Chinese Narratology I

Although Chinese narrative, and especially the genres of colloquial fiction, have been subjected to intensive scholarly scrutiny, no comprehensive volume has provided a framework that would permit an overall view of the tradition. The distinguished contributors to this volume have taken an important first step in making possible the consideration of Chinese narrative at the level of comparative and general literary scholarship. Originally published in 1977. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

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.

This book provides a more rational and systematic explanation for the origin and evolution of the Chinese narrative tradition, based on studies of Chinese literary classics, local culture and items such as bronze wares and porcelain vessels with “portrayed stories.” By doing so, it uncovers forgotten interconnections and reestablishes obscured or unacknowledged lines of descent. Furthermore, it makes an initial study of acoustic narrative. Going beyond the field of literature, it employs tools and materials from diverse fields such as anthropology, religious studies, mythology, linguistics, semiotics, folklore and local culture. The book also offers an archeological inquiry into the knowledge found in various narrative texts, objects with “portrayed stories” and perceptions with “relevant plots.” Providing a wealth of insights, inspiring investigative methods and practical tools that can be applied in narrative studies, the book is an essential resource for researchers and students in the fields of comparative literature, narratology and ancient Chinese literature.

This book presents a comprehensive and systematic study of the narrative history and narrative methods of Chinese and Western popular fiction from the perspectives of narratology, comparative literature, and art and literature studies by adopting the methodology of parallel comparison. The book is a pioneering work that systematically investigates the similarities and differences between Chinese and Western popular fiction, and traces the root causes leading to the differences. By means of narrative comparison, it explores the conceptual and spiritual correlations and differences between Chinese and Western popular fiction and, by relating them to the root causes of cultural spirit, allows us to gain an insight into the cultural heritage of different nations. The book is structured in line with a cause-and-effect logical sequence and moves from the macroscopic to the microscopic, from history to reality, and from theory to practice. The integration of macro-level theoretical studies and micro-level case studies is both novel and effective. This book was awarded Second Prize at the Sixth Outstanding Achievement Awards in Scientific Research for Chinese Institutions of Higher Learning (Humanities & Social Sciences, 2013).

"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 second volume of a two-volume set on Chinese narratology, this title investigates the quintessential characteristics of the Chinese narrative style, with a focus on image and perspective. The first chapter introduces two opposing concepts of perspective: “focalization” and “blind spot,” to connect “perspective” with traditional aesthetics, highlighting the mutual relation of the nonexistent and the existent. The author believes that both the narrator and perspective are central to the narrative forms and strategies adopted by Chinese writers and that study of the narrator and perspective is integral to understanding the cultural, aesthetic, and philosophical connotations of the narrative text and the spiritual world of the author. Drawing on perceptual phenomenology, the chapter on image broadens the extant knowledge of “image” and points out that image narration is unique to Chinese narratology and central to Chinese aesthetics. The final chapter illustrating the achievements of influential critics of classical Chinese novels, proving that these critics have contributed to the canonization of the genuine masterpieces of Chinese narrative literature. The book is a must-read for scholars and students interested in narrative theory, Chinese culture and literature, and dialogue between Chinese and Western narratological studies.

Chinese Language Narration: Culture, cognition, and emotion is a collection of papers presenting original research on narration in Mandarin, especially as it contrasts to what is known regarding narration in English. One chapter addresses dinner table conversation between Chinese immigrant parents and children in the United States compared to non-immigrant peers. Other chapters consider evaluation patterns in Mandarin versus English, referencing strategies, coherence patterns, socioeconomic differences among Taiwanese Mandarin-speaking children, and differences in narration due to Specific Language Impairment and schizophrenia. Several chapters address developmental concerns. Distinctive aspects of narration in Mandarin are linked to larger issues of autobiographical memory. Mandarin is spoken by far more people than any other language, yet narration in this language has received notably less attention than narration in Western languages. This collective effort is a critical addition to our understanding of cross-cultural similarities and differences in how people make sense of experiences through narrative.

This book examines the Chinese fictions (xiaoshuo) published between 1898 and 1927 – three pivotal decades, during which China underwent significant social changes. It applies Narratology and Sociology of the Novel methods to analyze both the texts themselves and the social-cultural factors that triggered the transformation of the narrative mode in Chinese fiction. Based on empirical data, the author argues that this transformation was not only inspired by translated Western fiction, but was also the result of a creative transformation in tradition Chinese literature.

“Fascinate is a riveting journey through the forces of fascination—how it irresistibly shapes our ideas, opinions, and relationships—and how to wield it to your advantage.” — Alan Webber, author of Rules of Thumb In Fascinate, advertising and media personality Sally Hogshead explores what triggers fascination—one of the most powerful ways to attract attention and influence behavior—and explains how companies can use these concepts to make their products and ideas irresistible to consumers. Marketing professionals of every ilk will find much of use in the pages of Fascinate; in the words of business guru Tom Peters, “fascination is arguably the most powerful of product attachments,” and Fascinate a “pioneering book [that] helps us approach the word and the concept in a thoughtful and also practical manner.”