Myths and Legends of China [Paperback]

E. T. C. Werner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 1994

This highly readable and well-illustrated compilation includes fascinating Chinese myths about gods, stars, water, fire, plus tales about the goddess of mercy, the guardian of the gate of heaven, and many other legends. Features 32 lovely illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English
Original Language: Chinese

Product Details

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications (July 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486280926
• ISBN-13: 978-0486280929
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,814,241 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Sociological Study of Chinese Myths and Legends, April 23, 2010

By 

H. Rhodes (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Myths and Legends of China (Kindle Edition)

If you are looking for a book of Chinese short stories, keep looking. The author is a Sociologist and looks at Chinese myths and legends from this stand point. The beginning of the book is about the origins and traditions of China. He then goes on to write about the myths/legends and adds his interpretations and social influences through out the story. Good for Sociologists but not the best for leisure reading.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars pre-modern orientalist perspective; excellent depth, breadth, May 24, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Myths and Legends of China (Paperback)

To appreciate this book you must take it with a grain of salt (or several). The author is a an old school orientalist, writing in the days when the Chinese Empire still had an emperor and was thoroughly infilitrated by colonial powers (fyi, thats before WWII). To a modern reader Werner seems condescending, but you can tell he has a genuine love for Chinese culture and people even when he is moralizing about the failures of their society at the time. In any event, the depth and breadth of the compilation of myths and tales is excellent, as is the historical context that the author provides. The only flaw is that the order and index is not quite as clear as you might like - several tales are told together in a single chapter, and references to characters in other tales are not always clear due to the numerous names used for some mythological figures. If you can get a version with the original color prints, its a real plus.

25 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Very Misleading, June 12, 2010

By 

Monica Taylor - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Myths and Legends of China (Kindle Edition)

The first part is more like a wikipedia page telling you how the country came to be. It explains their government, religion, marriages, and other facts. It then talks about how myths are created and then about philosophers and their beliefs. I had to stop of 20% of the book cause of how bored I was. I thought I would be reading about myths like "sasquatch" or the "jersey devil". Do not waste your time if you are looking for myths and legends, but read on if you want to learn about their history.