| Author: | X. L. Woo | ISBN: | 9781628942064 |
| Publisher: | Algora Publishing | Publication: | October 5, 2016 |
| Imprint: | Algora Publishing | Language: | English |
| Author: | X. L. Woo |
| ISBN: | 9781628942064 |
| Publisher: | Algora Publishing |
| Publication: | October 5, 2016 |
| Imprint: | Algora Publishing |
| Language: | English |
Digging into Chinese folktales, Mr. Woo tells us stories about falling in love in a world that is distant in time and place, distinct in culture and expectations, each with a touch of the exotic. In these tales dating from the Han Dynasty to the Ming Dynasty, dramas unfold in the Imperial palace, along the back roads, and in gardens perfumed with the scent of peony blossoms in the moonlight.
Gathered together for the first time in English, seventeen love stories from China bring to the American reader characters well-known through Chinese literature as well as movies and drama. In the feudal society of ancient China, relationships were often based on duty more than the bidding of one's heart. Yet the imagination is always full of possibility, and here, misty mountains, mysterious pagodas, butterflies and genies set the scene where a beautiful smile can work its magic.
Some stories that promise a wonderful life ahead end in sudden betrayal and tragedy; some that seem to be heading for disaster end on a beautiful note. In this collection of Chinese legends, dynastic intrigues and romantic strategies are revealed in Buddhist temples, riverboat adventures, and humble inns. Queens and courtesans, shop girls and songstresses, cowherds and scholars, warlords and poets: Destiny brings them together in tales from the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220) to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).
Digging into Chinese folktales, Mr. Woo tells us stories about falling in love in a world that is distant in time and place, distinct in culture and expectations, each with a touch of the exotic. In these tales dating from the Han Dynasty to the Ming Dynasty, dramas unfold in the Imperial palace, along the back roads, and in gardens perfumed with the scent of peony blossoms in the moonlight.
Gathered together for the first time in English, seventeen love stories from China bring to the American reader characters well-known through Chinese literature as well as movies and drama. In the feudal society of ancient China, relationships were often based on duty more than the bidding of one's heart. Yet the imagination is always full of possibility, and here, misty mountains, mysterious pagodas, butterflies and genies set the scene where a beautiful smile can work its magic.
Some stories that promise a wonderful life ahead end in sudden betrayal and tragedy; some that seem to be heading for disaster end on a beautiful note. In this collection of Chinese legends, dynastic intrigues and romantic strategies are revealed in Buddhist temples, riverboat adventures, and humble inns. Queens and courtesans, shop girls and songstresses, cowherds and scholars, warlords and poets: Destiny brings them together in tales from the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220) to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).
