E-grāmata: Chinese Narratology I: Heaven and Human

"A milestone of Chinese narratological studies, Chinese Narratology is a two-volume set which establishes a unique theoretical system of Chinese narratology by exploring the principles and characteristics of Chinese narratives. From argument to the conclusion, the book constitutes a forensic analysis of the context and connotations of Chinese culture and a close reading of Chinese literature classics, such as Romance of the Western Chamber, A Dream of Red Mansions, Outlaws of the Marsh, Romance of The Three Kingdoms, and The Plum in the Golden Vase. The book draws on both Western cultural resources and scholarship on narratology to unravel the unique features of Chinese narrative literature. It analyzes the distinctive characteristics of Chinese narratives in five aspects: structure, time, perspective, image, and commenter. The first volume introduces the cultural fundamentals that nurture Chinese narration and investigates the structure and time of Chinese narratives, while the second volume focuses on the latter three aspects. The set is a must-read for scholars and students interested in narrative theory, Chinese culture and literature, and the dialogue between Chinese and Western narratological studies"--

As the first volume of a two-volume set on Chinese narratology, this title introduces the cultural fundamentals that nurture Chinese literary works and investigates the structure and time of Chinese narrative.

In the introductory chapter, the author examines the intrinsic association between Chinese writers’ narrative techniques and China’s cultural background by putting forward a Principle of Duixing to facilitate the study of those techniques and three steps to revisit Chinese narrative. Based on Western narrative theories and a close reading of outstanding Chinese literary classics, the volume focuses on structure and time in Chinese narrative. The first part on structure (jiegou) identifies five essential themes to analyze the dual dynamic structure of Chinese narrative. In terms of aspects of time, the author demonstrates how the holistic view of time and space in the Chinese tradition influences the chronological framework of narratives and shapes the outset of a story.

The book is a must-read for scholars and students interested in narrative theory, Chinese culture and literature, and the dialogue between Chinese and Western narratological studies.

As the first volume of a two-volume set on Chinese narratology, this title introduces the cultural fundamentals that nurture Chinese literary works and investigates the structure and time of Chinese narrative.