A spirited, enchanting collection of stories from the 17th-century
Chinese playwright and raconteur in a vivid translation, the first
in English: a fitting companion to Li Yu's acclaimed erotic satire
The Carnal Prayer Mat (1990). Although the original text from which
these six spicy tales were taken contained a dozen stories, the
full measure of Li Yu's wit comes through in Hanan's selection.
Each narrative begins with a short poetic introduction and
commentary and concludes with a quick critique, in a style typical
of the day, but the distinctive ribald nature of this assortment
soon becomes apparent. The title story follows a young man using
the latest in modern technology - a telescope - to spy on his
neighbors in search of an acceptably pretty wife, whom he proceeds
to win by tapping his secret knowledge of her to make her think him
omniscient, then tricking her father into agreeing to the match.
Other tales are built on similarly delightful subterfuge, whether
through the manipulations of an audacious con artist, the scourge
of all China, who finally decides to lead a righteous and holy life
but first dupes a pair of rich benefactors into building his
temple; or through the wiles of a young rake gratefully unburdened
of an ugly wife by her early death, who pursues the most beautiful
girl in the area and her equally lovely maid/companion, winning
them both after having turned his attentions from the former to the
latter, a sharp-witted, practical woman who knows what she wants
and how to get it. Subtle comedies of marriage and Chinese society,
these give charming evidence of a true master's touch, easily
bridging more than 300 years to he fresh and vibrant today. (Kirkus
Reviews)
Li Yu, considered a master of comedy in Chinese literature, was a
novelist, playwright, and essayist in the 17th century. In this
collection, patrick Hanan has translated six of the twelve stories
in the Sh'ier lou collection, which is one of the most famous
individual collections of vernacular stories from pre-modern China.
With Hanan's introduction and notes, and containing Li Yu's
emphasis marks, notes, and critiques, this volume should be of
interest to students of Chinese literature and general readers
alike.
General
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