late Ming Dynasty. He commented on many famous works, including Water Margins, Dream of the Red Chamber, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, etc. Water Margins was one of Jin Shengtan's most famous works. He commented,"This book, this book, is indeed the most wonderful book in history. The reason why people praise this book is because they don't understand the meaning of this book, so they can't understand it. Today's people can't understand it, so they keep praising it. The characters in this book all have their own personalities, strengths and weaknesses. This is the author's deep understanding of people's feelings, so he wrote this book. If the reader can understand the meaning of the book, then it is extraordinary to be able to see through it." "Dream of the Red Chamber" was also one of Jin Shengtan's favorite works. He believed that this book was "the most wondrous book in history. Everyone has a dream, and it must be completed." The characters in this book are all affectionate, righteous, kind, and hateful. This is the author's deep understanding of human nature, so he wrote this book. If the reader can understand human nature, then it is extraordinary to be able to see through this book." Romance of the Three Kingdoms was also one of Jin Shengtan's favorite works. He commented,"This book, this book, is indeed the most wonderful book in history. Everyone has aspirations, everyone has desires, everyone has needs. This is the author's deep understanding of human nature, so he wrote this book. If the reader can understand the meaning of the book, then it is extraordinary to be able to see through it."
