Idle Talk under the Bean Arbor A Seventeenth-Century Chinese Story Collection / compiled by Aina the Layman ; with commentary by Ziran the Eccentric Wanderer ; edited by Robert E. Hegel.
"Written around 1660, the unique Chinese short story collection Idle Talk under the Bean Arbor (Doupeng xianhua), by the author known only as Aina the Layman, uses the seemingly innocuous setting of neighbors swapping yarns on hot summer days under a shady arbor to create a series of stories that embody deep disillusionment with traditional values. The tales, ostensibly told by different narrators, parody heroic legends and explore issues that contributed to the fall of the Ming dynasty a couple of decades before this collection was written, including self-centeredness and social violence. These stories speak to all troubled times, demanding that readers confront the pretense that may lurk behind moralistic stances. Idle Talk under the Bean Arbor presents all twelve stories in English translation along with notes from the original commentator, as well as a helpful introduction and analysis of individual stories."--Publisher description.
Bibliographic references
Includes bibliographical references.
Source of description
Description based on print version record.
Contents
SESSION 5 The Little Beggar Who Was Truly FilialSESSION 6 The Exalted Monks Who Faked Transcendence; SESSION 7 On Shouyang Mountain, Shuqi Becomes a Turncoat; SESSION 8 With a Transparent Stone, Master Wei Opens Blind Eyes; SESSION 9 Liu the Brave Tests a Horse on the Yuyang Road; SESSION 10 Freeloader Jia Forms a League on Tiger Hill; SESSION 11 In Death, Commander Dang Beheads His Enemy; SESSION 12 In Detail, Rector Chen Discourses on the Cosmos; Afterthoughts on Stories; Historical and Cultural References; Notes; Glossary of Chinese Characters; Bibliography; Contributors.
Cover; IDLE TALK UNDER THE BEAN ARBOR; Title; Copyright; Dedication; CONTENTS; Acknowledgments; Introduction: Gossip and Exaggeration in Aina's Short Stories; Terms of Measurement and Titles; Chronology of China's Historical Periods (Dynasties and States); IDLE TALK UNDER THE BEAN ARBOR; PREFACE; FOREWORD; SESSION 1 Jie Zhitui Sets Fire to His Jealous Wife; SESSION 2 Fan Li Drowns Xishi in West Lake; SESSION 3 A Court-Appointed Gentleman Squanders His Wealth but Takes Power; SESSION 4 The Commissioner's Son Wastes His Patrimony to Revive the Family.
ISBN
9780295999982
0295999985
OCLC
979417407
Doi
10.1515/9780295999982
Statement on responsible collection description
Princeton University Library aims to describe library materials in a manner that is respectful to the individuals and communities who create, use, and are represented in the collections we manage. Read more...