Overview

The Hsu-Tang Library presents authoritative and eminently readable translations of classical Chinese literature, in bilingual editions, ranging across three millennia and the entire Sinitic world.New Tales Told While Trimming the Wick by the talented scholar and poet of the Ming dynasty, Qu You (1347-1433), was the first work of fiction officially banned in China, but also the first internationally acclaimed collection of Chinese short stories. These tales often seem quite modern in their character development and plot intricacies, with characters facing ethical and moral challenges that are just as difficult to navigate today as they were over six hundred years ago. This collection is a crucial and delightful bridge between the classical tales of the Tang dynasty and Pu Songling's famous Strange Tales from Liaozhai in the Qing. Despite being fiction filled with supernatural elements, New Tales offers fascinating insights into the life and society of China during the turbulent transition between the Yuan and Ming dynasties. Translated in full for the first time, with a contextual introduction to the stories and their author, historical and literary annotations to aid the reader, and bibliographical support, this volume introduces a collection of tales that have had a profound influence on literature across all of Asia.

Full Product Details

Author:   Qu You ,  Zhenjun Zhang (Professor of Chinese and Coordinator of Asian Studies Program, Professor of Chinese and Coordinator of Asian Studies Program, St. Lawrence University) ,  Sidney Sondergard (Piskor Professor Emeritus, Piskor Professor Emeritus, St. Lawrence University) ,  Trever McKay (Associate Professor of Chinese language and literature, Associate Professor of Chinese language and literature, Brigham Young University)
Publisher:   Oxford University Press Inc
Imprint:   Oxford University Press Inc
Dimensions:   Width: 16.40cm , Height: 3.20cm , Length: 24.10cm
Weight:   0.630kg
ISBN:  

9780197668771

ISBN 10:   0197668771
Pages:   336
Publication Date:   22 April 2025
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   To order  
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Table of Contents

Acknowledgements Chronology of the Song, Yuan, and Early Ming Dynasties Weights and Measures Introduction Section 1 1. The Celebration at the Underwater Palace 2. The Blessed Land in the Three Mountains 3. Meeting Old Friends in Huating 4. The Golden Phoenix Hairpin 5. The Tower of Blended Fragrance Section 2 6. Scholar Linghu's Dream of the Underworld 7. Visiting the Hermit at Mt. Tiantai 8. Teng Mu's Drunken Excursion to Jujing Park 9. The Peony Lantern 10. The Adventure at Weitang Section 3 11. The Bureau for Gaining Wealth and Honor 12. The Temple in the Yongzhou Countryside 13. Shenyang Cave 14. The Story of Aiqing 15. The Story of Cuicui Section 4 16. A Spirit Gathering at Dragon Hall 17. The Legal Administrator of the Grand Void 18. The Story of the Deceased Attendant 19. Boating at Night on Mirror Lake 20. The Girl in Green Appendix 21. Autumn Essence Pavilion 22. Sending Plum Blossoms Bibliography Index

Reviews

Part of the new series The Hsu-Tang Library of Classical Chinese Literature, this volume is a welcome addition for anyone interested in Chinese literature, especially works from the Ming era. * Medievalists.net *

Author Information

Qu You (1347-1433), whose style name was Zongji and literary name Cunzhai, was a famous scholar and poet of the Ming Dynasty. He is the author of almost thirty books in different genres; however, only one-third of them are extant. New Stories Told while Trimming the Wick earned him the most fame and acclaim. Zhenjun Zhang is Professor of Chinese and Coordinator of Asian Studies Program at St. Lawrence University, author of Buddhism and Tales of the Supernatural in Early Medieval China (2014), translator of Hidden and Visible Realms: Early Medieval Chinese Tales of the Supernatural and the Fantastic (2018), and co-editor (with Victor Mair) of Anthology of Tang and Song Tales: The Tang Song Chuanqi ji of Lu Xun (2020) and Classic Chinese Poems of Mourning and Texts of Lament (2024). Sidney Sondergard is Piskor Professor Emeritus at St. Lawrence University. He is the translator of the complete English edition of Pu Songling's Strange Tales from Liaozhai (6 vols., 2008-2014). His essays have appeared in Studies in Philology, The American Journal of Semiotics, Studies in the Humanities, Theatre Survey, and Critique. Trever McKay is Associate Professor of Chinese language and literature at Brigham Young University-Idaho, whose translations have appeared in Anthology of Tang and Song Tales: The Tang Song chuanqi ji of Lu Xun and Classic Chinese Poems of Mourning and Texts of Lament.

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