The name of the novel is literally in the info section (Also known as: 后宫·如懿传）
Oh good You should definitely do it! Choosing M to study is probably one of the best decisions I've ever made :)) Not only will you be able to enjoy the endless amount of good entertainment (TV shows, films, novels, games, etc) but you'll also have access to the gigantic pool of Chinese-only information and services.
So
- First you should master PINYIN, there are mobile apps and youtube videos for that .
- Download 3 (free) apps HelloChinese, ChineseSkills and LingoDeer to your phone. Try out to see which one you like best and do the full course. I prefer HelloChinese but all 3 are better than Duolingo (<- at least for Mandarin) You will learn the basics of Mandarin & get a feel of the language.
- Then you can download a Chinese dictionary app. As of now PLECO is the best . It's free on iOS/Android. When you're ready to read stuff in Chinese, you can get the basic bundle (~$30 in-app purchase I think) , which includes the document/web reader, OCR camera & flashcard functions. (No need to get the pricier master bundle imo. ) You will do most of your reading with this Pleco reader, which has pop-up definitions. (Like Zhongwen Chinese Popup Dictionary - the Chome extension - you should install this in your PC web browser, too). In the beginning you'll be looking up almost every word (I sure did!) so the 1st one or two novels will be extra challenging. BUT once you get thru that it'll be much smoother. Besides novels, you can read Chinese news articles or whatever interests you. The more practice the better (obviously). There are good short stories (with English translation) around the web so you definitely check them out before diving in more "advanced" stuff. (Check out NovelUpdates.com for info on novels with Eng translations.)
- Also GRAMMAR is very important so make sure you fully grasp the basics. The Chinese Grammar Wiki page is the best free resourse https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Main_Page Fortunately Chinese grammar is relatively straight forward.
- For memorizing HANZI (Chinese characters), learn them in terms of radical blocks. You can use mnemonics for the more difficult ones. Writing them down helps. You can also use apps like Quizlet, Memrise, Skritter, Anki, etc. Don't be discouraged if you don't remember hanzi (or grammar, etc.) at first. Just continue using the language, the immersion will ease you in and you'll get used to everything in no time. Reading will boost your vocab like crazy so your desire to read is already a big advantage over the average learners.
- You can also follow a textbook for more structural learning. I used Boya Chinese. Integrated Chinese and Practical Chinese Reader aren't too bad, either. In-person classes are not compulsory since you'll still do most of the work in self-study time but it may help.
The name of the novel is literally in the info section (Also known as: 后宫·如懿传）
I tried google but couldn't find any. The novel is pretty long (6 volumes in Chinese) so it might scare off potential translators. Even the prequel (Zhen Huan Zhuan) which is widely popular doesn't have English translations so... Sorry I can't be of more help. ><
P.s: If you REALLY want to read Chinese novels though, you can pick up Mandarin. Contrary to popular belief, it's actually not that hard. 1-2 years of casual self-learning is good enough for this purpose (which is what I did 2 yrs ago :)
The high score & rave reviews got me good. The movie was....disappointing. The dream cast & the setting caught my attention in the 1st place. The soundtracks and costumes admittedly aren't that bad either...but all is ruined by the unrealistic plot, 2D characters and redundant melodrama. Oh and that CGI.....
I started watching this for ZDY&CX but.......wtf is this **^%*^ Almost every character is unbelievably stupid, over the top or just ...wtf is wrong with their brain?? For sth to be so full of (BAD) cliches, it must be from the 2000s- I thought...but NO, it's just out last year!! I suffered though 16 episodes and already fought the urge to punch the screen like 200 times. Yet they somehow managed to drag this miserable *^%#€ till ep 41??? Dong Yu, Chen Xiao...y u do dis to ur fans?? (;´༎ຶД༎ຶ`)
I've only seen a few scenes and the acting was...not great. Apparently Angela Baby is not known for her acting. Looks-wise she's not my type either /:) it's a shame since I've heard good things about Tong Hua's novels and I liked BBJX so.... For folks who have braved thru 45 episodes, was it worth it?
So
- First you should master PINYIN, there are mobile apps and youtube videos for that .
- Download 3 (free) apps HelloChinese, ChineseSkills and LingoDeer to your phone. Try out to see which one you like best and do the full course. I prefer HelloChinese but all 3 are better than Duolingo (<- at least for Mandarin) You will learn the basics of Mandarin & get a feel of the language.
- Then you can download a Chinese dictionary app. As of now PLECO is the best . It's free on iOS/Android. When you're ready to read stuff in Chinese, you can get the basic bundle (~$30 in-app purchase I think) , which includes the document/web reader, OCR camera & flashcard functions. (No need to get the pricier master bundle imo. )
You will do most of your reading with this Pleco reader, which has pop-up definitions. (Like Zhongwen Chinese Popup Dictionary - the Chome extension - you should install this in your PC web browser, too).
In the beginning you'll be looking up almost every word (I sure did!) so the 1st one or two novels will be extra challenging. BUT once you get thru that it'll be much smoother. Besides novels, you can read Chinese news articles or whatever interests you. The more practice the better (obviously). There are good short stories (with English translation) around the web so you definitely check them out before diving in more "advanced" stuff. (Check out NovelUpdates.com for info on novels with Eng translations.)
- Also GRAMMAR is very important so make sure you fully grasp the basics. The Chinese Grammar Wiki page is the best free resourse https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Main_Page
Fortunately Chinese grammar is relatively straight forward.
- For memorizing HANZI (Chinese characters), learn them in terms of radical blocks. You can use mnemonics for the more difficult ones. Writing them down helps. You can also use apps like Quizlet, Memrise, Skritter, Anki, etc.
Don't be discouraged if you don't remember hanzi (or grammar, etc.) at first. Just continue using the language,
the immersion will ease you in and you'll get used to everything in no time. Reading will boost your vocab like crazy so your desire to read is already a big advantage over the average learners.
- You can also follow a textbook for more structural learning. I used Boya Chinese. Integrated Chinese and Practical Chinese Reader aren't too bad, either. In-person classes are not compulsory since you'll still do most of the work in self-study time but it may help.
Some other resources:
https://www.alllanguageresources.com/learn-chinese-beginner-resources/
https://www.coursera.org/learn/hsk-1 (or other beginner Chinese courses on Coursera or edX, etc.)
https://www.reddit.com/r/ChineseLanguage/wiki/start
https://www.chinese-forums.com/forums/forum/15-general-study-advice-and-discussion/
Good luck ^^
Sorry I can't be of more help. ><
P.s: If you REALLY want to read Chinese novels though, you can pick up Mandarin. Contrary to popular belief, it's actually not that hard. 1-2 years of casual self-learning is good enough for this purpose (which is what I did 2 yrs ago :)
.....That and the whooping 87-episode tag..._(´ཀ`」 ∠)_
For folks who have braved thru 45 episodes, was it worth it?
https://youtu.be/NRQlNu4zOh0