In this Book
- The Fountainhead of Chinese Erotica
- Book
- 2003
- Published by: University of Hawai'i Press
summary
The Lord of Perfect Satisfaction (Ruyijun zhuan), a short work of fiction from the early sixteenth century, tells the story of the Tang dynasty's notorious Wu Zetian, the only woman to rule as emperor of China. It is famous not for the history it relates, but for its graphic sexual descriptions--the first ever in a Chinese novel--purportedly given from a woman's point of view. Despite its renown and unmistakable influence on later writing, the origins and significance of the Ruyijun zhuan have never been explored, in any language, and until now it has never been translated. Its date of composition is unknown, its author unidentified. One of its earliest appraisals, written by a contemporary scholar known for his conservatism, maintains that the Ruyijun zhuan is a moral work notwithstanding its sexual content. Combining a complete translation with a detailed and far-ranging study of the text, The Fountainhead of Chinese Erotica places this important cultural document into historical context and offers possibilities on its meaning.
Table of Contents
Download Full Book
- Acknowledgments
- p. vii
- Introduction
- pp. 1-9
- Part One Context and Analysis
- 1. Pornography and the West
- pp. 13-24
- 2. Precursors
- pp. 25-38
- 3. Desire in the Ming Dynasty
- pp. 39-56
- 4. Authorship
- pp. 57-73
- 6. Sources
- pp. 85-100
- 7. Preface, Postscript, and Colophon
- pp. 101-114
- 8. Later Works
- pp. 115-125
- 9. The Moral
- pp. 126-129
- Part Two Translation and Original Text
- Annotated Translation
- pp. 133-160
- Critical Edition
- pp. 161-172
- Bibliography
- pp. 237-258
Additional Information
ISBN
9780824862589
Related ISBN(s)
9780824824129
MARC Record
OCLC
606947935
Launched on MUSE
2012-01-01
Language
English
Open Access
No