Stories from a Ming Collection: The Art of the Chinese Storyteller

Menglong, Feng

ISBN 10: 0802150314 / ISBN 13: 9780802150318

Published by Grove Press, 1994

May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0802150314I4N00

Synopsis:

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 neglected man 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."

From the Back Cover: The popularity of the Chinese story-teller goes back to the market place of the T'ang dynasty, but the familiar figure came into his own in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries and his audience included not only the populace but men of leisure and the Emperor as well. This selection of six stories from Feng Meng-lung's collection includes representative types of the story-teller's traditional art.

Bibliographic Details

Title: Stories from a Ming Collection: The Art of ...
Publisher: Grove Press
Publication Date: 1994
Binding: Paperback
Condition: Very Good
Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket