Description
Book SynopsisThe Fragrant Companions is the most significant work of literature that portrays female same-sex love in the entire premodern Chinese tradition. It is at once an unconventional romantic comedy, a barbed satire, and a sympathetic portrayal of love between women.
Trade ReviewThis engaging translation makes available in lively English the maverick playwright Li Yu’s playful and convention-defying account of romantic love between two women almost four hundred years ago. Resonating with conversations about sexuality and gender identity in our contemporary social world, this adept translation not only is poised to become indispensable reading in a range of undergraduate courses but also would lend itself well to stage adaptation. -- SE Kile, University of Michigan
This expert and highly readable translation takes readers into the world of Chinese opera by presenting a new classic, rich in literary quality, delightful in its panorama of life in seventeenth-century China, and unique in its portrayal of female same-sex romance. Li Yu is an author who deserves a worldwide readership, and this volume is a welcome addition to the growing corpus of translations of his works. -- Keith McMahon, author of
Celestial Women: Imperial Wives and Concubines in China from Song to QingThe Fragrant Companions epitomizes the premodern Chinese literary fantasy of utopian polygyny with a satirical twist. Desire between women is shown to be subversive even as it smooths the operation of a male-headed, polygamous union. Li Yu's wit fully comes alive in this elegant and entertaining translation. -- Tze-lan Deborah Sang, author of
The Emerging Lesbian: Female Same-Sex Desire in Modern ChinaA wonderful and long-awaited addition to the world canon of queer literature! Beautifully and accessibly rendered with a view toward stage production, Roddy and Wang’s translation of Li Yu’s female same-sex love story
The Fragrant Companions is sure to intrigue academics, undergraduates, general readers, and theater professionals alike. -- Patricia Sieber, coeditor of
How to Read Chinese DramaThis felicitous translation of
The Fragrant Companions, with a comprehensive introduction, makes Li Yu’s most popular play accessible and should inspire stagings of the play across the English-speaking world. A lively translation with strong scholarly underpinnings, it is a tremendous achievement. -- Sophie Volpp, author of
The Substance of Fiction: Literary Objects in China, 1550–1775Neatly dealing with both the passionate love between two intelligent and talented women and the Chinese examination-system,
The Fragrant Companions is a rich and rewarding play that is approachable and yet also intriguingly different from much Western drama. -- M.A. Orthofer * Complete Review *
Table of ContentsIntroduction: Women in Love and the Business of Men in Li Yu’s
Chuanqi Drama
Dramatis Personae
The Relationship Between Role Types and Characters
Note on Editions of
LianxiangbanList of Scenes
The Fragrant CompanionsAppendix: Modes and Tunes
Notes
Selected Works on Li Yu and Same-Sex Love in Classical Chinese Fiction and Drama
Index
