The Chinese Essay [Paperback]

David Pollard (Translator)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0231121180 | ISBN-13: 978-0231121187 | Publication Date: March 15, 2000 0

Veteran sinologist David Pollard has selected and translated the best and most representative examples of Chinese prose writing from the third century to the contemporary period. Though spanning the past 1,800 years, the bulk of the selections are from the twentieth century and range from early masters, such as Lu Xun, to the major writers of the middle generation, such as Ye Chengtao and Liang Yuchun.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"In keeping with its venerable tradition of publishing scholarship on China, Columbia has produced a groundbreaking work edited by a respected Sinologist and translator. In his lengthy and useful introduction to this collection of essays by 36 Chinese authors, Pollard discusses the important differences between the Western notion of 'essay' and its Chinese version--or sanwen (everything that is not a poem)--which is steeped in the classical school curriculum....Pollard's up-to-date, lucid translations of this specialized form of prose can be read effectively as a companion piece to Elizabeth Buckley Ebrey's sourcebook Chinese Civilization and Society (CH, Jul'81) by anyone interested in serious study of Chinese history and culture." -- Choice

Review

"These translations are based on sound scholarship and very wide reading. The pieces that introduce each essay are clear, informative, witty, and memorable. They are aimed at the general reader... someone who wants to understand what concerns Chinese authors over the ages have dealt with in essay form, who would like to get an idea of their stylistic approach, who wishes to get an insight into the imaginative processes of a range of fascinating individuals, and who is motivated by a wish to broaden his or her own experience in other literatures." -- Denis Twitchett, former professor of Chinese, Cambridge University

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Product Details

• Paperback: 372 pages
• Publisher: Columbia University Press (March 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0231121180
• ISBN-13: 978-0231121187
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,959,166 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)