Overview
In 1867 some Chinese texts were found in a tomb outside Shanghai. They contained examples of an oral genre from the 15th century called chantefables . These texts occupy an important place in Chinese vernacular literature. In an examination from an anthropological viewpoint, the author of this study points out that these oral traditional texts can only be appreciated in the the festival, ritual and performative context of their derivation and reception. Topics dealt with in this work include the popular interpretation of Confucian orthodoxies, the literary recycling of the oral tradition, and the influence of chantefables on the development of Chinese vernacular fiction. The author also offers a comparative perspective on the different social consequences of print technology in China and the West. Illustrations of 10 chantefable woodblocks are included.
Full Product Details
Author: Anne McLaren
Publisher: Brill
Imprint: Brill
Volume: 41
Dimensions:
Width: 15.50cm
, Height: 2.70cm
, Length: 23.50cm
Weight: 0.699kg
ISBN: 9789004109988
ISBN 10: 9004109986
Pages: 356
Publication Date: 30 March 1998
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Professional and scholarly
,
Undergraduate
,
Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Out of stock
The supplier is temporarily out of stock of this item. It will be ordered for you on backorder and shipped when it becomes available.
Language: eng, chi
Reviews
' Anne McLaren has given us an extremely well-researched, extensive, and stimulating study of early Chinese tell-and-sing literature.'<br>Vibeke Bxrdahl, Asian Folklore Studies, 1999.<br>' this is a wide-ranging volume containing a wealth of detail and insight on the changing and complex practice of reading, performance, writing and ritualizing storytelling in Ming China.'<br>Louise Edwards, Journal of the Oriental Society of Australia, 1998.<br>' a contribution of great merit that will have a significant impact upon the study of Chinese popular cultureMcLaren's Popular Culture and Ming Chantefables is a good example of how studies on archaeologically and archivally recovered materials are not only reshaping but completely transforming our understanding of the nature and development of Chinese civilization.'<br>Victor Mair, T'Oung Pao, 2000.<br>' a book of excellent scholarship on an extremely important topic.'<br>Liangyan Ge, China Review International, 2000.<br>' In general, McLaren's book displays its author's impressively wide range of knowledge and is a great contribution to studies of popular culture in late imperial China. I warmly recommend this book to anyone in the field.'<br>Shuhui Yang, Journal of the American Oriental Society, 2000.<br>
Author Information
Anne E. Mclaren, Ph.D. in Chinese liturature, Australian National University, is Senior Lecturer and Head, Chinese program, at La Trobe University, Melbourne. She has published extensively in the field of Ming popular narratives, including The Chinese Femme-fatale (University of Sydney, 1994).
