Silent Operas
Silent Operas
By Li Yu
Edited by Patrick Hanan
1990;1996
xiii + 202 pages
ISBN 962-7255-07-6
In his stories Li Yu sets out to overturn conventional moral and literary themes. He can be described as the comic specialist of Chinese literature, and his exuberant comedy is mostly concerned with the breaking of social taboos, especially those relating to sex. The stories featured here combine the racy wit and bawdiness of the traditional oral story-teller with a very modern blend of subtlety, irony and psychological insight to create a vibrant and accessible picture of the 17th century Chinese life.
This illustrated collection is an important step in bringing the writing of Li Yu to a wider audience. Here is a compelling example of vibrancy and insight only now being rediscovered by contemporary Chinese writers.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction — vii
An Ugly Husband Fears A Pretty Wife But Marries A Beautiful One — 1
A Handsome Youth Tries to Avoid Suspicion But Arouses It Instead — 43
The Female Chen Ping Saves Her Life With Seven Ruses — 76
A Male Mencius’s Mother Raises Her Son Properly By Moving House Three Times — 97
A Daughter Is Transformed Into A Son Through The Bodhisattva’s Ingenuity — 135
An Actress Scorns Wealth And Honour To Preserve Her Chastity — 161
Review(s)
Review(s)
'An amusing collection of caricatures, Silent Operas also provides an insightful perspective on Chinese vernacular short stories. Transcending formulaic themes, Li Yu makes it so that one can never read the classic Chinese folktale with quite the same respect for tradition.'
—South China Morning Post
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AUTHOR(s)
One of the most original—and controversial—figures in the history of Chinese literature, Li Yu was the most remarkable writer of seventeenth century China. He excelled as a playwright, essayist, critic, and fiction writer. He is the author of three collections of stories as well as the famous erotic novel The Carnal Prayer Mat.
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EDITOR(s)
Patrick Hanan is Victor S. Thomas Professor of Chinese Literature at Harvard University and the author of The Invention of Li Yu.