The Oil Vendor and the Courtesan: Tales from the Ming Dynasty

New York: Welcome Rain Publishers. Fine. (c.2007). 1st Edition (softcover issue). Softcover. [as-new, unblemished copy]. Trade PB (woodcut illustrations) This collection of eight newly-translated 17th Century tales is "a long overdue contribution to the treasury of translated Chinese literature" (from the Introduction). In her Preface, co-translator Chen Chen discusses how she came to be familiar with these stories -- first, in her teens in China, in editions that were censored for their sexual content; and then later in life, returning to them after settling in the United States. She describes the approach taken by her and her collaborator in making the selection for this volume, including re-reading "all two hundred [original] tales several times to gauge their respective merit and value," and praises the stories as "fascinating tales about merchants, scholars, housewives, magistrates, craftsmen, courtesans, abbots, nuns, and even children, spanning a broad spectrum of Chinese urban and rural life." An earlier volume of stories by a different writer (Ling Mengchu), "The Abbot and the Widow," had been issued in 2004; the print run on that book (from a different publisher) was much smaller, and it is commensurately much more uncommon. ****For THIS book only, ReadInk has multiple copies in stock; please inquire about availability and special pricing if interested.**** .