Chinese Mythology: An Introduction - Hardcover

Birrell

3.77

57 ratings by Goodreads

9780801845956: Chinese Mythology: An Introduction

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0801845955 ISBN 13: 9780801845956

Publisher: John Hopkins University Press, 1993

View all copies of this ISBN edition:

"We must all thank Professor Birrell for providing an incredibly bountiful source, containing all manner of practical and fascinating information within its framework of myths. This book should find many uses and readers -- it is a superb resource for teaching about Chinese myth, literature, history, religion, culture, and thought." -- Suzanne Cahill, The Journal of Asian Studies

In Chinese Mythology, Anne Birrell provides English translations of some 300 representative myth narratives selected from over 100 classical texts, many of which have never before been translated into any Western language. Organizing the narratives according to themes and motifs common to world mythology, Birrell addresses issues of source, dating, attribution, textural variants, multiforms, and context. Drawing on exhaustive work in comparative mythology, she surveys the development of Chinese myth studies, summarizes the contribution of Chinese and Japanese scholars to the study of Chinese myth since the 1920s, and examines special aspects of traditional approaches to Chinese myth. The result is an unprecedented guide to the study of Chinese myth for specialists and nonspecialists alike.

"Goes far beyond anything in or out of print on this subject. Nothing remotely of this stimulating nature and high quality exists in English. It will be very much sought after by sinologists, but especially by non-sinologist comparativists. Birrell has singlehandedly saved the scholarly world at least a decade in its attempts to come to grips with this fragmented, refractory body of narratives... [A] marvelous work of humanistic scholarship." -- Victor H. Mair, University of Pennsylvania

"The first serious and comprehensive introduction to Chinese mythology aimed at both the specialist and general reader. It is splendidly organized with well-chosen texts, lucid commentary, and useful supplementary matter... Sets new standards in the presentation of Chinese mythology." -- Asian Affairs

"One can safely expect to see this volume in all libraries that serve educated general readers as well as even the most modest academic libraries. Anne Birrell is to be congratulated for bringing this arcane subject matter into the grasp of a wide variety of readers outside the China-studies area." -- Robert E. Hegel, Chinese Literature: Essays, Articles, Reviews

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

Review:

""The first serious and comprehensive introduction to Chinese mythology aimed at both the specialist and general reader. It is splendidly organized with well-chosen texts, lucid commentary, and useful supplementary matter... Sets new standards in the presentation of Chinese mythology." -- Asian Affairs

Synopsis:

China, unlike ancient Greece and Rome, had no Homer or Ovid to retell its ancient myths in an eloquent literary record. Viewed with great scepticism by Chinese scholars ofthe early Chinese empire, myth was preserved orally, and finally converted into the written tradition only in a very fragmentary way. As a consequence, classical Chinese myth has remained largely unavailable to students and scholars of Chinese culture. In "Chinese Mythology", Anne Birrell provides English translations of some 300 representative myth narratives selected from over 100 classical texts, many of which have never before been translated into any western language. Organizing the narratives according to theme and motif classes common to world mythology, Birrell addresses issues of source, dating, attribution, textual variants, multiforms and context. Drawing extensively on works in comparative mythology, she surveys the development of Chinese myth studies, largely in the West; summarizes the contribution of Chinese and Japanese scholars to the study of Chinese myth since the 1920s; and looks at special aspects of traditional approaches to Chinese myth.

The result is an unprecedented guide to the study of Chinese myth for specialists and nonspecialists alike. Anne M. Birrell's previous books include "New Songs from a Jade Terrace" and "Popular Songs and Ballads of Han China".

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.