Stories from a Ming Collection: The Art of the Chinese Storyteller
by Feng Menglong, Cyril Birch (Translator)
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The popularity of the Chinese storyteller goes back to the marketplace of the T'ang dynasty, but the familiar figure came into its own in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. This selection of stories from Feng Menglong's collection, Stories Old and New (originally published in 1624), includes representative types of the storyteller's traditional art. "The Pearl-Sewn Shirt" is a cautionary romance describing the tragedy of a broken marriage; the heroic biography, which depicts a show more neglectedman of high worth gradually receiving recognition, is represented by "Wine and Dumplings"; an authentic twelfth-century forerunner of the detective story is found in "The Canary Murders." The other tales concern traffic in the supernatural, didactic admonitions to observe morality in sex and loyalty in friendship, and realistic accounts of the meanness and corruption of official life. Also includes "The Lady Who Was a Beggar," "The Journey of the Corpse," "The Story of Wu Pao-an," and "The Fairy's Rescue." show lessTags
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Member Reviews
This book is a selection of Chinese storyteller's tales from a Ming-era collection. I found it to be an interesting look into the culture and values of the time, though some of the stories felt lackluster or failed to resonate with me. Standouts were "The Canary Murders", a realistic crime story, and "The Pearl-Sewn Shirt", a tale of adultery. A good choice for readers interested in sampling stories from a far-off time and place.
This is a terrific starting point for people who want to read some Chinese literature from the past. The stories are short and light. The characters and their setting come from the late Ming dynasty, a time when old traditions were beginning to fade, yet Chinese culture would continue to emerge. Ghosts, food, sex, friendship, and justice, from Feng Menglong in 1624, read all about it!
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Stories from a Ming Collection: The Art of the Chinese Storyteller
- Alternate titles
- Stories from a Ming collection : Translations of Chinese short stories published in the seventeenth century
- Original publication date
- 1620
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- Members
- 132
- Popularity
- 246,705
- Reviews
- 2
- Rating
- (3.17)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper
- ISBNs
- 3
- ASINs
- 2
