Description
Book SynopsisStephen Owen contends that in the new money economy of the Song Dynasty, writers became preoccupied with the question of whether material things can bring happiness. In a series of essays, All Mine! offers strikingly original readings of major eleventh-century figures.
Trade ReviewElegant and witty, erudite and charming. Stephen Owen explores the dilemmas new modes of ownership created for the pursuit of happiness and reputation in the writings of great eleventh-century humanists. A brilliant example of how the study of literature speaks to intellectual and social history. -- Peter K. Bol, author of
Neo-Confucianism in HistoryStephen Owen's interpretations of Chinese literature are not only enlightening but also a pleasure to read. He always finds levels of meaning I would not have reached on my own. -- Patricia Buckley Ebrey, author of
Emperor HuizongBrilliant and persuasive readings of important Song essays that reveal a paradigm shift in the consciousness of writers. Considering the pressures of a lived environment complicated by obsession with objects, ownership, and self-representation, these readings are presented in a mode of hypothetical propositions, drawing the reader into a conversation with the texts and the translator. -- Stephen H. West, cotranslator of
The Orphan of Zhao and Other Yuan Plays: The Earliest Known Versions[A] must-read on the studies of literati culture in eleventh-century China . . . It is a pleasure to read Professor Owen’s brilliant readings supplemented by precise and elegant translations of major pieces. * Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies *
Reading
All Mine! is certainly a joyful experience. Owen’s style of writing brings the Song world and writers to life. * Philosophy East and West *
For students in upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses, [this book] serves as a perfect introduction to Northern Song literature and an exemplary example of interdisciplinary research. For some Chinese academics, this book will also be a handy primary source for studying Owen’s artistic tastes and hermeneutical style. Of course, it is also an excellent reading for scholars in literary studies, Song cultural history, and translation studies. * Journal of Asian Studies *
Table of ContentsIntroduction
1. What’s in a Name? The Biography of the Retired Layman Six Ones
2. The Magistrate of Peach Blossom Spring
3. Missing Stones
4. All Mine: The Poetics of Ownership
5. The Stone That Tells Its Name
6. The Bamboo in the Breast and in the Belly
Closure
Further Readings
Sources and Translations
Notes
Bibliography
Index
