Rating: 8.2/10. I read this Dostoyevsky book as a recommendation from [redacted] because it’s partially about a man who tries to rescue a prostitute. It turns out that the rescuing prostitute part is not really the central event of the book, but nevertheless I found it quite interesting. The novella is short enough (90 pages)…
Category: Classics
Tao Te Ching (道德经) by Laozi
Rating: 8.5/10. Another major work of Chinese philosophy, forming the basis of Taoism, written in the 6th century BC (before Confucius). It’s fairly short, about 20 pages. In some ways it’s similar to Analects, which I read not too long ago, but there are some key differences. This is in some sense the eastern version…
Analects (论语) by Confucius
Rating: 8.5/10. The Analects (论语) is a book of philosophy by Confucius and lays down the groundwork for much of Chinese thinking for the next 2500 years. It’s the second book I’ve read in ancient Chinese literature after the Art of War. It’s written in a somewhat different style — it has 20 chapters of…
The Art of War (孙子兵法) by Sun Tzu
Rating: 7.8/10. Classic treatise on war by ancient Chinese general Sun Tzu who lived in 500BC. It’s 13 short chapters, totaling about 50 pages, and can be read in 2-3 sittings. Some very famous quotes come from this book, like “if you know the enemy and yourself, you will win every battle; if you know…