Tang Dynasty Tales

"This volume supplements Tang Tales, A Guided Reader (Volume 1; 2010) and presents twelve more Tang tales, going beyond the standard corpus of these narratives to include six stories translated into English for the first time. The rich annotation and translator's notes for these twelve tales provide insights into many aspects of Tang material culture and medieval thought, including Buddhism and Daoism. In addition to meticulously annotated translations, the book offers original texts (with some textual notes), and commentaries in the form of translator's notes, thereby joining the first volume of Tang tales as the only collections that introduce students to Tang tales while also challenging specialists interested in the field."--

Together with the noted Tang dynasty tales, Song dynasty tales have long been highly valued and widely read in the Chinese world. As the first English translations of a selected collection of 12 Song dynasty tales, this book opens a window into the world of literature, culture, and the colorful lives of the royal house and common people in the 10th- to 13th-centuries. In addition to the translation and meticulous annotations, it offers a general introduction as well as commentaries on each tale.

Compiled during the Song dynasty (960–1279) at the behest of Emperor Taizong, the Taiping Guangji anthologized thousands of pages of unofficial histories, accounts, and minor stories from the Tang dynasty (618–907). The twenty-two tales translated in this volume, many appearing for the first time in English, reveal the dynamism and diversity of society in Tang China. A lengthy Introduction as well as introductions to each selection further illuminate the social and historical contexts within which these narratives unfold. This collection offers a wealth of information for anyone interested in medieval Chinese history, religion, or everyday life.

' This volume supplements Tang Tales, A Guided Reader (Volume 1; 2010) and presents twelve more Tang tales, going beyond the standard corpus of these narratives to include six stories translated into English for the first time. The rich annotation and translator''s notes for these twelve tales provide insights into many aspects of Tang material culture and medieval thought, including Buddhism and Daoism. In addition to meticulously annotated translations, the book offers original texts (with some textual notes), and commentaries in the form of translator''s notes, thereby joining the first volume of Tang tales as the only collections that introduce students to Tang tales while also challenging specialists interested in the field. Contents:"The Tale of the Supernatural Marriage at Dongting" 洞庭靈姻傳 (Li Chaowei 李朝威)"Zhang Lao" 張老 (Li Liang 李諒)"Yin Tianxiang" 殷天祥 (Shen Fen 沈汾)"Xue Yi" 薛義 (Dai Fu 戴孚)"An Account of Feng Yan" 馮燕傳 (Shen Yazhi 沈亞之)"A Record of Dream of Qin" 秦夢記 (Shen Yazhi 沈亞之)"The Biography of Ge Hua, Marquis of Xiapi" 下邳候革華傳 (Anonymous)"An Account of Mid-rivers" 河間傳 (Liu Zongyuan 柳宗元)"Scholar Cui" 崔書生 (Niu Sengru 牛僧孺)"Third Lady of Plank Bridge Inn" 板橋三娘子 (Xue Yusi 薛漁思)"An Account of Xie Xiao''e" 謝小娥傳 (Li Gongzuo 李公左)"Monk Attached to Emptiness" 僧契虛 (Zhang Du 張讀) Readership: Academics and students interested in medieval Chinese literature; general public interested in early fiction. Key Features:Expands the corpus of Tang tales by including several previously untranslated works from the Daoist and Buddhist traditionsIncludes examples of the well-known pseudo-biographies by Liu Zongyuan and a follower of Han YuMany aspects of Tang culture are explained in the notesKeywords:Tang Tales;Traditional Fiction;Chinese Narratives;Tang Culture;Chuanqi;Tang Literature'

"These stories written during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) form a notable part of early Chinese fiction. Indeed, in importance they are comparable to Tang poetry. The prosperity of the Tang Dynasty with its rapid development of agriculture, handicrafts and commerce supplied a rich material basis for the complex social life which was the background to these stories. Since the authors were consciously writing fiction, they produced something more imaginative than the earlier Chinese tales of the supernatural or anecdotes of famous men. The middle period of the Tang Dynasty - the eighth century and early nineth century - was the hay-day of this form of literature. This collection includes some of the best stories of this period." -- Back cover.

In this fascinating and detailed profile, Benn paints a vivid picture of life in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), traditionally regarded as the golden age of China. 40 line illustrations.