Description
Book SynopsisThis collection of short stories, anecdotes, and poems was likely compiled during the 13th century. Tales of romantic loveincluding courtship, marriage, and illicit affairsunify the collection and make it an essential primary source for literary and social history, since official Chinese history sources did not usually discuss family conflict or sexual matters. This volume, the first complete translation of The Drunken Man's Talk (Xinbian zuiweng tanlu) in any language, includes an introduction that explores the literary significance of the work as well as annotations explaining the symbolism and allusions found in the stories.
Trade Review"This translation of Zuiweng tanlu deserves a larger audience beyond that of sinologists."
-- Jacques Pimpaneau * T’oung Pao *
"Inglis’s rendition of The Drunken Man’s Talk is a pleasant and enlightening read and highly recommended to anyone interested in medieval Chinese short stories."
-- Xiao Rao, Standford University * Journal of the American Oriental Society *
"a valuable contribution to the field of classical Chinese tales and may also be enjoyed by lay readers."
* Chinese Literature: Essays, Articles, Reviews (CLEAR) - Modern *
"Discovered in 1940 in a private library in Japan, this long-lost The Drunken Man’s Talk (Xinbian zuiweng tanlu新編醉翁談錄) attracts readers’ attention primarily for two reasons: (1) its initial chap-ter offers a valuable introduction to professional storytelling, and (2) it is a rich collection in Classical Chinese that covers short stories from the Six Dynasties (420–581) to the Southern Song (1127–1279). Through Alister D. Inglis’s exquisite translation, English readers can enjoy these amazing stories today... [I]t provides readers with a full picture of a collection of anecdotal fiction (biji xiaoshuo筆記小說) in middle-period China."
* Journal of Asian Studies *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments
Translator’s Introduction
1. An Account of the Plowmen of the Tongue
2. A Legal Case Involving Illicit Love
3. Romantic Union
4. Women’s Verse
5. Humorous Tales from a Precious Window
6. Veritable Records from the Red-light District
7. Records from the Red-light District
8. Humorous Quips
9. The Characteristics of Ladies
10. Poems About Ladies
11. Romantic Union
12. Extraordinary Encounters with Immortals
13. Virtuous Women of the Inner Quarters
14. Legal Cases Involving Witty Verdicts
15. Felicitous Trysts with Immortals
16. Broken Promises
17. Romantic Betrayal
18. Extraordinary and Predestined Meetings
19. Old Stories of Reunion 1
20. Old Stories of Reunion 2
Appendix
Notes
Glossary of Chinese Characters
Bibliography
