The Peony Pavilion = Mudan Ting (Chinese Literature in Translation) (Hardcover)

by Hsien-Tsu T'Ang (Author) "I By busy world rejected, in my own world of retreat I pondered a hundred schemes finding joy in none..." (more)
Key Phrases: sir scholar, prefectural academy, peony pavilion, Liu Mengmei, Prize Candidate, Tutor Chen (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

An example of the southern, or chuanqi, genre of opera from Ming dynasty China (14th to 17th centuries), The Peony Pavilion, completed in 1598, was Tang's masterpiece and, according to Birch's preface, a profound meditation on the nature of love. Selected scenes have become near necessities of any traditional Chinese opera repertoire. The tale concerns a cloistered girl and young scholar who fall in love in dreams. After the heroine pines away from longing, their devotion transcends death, resulting in her resurrection and a happy union. Birch (Univ. of California, Berkeley) has captured the beauty and elegance of Tang's original drama, conveying even the humor of subtle puns. With such titles as Stories from a Ming Collection (1958), Scenes for Mandarins (CH, Feb'96), and Mistress & Maid (CH, Jan'02) to his credit, Birch has long been a leading translator of Chinese literature. This second edition of the Birch translation (first edition, CH, Mar'81) includes revisions of the translation; a preface in which Birch provides a general introduction to the drama; and a fascinating introduction by Catherine Swatek (Univ. of British Columbia), in which she introduces three recent productions of Peony Pavilion. All levels.C. D. Smith, Grand Valley State University, Choice, October 2002

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Review

"Birch (Univ. of California, Berkeley) has captured the beauty and elegance of Tang's original drama, conveying even the humor of subtle puns...." -- Choice, October 2002

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 360 pages
• Publisher: Indiana Univ Pr (December 1980)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0253357233
• ISBN-13: 978-0253357236
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,577,842 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Masterpiece by Chinese "Shakespeare", July 31, 2005

By	Neal J. Pollock (VA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a delightful love story with lots of action, September 7, 2008

By	L. Gowen "lois" (concord, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.