Monks, Bandits, Lovers, and Immortals: Eleven Early Chinese Plays

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Description

"This magnificent collection of eleven early [12501450] Chinese plays will give readers a vivid sense of life and a clear understanding of dramatic literature during an extraordinarily eventful period in Chinese history. Not only are the eleven plays in this volume expertly translated into lively, idiomatic English, they are each provided with illuminating, scholarly introductions that are yet fully intelligible to the educated lay reader. A marvelous volume." Victor Mair, University of Pennsylvania

Reviews

"This magnificent collection of eleven early [1250-1450] Chinese plays will give readers a vivid sense of life and a clear understanding of dramatic literature during an extraordinarily eventful period in Chinese history. Not only are the eleven plays in this volume expertly translated into lively, idiomatic English; they are each provided with illuminating, scholarly introductions that are yet fully intelligible to the educated lay reader. A marvelous volume." -- Victor Mair, University of Pennsylvania "West and Idema's Monks, Bandits, Lovers, and Immortals represents a milestone in the reception of early Chinese drama in the West. Not only do the translations of eleven plays take precision, readability, and range to new heights, but the substantial yet accessible Introduction, together with a number of useful appendices, illustrations, and tables, make it the anthology of choice for courses in Chinese literature, world literature, and theater." -- Patricia Sieber, Ohio State University

Author Bio

Stephen H. West is Foundation Professor of Chinese, Arizona State University. Wilt L. Idema is Professor of Chinese Literature, Harvard University.