The Four Chinese Classics: Tao Te Ching, Chuang Tzu, Analects, Mencius

I’ve read many translations of the TTC. Not as familiar with the other works in the volume but from what I read in the TTC I really feel the author has delivered something exceptional. The meanings seem clear to me while also presenting the text in an elegant style all while not taking too many liberties with the text. When you read the Tao Te Ching, or any spiritual text for that matter, you want it to feel profound yet familiar, kind of like when a western mind might read the Psalms. This is what I get when I read this translation.

Understanding Chinese history and culture requires a familiarity with these four great texts of the Chinese antiquity. I bought this book because I wanted a common translation for all four texts and I knew David Hinton's translations are widely recognized for there clarity and excellence. I found the texts to be very readable and inbued with a spirit of life and freshness. What I did not realize prior to reading this book was the depth and insight provided by the commentaries by David Hinton. They are dense, full of information, and written at a level commensurate with Hinton's scholarship. Not only have I been able to appreciate the texts, but I have gained a depth of understanding thanks to the excellent commentary. This is a great volume to read at a very inexpensive price that will open one's mind to the breadth and color of the Chinese antiquity. I have learned much thanks to this book and David Hinton, and I offer not just my highest recommendation, but my eternal gratitude for the excellent exegesis. If you have an interest in Chinese history or culture, you will find this book indispensable. Of the many books I have read, I would definitely rate this is one of the best. Thank you, David Hinton.

The erudite translation of the Four Chinese Classics provide a rigorous foundation for understanding the treasured poems, analects and enigmatic writings in a manner accessible to the non-Chinese reader. There may be more poetic and equally mysterious versions.

quality translation, good introductions

This is a beautifully translated and carefully introduced group of texts. It is absolutely a must-buy for any library of Chinese philosophy and spirituality. It is also an enormous bargain if you want each of these texts in one convenient and well-binded place. As other reviewers have noted, Mencius alone makes this a fantastic deal.There is only one minor flaw, the text excludes the outer chapters of Chaung Tzu. I have not been convinced that these chapters are superflous. In particular, the chapter commonly called "Horse's Hoofs" would have been a great addition as it is a short and sweet early discussion of our species nature that foreshadows the later idea of species being that Karl Marx crystallized in his 1844 manuscripts. Watson's translation can be found free online and Palmer's is the best in print, but it is a shame to see this chapter and others omitted.But that's a minor qualification. I wholeheartedly recommend both this text and Hilton's historical collection of Chinese poetry. Both are masterful, accessible, and elegant.