ssu chiao chu shih translator franz kuhn translator vladimir kean (1 résultats)

Hardcover. Etat : As New. Gift quality, Fine. 8vo. A superior copy in new condition. Clean, unmarked pages. Good binding and cover. Hardcover and dust jacket. Dust jacket notes: "A sequel of the classic Chinese novel Chin P'ing Mei (The Story of Hsi Men and his six wives), this novel takes place in the ruinous years of the twelfth century. Moon Lady, Hsi Men's first wife, is still alive, and her adventures and those of her son form the core of the novel. China is overrun by the Tartars, split into two halves, and its two Emperors are imprisoned. Moon Lady is among the fugitives who have to abandon their homes before the destructive invaders. Around her develop the fates of a host of colorful characters: rascals, lechers, women of easy virtue, treacherous and loyal servants, corrupt officials, nuns and priests of varying degrees of worthiness. Their histories are told with relish, realism, and uninhibited abandon. The dramatic historical background of war and political and religious unrest plays a larger part, in this novel, than is usual in Chinese literature. Simultaneously with total upheaval and the destruction of security and wealth goes a rich flowering of Buddhism and Taoism and their temple cults. Scenes of battle or lust alternate with dreamlike sequences set in the rarefied atmosphere of temples and monasteries, in which the underlying justice of the world order is made manifest. There are striking parallels to our own times: displaced persons, ruthless invaders, complete disintegration of the structure of the state, of public and private morals. But this total collapse of the material world is counterbalanced by a revival of religion, born from an understanding of the transitory nature of all things earthly. Franz Kuhn, one of the outstanding interpreters of Chinese literature in the Western idiom, discovered the novel and rendered the Chinese text into German. The English translation, by Vladimir Kean, is based on this German version.