Yes, once you are advanced, and ideally with an annotated edition. Lu Xun's Call to Arms contains stories every educated Chinese reader knows, but its early modern language differs from today's, so learners below advanced level will find it discouraging.
- Level
- Advanced
- Format
- Book
- Year
- 2000
Why it works for learners
Reading Lu Xun gives you direct access to references that keep coming up in Chinese culture and conversation: names and images from Diary of a Madman and Kong Yiji are widely recognised. The form helps too, since a short story can be finished in one or two sittings and the collection lets you stop any time. You also see written Chinese at an early stage of its modern form, which sharpens your sense of how the language has changed.
What makes it hard
Vocabulary and grammar from an earlier period look familiar yet behave differently, and classical traces appear throughout. Dictionaries built for modern Chinese can mislead you. The irony and social criticism need some historical context, so you can understand each sentence and still miss the story's point.
How to use it
Begin with Kong Yiji, which is short, and read it with notes. Then read Diary of a Madman. Afterwards, read a short introduction to the period in Chinese or English and return to one story. Note which words differ from modern usage.
More for Chinese learners: our Chinese guides.
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