A Sampler of Chinese Literature

A collection of Chinese literary gems, complete or extracts from larger works, created between the Ming Dynasty (14th-17th century) and the era of Mao Zedong. Translated into English by a master of the art, their tightly constructed plots and subtle characterisations dispel the strangeness of a distant land and a different culture. The human qualities of their personae seem remarkably familiar. Selections from China's most famous and best-loved fiction are divided into four time frames. 'Feudal Fiction' is represented by Outlaws of the Marsh, the great picaresque classic novel. 'War and Revolution' reflects the angry reaction of an outraged people against domestic tyranny and foreign invasion. 'Transition' graphically describes China's intellectual ferment and ethical conflicts in an era of revolution. 'Satiric Verse' gives a glimpse of what bitterly sardonic poets were writing earlier this century. Sampler is an introduction to models of China's finest fiction, admired for their high literary quality and for their vivid illumination of Chinese history.