Dushu zazhi 讀書雜志

Dushu zazhi 讀書雜志 is a "brush-notes"-style book (biji 筆記) with critical commentaries on ancient writings. It has a length of 82 juan and was compiled during the high Qing period 清 (1644-1911) by Wang Niansun 王念孫 (1744-1832).

His works are often mentioned together with that of his son, Wang Yinzhi 王引之 (1766-1834), as the "four books of the Wang" (Wangshi si zhong 王氏四種), which include the Dushu zazhi, Guangya zhuzheng 廣雅疏證 (commentaries on the dictionary Guangya 廣雅), and two commentaries on the Classics, Jingyi shuwen 經義述聞, and Jingzhuan shici 經傳釋詞.

The book focuses on history writings like Yizhoushu 逸周書, Zhanguoce 戰國策, Shiji 史記 and Hanshu 漢書, but also books from the category of "masters and philosophers" like Guanzi 管子, Yanzi chunqiu 晏子春秋, Mozi 墨子, Xunzi 荀子 and Huainanzi 淮南子. Wang corrects errors in the transmitted texts and comments on unclear or doubtful statements and expressions. He also adds phonetic commentaries in some instances. The appendix Han li shiyi 漢隸拾遺 informs about peculiar forms of characters in the chancery script of the Han period 漢 (206 BCE-220 CE).

The book was printed first in 1812, but in several batches. In 1832, a 2-juan-long supplement called Dushu zazhi yubian 讀書雜志餘編 (or Dushu zaji yubian 讀書雜記餘編) was published from among the literary remains of Wang Niansun. The supplement adds comments on the books Houhanshu 後漢書, Laozi 老子, Zhuangzi 莊子, Lüshi chunqiu 呂氏春秋, Hanzi 韓子 (Hanfeizi 韓非子), Fayan 法言 (Yangzi fayan 揚子法言), Chuci, and the anthology Wenxuan 文選.

One example for the work of Wang Niansun is a correction of the sentence zuoshi Chuzhe yuan jian taihou 左師觸讋願見太后 from the Zhanguoce (ch. Zhao ce 趙策 4), in which the word zhe 讋 should read long yan 龍言 (zuozhi Chulong yan). Instead, transmitted versions lumped together the two characters, creating a wrong word. Wang's analysis is corroborated by the discovery of an original, Han-period version of the text in the tomb of Mawangdui 馬王堆 near Changsha 長沙, Hunan.

A new edition of Wang's book was printed in 1870 by the Jinling Shuju 金陵書局. It is also part of the oldest edition of the Gaoyou Wangshi si zhong 高郵王氏四累, published in 1905 by the Hongwen Shuju 鴻文書局. A facsimile of his edition, together with an index, was published in 1985 by the Jiangsu Guji Chubanshe 江蘇古籍出版社.