These stories offer a rare glimpse into the psyche of the Chinese people, and display the richness, beauty, and down-to-earth spirit of their culture. Chinese religion, philosophy, and tradition all permeate the tales, and yet all of the stories deal with human universals: self-sacrifice, wisdom, gentleness, vanity, greed, and love. The author sets each tale in a context and discusses the themes that run through them, and their significances. She also provides a list of characters, a pronunciation guide, and a resources section.
This is the only book in English that retells these important stories in depth. Shelley Fu reads, writes, and speaks Mandarin, and as a Chinese-American understands the emotional and psychological landscape of the stories well. Ms. Fu holds a B.A. in English from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and an M.A. from Marquette. She is currently a technical editor in Chicago. This is her first book.
