Overview

Volume 3 unfolds over 1000 years of Chinese stories. Monika Motsch approaches this segment of world literature from historical, topical and comparative points of view. Chinese stories, rooted in religions, social systems, cultural and linguistic traditions utterly different from their western counterparts, provide an imaginative introduction to Chinese culture. They portray all walks of life in Chinese society, covering emperors and beggars, ups and downs in life, heavenly spirits and demons of the underworld alike. The Chinese story emerged in the age of the Six Dynasties (220-589) as the zhiguai, i.e. the accounts of spirits and demons. Just as the heroic and romantic tales of the Tang Dynasty, whose authors were already known by name, they were written in the classical standard language prevalent among the educated. Written much later and in colloquial style, the stories of the Song and Ming Dynasty were directed at the general public. Pu Songling (1640-1717), whose work represents the peak and, at the same time, the close of the traditional Chinese story, is presented in a chapter of his own. Chinese narrative art is the moral establishment of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. It depicts everyday situations that are, again and again, transcended by the unfamiliar and miraculous. The Geschichte der chinesischen Literatur offers the first overall view of a stupendous cultural achievement spanning three millennia and a host of forms and topics. Upon completion, the work will provide an indispensable foundation not only for Sinology but also for literary and cultural studies in general.

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9781281995261

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