The Story of the Western Wing. Edited and with an Introduction

Wang Shifu; West, Stephen H.; Idema, Wilt L.

ISBN 10: 0520201841 / ISBN 13: 9780520201842

Published by Berkeley, University of California Press, 1995

About this Item

paperbound, 8vo xiv+328 pp. China's most important love comedy; chornicles the adventures of star-crossed lovers Oriole and Student Zhang; translation of the complete text; LIKE NEW condition.

Seller Inventory # 29765

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Story of the Western Wing. Edited and with an Introduction
• Publisher: Berkeley, University of California Press
• Publication Date: 1995
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0520201841
• ISBN 13: 9780520201842
• Binding: Soft cover
• Seller catalogs:
  • Chinese language and culture

About this title

Synopsis

China's most important love comedy, Wang Shifu's Xixiangji, or The Story of the Western Wing, is a rollicking play that chronicles the adventures of the star-crossed lovers Oriole and Student Zhang. Since its appearance in the thirteenth century, it has enjoyed unparalleled popularity. The play has given rise to innumerable sequels, parodies, and rewritings; it has influenced countless later plays, short stories, and novels and has played a crucial role in the development of drama criticism. This translation of the full and complete text of the earliest extant version is available in paperback for the first time. The editors' introduction will inform students of Chinese cultural and literary traditions.

About the Author

Stephen H. West is Professor of East Asian Languages at the University of California, Berkeley. Wilt L. Idema is Professor of Chinese Languages and Literatures at Leiden University.