Four Great Classical Novels
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The Four Great Classical Novels (Chinese: 四大名著) of Chinese literature, not to be confused with the Four Books of Confucianism, in chronological order, are:
- Romance of the Three Kingdoms (三國演義) (1330)
- Water Margin (水滸傳) (also known as Outlaws of the Marsh) (1573?)
- Journey to the West (西遊記) (1590)
- Dream of the Red Chamber (紅樓夢) (also known as The Story of the Stone) (1792)
Some consider Jin Ping Mei (金瓶梅) (The Plum in the Golden Vase or Golden Lotus) (1610) to be a fifth classic. In the late Ming Dynasty and early Qing Dynasty, Jin Ping Mei was considered with the first three as "Four Major Novels of Wonder" (四大奇書). Its position has since been usurped by Dream of the Red Chamber.
