Six Records of a Floating Life by Shen Fu

A remarkable historical and literary text by Shen Fu, a failed literati who lived in the late 18th century. Four of the six records remain, and I enjoyed reading the first, "The Joys of the Wedding Chamber"--where he details his relationship with his wife, Yun--the most.

"By this time the scent of jasmine in their hair had mixed with the aroma of the wine, all of it overlaid by the smell of perspiration in their make-up."

How many scents, fragrances, smells are lost to us in historical documents?

On the reunion with Yun after a short departure Shen Fu writes: "...I went into our room and Yun rose to greet me. She held my hand without saying a word. Our souls became smoke and mist. I thought I heard something, but it was as if my body had ceased to exist."

Being an anthropologist, I tend to think through the lens of (cultural) difference. Is romantic love in "human nature?" Does it escape the specifications of culture; does it mean the same thing for Shen Fu as it did for someone 2000 years ago as it does for people today?

There is a part where Yun dresses like a man to accompany Shen Fu to the festival of Tungting Temple; a demonstration of light-spirited transgression and agency.

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