Product Description
Meng Jiangnü Brings Down the Great Wall brings together ten versions of a popular Chinese legend that has intrigued readers and listeners for hundreds of years. Elements of the story date back to the early centuries B.C.E. and are an intrinsic part of Chinese literary history. Major themes and subtle nuances of the legend are illuminated here by Wilt L. Idema's new translations and pairings.In this classic story, a young woman named Meng Jiang makes a long, solitary journey to deliver winter clothes to her husband, a drafted laborer on the grandiose Great Wall construction project of the notorious First Emperor of the Qin dynasty (BCE 221-208). But her travels end in tragedy when, upon arrival, she learns that her husband has died under the harsh working conditions and been entombed in the wall. Her tears of grief cause the wall to collapse and expose his bones, which she collects for proper burial. In some versions, she tricks the lecherous emperor, who wants to marry her, into providing a stately funeral for her husband and then takes her own life.The versions presented here are ballads and chantefables (alternating chanted verse and recited prose), five from urban printed texts from the late Imperial and early Republican periods, and five from oral performances and partially reconstructed texts collected in rural areas in recent decades. They represent a wide range of genres, regional styles, dates, and content. From one version to another, different elements of the story--the circumstances of Meng Jiangnu's marriage, her relationship with her parents-in-law, the journey to the wall, her grief, her defiance of the emperor--are elaborated upon, downplayed, or left out altogether depending on the particular moral lessons that tale authors wished to impart.Idema brings together his considerable translation skills and broad knowledge of Chinese literature to present an assortment of tales and insightful commentary that will be a gold mine of information for scholars in a number of disciplines. Haiyan Lee's essay discusses the appeal of the Meng Jiangnü story to twentieth-century literary reformers, and the interpretations they imposed on the material they collected.
Meng Jiangnü Brings Down the Great Wall
Meng Jiangnü Brings Down the Great Wall brings together ten versions of a popular Chinese legend that has intrigued readers and listeners for hundreds of years. Elements of the story date back to the early centuries B.C.E. and are an intrinsic part of Chinese literary history. Major themes and subtle nuances of the legend are illuminated here by Wilt L. Idema's new translations and pairings.In this classic story, a young woman named Meng Jiang makes a long, solitary journey to deliver winter clothes to her husband, a drafted laborer on the grandiose Great Wall construction project of the notorious First Emperor of the Qin dynasty (BCE 221-208). But her travels end in tragedy when, upon arrival, she learns that her husband has died under the harsh working conditions and been entombed in the wall. Her tears of grief cause the wall to collapse and expose his bones, which she collects for proper burial. In some versions, she tricks the lecherous emperor, who wants to marry her, into providing a stately funeral for her husband and then takes her own life.The versions presented here are ballads and chantefables (alternating chanted verse and recited prose), five from urban printed texts from the late Imperial and early Republican periods, and five from oral performances and partially reconstructed texts collected in rural areas in recent decades. They represent a wide range of genres, regional styles, dates, and content. From one version to another, different elements of the story--the circumstances of Meng Jiangnu's marriage, her relationship with her parents-in-law, the journey to the wall, her grief, her defiance of the emperor--are elaborated upon, downplayed, or left out altogether depending on the particular moral lessons that tale authors wished to impart.Idema brings together his considerable translation skills and broad knowledge of Chinese literature to present an assortment of tales and insightful commentary that will be a gold mine of information for scholars in a number of disciplines. Haiyan Lee's essay discusses the appeal of the Meng Jiangnü story to twentieth-century literary reformers, and the interpretations they imposed on the material they collected.
Related Products
£88.89
eBay
£110.29
eBay
£9.27
Amazon
Delivery, Returns & Refunds
Delivery
Sellers offer a range of delivery options, so you can choose the one that’s most convenient for you. Many sellers offer free delivery. You can always find the postage cost and estimated delivery date in a seller’s listing. You'll then be able to see a full list of delivery options during checkout. These can include: Express delivery, Standard delivery, Economy delivery, Click & Collect, Free local collection from seller.
Returns
Your options for returning an item vary depending on what you want to return, why you want to return it, and the seller's return policy. If the item is damaged or doesn't match the listing description, you can return it even if the seller's returns policy says they don't accept returns. If you've changed your mind and no longer want an item, you can still request a return, but the seller doesn't have to accept it. If the buyer changes their mind about a purchase and wants to return an item, they may need to pay return postage costs, depending on the seller's return policy. Sellers can provide a return postage address and additional return postage information for the buyer. Sellers pay for return postage if there's a problem with the item. For example, if the item doesn't match the listing description, is damaged or defective or is counterfeit. By law, customers in the European Union also have the right to cancel the purchase of an item within 14 days beginning from the day you receive, or a third party indicated by you (other than the carrier) receives, the last good ordered by you (if delivered separately). This applies to all products except for digital items (e.g. Digital Music) that are provided immediately to you with your acknowledgement, and other items such as video, DVD, audio, video games, Sex and Sensuality products and software products where the item has been unsealed.
Refunds
Sellers have to offer a refund for certain items only if they are faulty, such as: Personalised items and custom-made items, Perishable items, Newspapers and magazines, Unwrapped CDs DVDs and computer software. If you used your PayPal balance or bank account to fund the original payment, the refunded money will go back to your PayPal account balance. If you used a credit or debit card to fund the original payment, the refunded money will go back to your card. The seller will effect the refund within three working days but it may take up to 30 days for Paypal to process the transfer. For payments funded partially by a card and partially by your balance/bank, the money taken from your card will go back to your card and the remainder will return to your PayPal balance.