This collection of short stories, anecdotes, and poems was likely compiled during the 13th century. Tales of romantic love-including courtship, marriage, and illicit affairs-unify the collection and make it an essential primary source for literary and social history, since official Chinese history sources did not usually discuss family conflict or sexual matters.

This volume, the first complete translation of The Drunken Man's Talk (Xinbian zuiweng tanlu) in any language, includes an introduction that explores the literary significance of the work as well as annotations explaining the symbolism and allusions found in the stories.

These stories and anecdotes provide valuable information about marriage and sexuality in Song/Yuan society. The translator has done a remarkable job in rendering the text into readable English. -- James M. Hargett, translator of Treatises of the Supervisor and Guardian of the Cinnamon Sea An important contribution to the field. There are very few translations of biji xiaoshuo [anecdotal fiction] from the Tang, Song, and Yuan periods.The Drunken Man's Talk stands out because it offers a complete translation of a single collection, which offers insights into the compiler's interests and agendas, in particular, his selection, presentation, and arrangement of stories. -- Manling Luo, author of Literari Storytelling in Late Medieval China

About the Author

Alister D. Inglis is Freeman Associate Professor of Chinese Languages and Literature at Simmons College. He is the author of Hong Mai's Record of the Listener and Its Song Dynasty Context.

Reviews

"This translation of Zuiweng tanlu deserves a larger audience beyond that of sinologists."

-- Jacques Pimpaneau * T'oung Pao *

"Inglis's rendition of The Drunken Man's Talk is a pleasant and enlightening read and highly recommended to anyone interested in medieval Chinese short stories."

-- Xiao Rao, Standford University * Journal of the American Oriental Society *

"a valuable contribution to the field of classical Chinese tales and may also be enjoyed by lay readers."

* Chinese Literature: Essays, Articles, Reviews (CLEAR) - Modern *

"Discovered in 1940 in a private library in Japan, this long-lost The Drunken Man's Talk (Xinbian zuiweng tanlu ) attracts readers' attention primarily for two reasons: (1) its initial chap-ter offers a valuable introduction to professional storytelling, and (2) it is a rich collection in Classical Chinese that covers short stories from the Six Dynasties (420-581) to the Southern Song (1127-1279). Through Alister D. Inglis's exquisite translation, English readers can enjoy these amazing stories today... [I]t provides readers with a full picture of a collection of anecdotal fiction (biji xiaoshuo ) in middle-period China."

* Journal of Asian Studies *



Book Information
ISBN 9780295741765
Author Luo Ye
Format Paperback
Page Count 238
Imprint University of Washington Press
Publisher University of Washington Press
Weight(grams) 318g