Abstract: The paper proposes an alternative way to categorize ancient Chinese novels in terms of their representation and its effects of social customs, historical background, natural scenes and objects, and it argues for three categories to be the concrete representation, the abstract representation, and the half concrete half abstract representation. This categorization does not take the fundamental elements such as plot, character, and theme to be the criteria, and it may offer a new perspective to examine the artistic characteristics of ancient novels and the authors’ way of thinking.

Key words: ancient Chinese novels, concrete representation, abstract representation, half concrete half abstract representation