One of the world's greatest love stories in its first complete English translation, brought up-to-date in this new edition. Cyril Birch has captured all the elegance, lyricism, and subtle humor of this drama by Tang Xianzu, perhaps the finest of the Ming dramatists.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
"... [a] superb adaptation of one of the more complex pieces of traditional Chinese vernacular literature... a sapphire in the crown of chuanqi drama, a play the Ulster of which shines undimmed in Cyril Birch's lively rendition." - Journal of Asian Studies "Birch has the exuberance needed for Tang Xianzu's work, and without distortion he finds in Tang's cast of minor characters... a host of echoes of Shakespearean comedy and Shakespearean diction... [a] profound text in English that speaks to an audience of intelligent lay people as a work of artistic integrity rather than one of exotic chinoiserie." - New York Review of Books A Choice Outstanding Academic Book of 1981.
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Language Notes
Text: English, Chinese (translation)
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Masterpiece by Chinese "Shakespeare",
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This review is from: The Peony Pavilion: Mudan ting, Second Edition (Paperback)
This play was written the same year (1598) Shakespeare wrote "Henry IV, Part II" & "Much Ado About Nothing." IMHO it's comparable - so it's very, very good indeed. It combines a highly poetic love story with the drama of war & considerable comedy. The translation & footnotes make it more accessible than most of Shakespeare, while providing considerable insight into medieval Chinese literature, legend, poetry, & customs. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it & would love to see it performed. Of course, it's not for everyone, but if you like Shakespeare, Marlowe, et al, give this one a try. You might like it even better.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
a delightful love story with lots of action,
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This review is from: The Peony Pavilion: Mudan Ting (Hardcover)
I am not familiar with Chinese literature and this was a wonderful introduction. As just a "read", this had all the action, love and suspense that one could want. It is a very readable translation, and once into the story it became very difficult to set it down. I would recommend it to anyone that likes a delightful story well told.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
I By busy world rejected, in my own world of retreat I pondered a hundred schemes finding joy in none. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
sir scholar, prefectural academy, peony pavilion, cassia bough, faery love, peace banquet, fairy maid, flower spirit, picking mulberry, flowering apricot, old pedant, young mistress, spirit tablet, fuller woman, southern court, painted scroll, rear garden Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Liu Mengmei, Prize Candidate, Tutor Chen, Chief Minister, Miss Du, Chen Zuiliang, Camel Guo, West Lake, Apricot Shrine, Book of Songs, South of the Ridge, Apricot Blossom Shrine, Pacification Commissioner, Commissioner Du Bao, Han Zicai, Scabby Turtle, Aunt Stone, Grand Chamberlain, Liu Zongyuan, Prince Zhao Tuo, Sister Abbess, Western Maid, Lord of Heaven, Lord of Myriad Years, Almond Park New!
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
I By busy world rejected, in my own world of retreat I pondered a hundred schemes finding joy in none. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
sir scholar, prefectural academy, peony pavilion, cassia bough, faery love, peace banquet, fairy maid, flower spirit, picking mulberry, flowering apricot, old pedant, young mistress, spirit tablet, fuller woman, southern court, painted scroll, rear garden Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Liu Mengmei, Prize Candidate, Tutor Chen, Chief Minister, Miss Du, Chen Zuiliang, Camel Guo, West Lake, Apricot Shrine, Book of Songs, South of the Ridge, Apricot Blossom Shrine, Pacification Commissioner, Commissioner Du Bao, Han Zicai, Scabby Turtle, Aunt Stone, Grand Chamberlain, Liu Zongyuan, Prince Zhao Tuo, Sister Abbess, Western Maid, Lord of Heaven, Lord of Myriad Years, Almond Park New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 13
books:
See all 13 books this book cites
- The Peony Pavilion by Xianzu Tang on 20 pages
- The Peony Pavilion (Library of Chinese Classics: Chinese-English edition: 2 Volumes) by Tang Xianzu on 16 pages
- The Analects of Confucius by Arthur Waley on page 194, and page 333
- The Book of Rites (Selections) by Confucius on page 10
- Chapters from a Floating Life by Fu Shen in Front Matter
See all 13 books this book cites
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