Chinese Popular Culture and Ming Chantefables (Sinica Leidensia, 41) (Chinese Edition)

Review

"Anne McLaren has given us an extremely well-researched, extensive, and stimulating study of early Chinese "tell-and-sing" literature." – Vibeke Børdahl, in: Asian Folklore Studies, 1999"…this is a wide-ranging volume containing a wealth of detail and insight on the changing and complex practice of reading, performance, writing and ritualizing storytelling in Ming China." – Louise Edwards, in: Journal of the Oriental Society of Australia, 1998"…a contribution of great merit that will have a significant impact upon the study of Chinese popular culture … McLaren's Popular Culture and Ming Chantefables is a good example of how studies on archaeologically and archivally recovered materials are not only reshaping but completely transforming our understanding of the nature and development of Chinese civilization." – Victor Mair, in: T'oung Pao, 2000"…a book of excellent scholarship on an extremely important topic." – Liangyan Ge, in: China Review International, 2000"In general, McLaren's book displays its author's impressively wide range of knowledge and is a great contribution to studies of popular culture in late imperial China. I warmly recommend this book to anyone in the field." – Shuhui Yang, in: Journal of the American Oriental Society, 2000

About the Author

Anne E. Mclaren, Ph.D. in Chinese liturature, Australian National University, is Senior Lecturer and Head, Chinese program, at La Trobe University, Melbourne. She has published extensively in the field of Ming popular narratives, including The Chinese Femme-fatale (University of Sydney, 1994).