Mirage - Hardcover

Patrick Hanan

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 962996581X ISBN 13: 9789629965815

Publisher: The Chinese University of Hong Kong Press, 2014

The young son of the Chinese traders' association head, who dealt with foreign merchants in the port of Guangzhou, is suddenly burdened with the responsibility of his powerful family. A latter-day Baoyu, but with far stronger sexual impulses, this son must learn to tame his libido while conducting himself prudently in Guangzhou society. This little-known novel, titled Shenlou zhi, is translated here for the first time. Published in 1804, it is the earliest novel to deal with the opium trade and is closely connected to events that occurred in Guangzhou and Huizhou just before its publication: the arrival of a new superintendent of customs in Guangzhou and the outbreak of rebellion in Huizhou. This strikingly original work advances the culture of adolescence first depicted in Honglou meng and showcases, in its account of the rebellion, the romantic conventions of Shuihu zhuan.

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About the Author:

Patrick Hanan is Victor S. Thomas Professor of Chinese Literature, Emeritus, at Harvard University. He is the author of The Chinese Vernacular Story and the translator of many works of Chinese traditional fiction, including The Carnal Prayer Mat and The Sea of Regret.

Review:

The translation is superb.... Highly recommended. (Choice)

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