Anthony Christie

Three and a half stars is perhaps a bit mean on this book. It loses a star because so many of the illustrations are in black and white but, when you consider that it was printed in 1968, it should perhaps be praised for the number which are in colour. The cost of colour printing was much higher and this must have been considered quite a luxurious tome.

The text may be considered to be fairly basic but, I needed that and learned much from this book.

This is intended as a general introduction for non-specialists. I very much enjoyed it. It's structured as an overview, with each general theme getting its own chapter. The notes on the myths give the consensus of folk-lore scholars, and discuss provenance, transmission, general themes, and editorial uses. For readers looking for a hint as to the allusions in Chinese history and literature, this is a good choice.