Vignettes from the Late Ming
副标题: A Hsiao-p'in Anthology
ISBN: 9780295977331
出版社: University of Washington Press
出版年: 1999-3-1
页数: 216
定价: USD 27.00
装帧: Paperback
内容简介
This anthology presents 70 translated and annotated short essays, or hsiao-p'in, by 14 well-known 16th- and 17th-century Chinese writers. Hsiao-p'in, characterized by spontaneity and brevity, were a relatively informal variation on the established classical prose style in which all scholars were trained. Written primarily to amuse and entertain the reader, hsiao-p'in reflect the rise of individualism in the late Ming period and collectively provide a panorama of the colorful life of the age. Critics condemned the genre as escapist because of its focus on life's sensual pleasures and triviality, and over the next two centuries many of these playful and often irreverent works were officially censored. Today, the essays provide valuable and rare accounts of the details of everyday life in Ming China as well as displays of wit and delightful turns of phrase.