Introduction: The Literary and Cultural Significance of Chinese Prose

Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. Contents v
3. Thematic contents xi
4. Preface to the how to read Chinese literature series xxv
5. A note on how to use this anthology xxvii
6. Major Chinese dynasties xxix
7. Symbols, abbreviations, and typographic usages xxxi
8. Introduction: The Literary and Cultural Significance of Chinese Prose 1
9. Part I Overview and Pre-Qin Times
10. 1 Anatomy of the Chinese Prose Form: An Overview 11
11. 2 Pre-Qin Historical Prose: Zuo Tradition (Zuozhuan) 43
12. 3 Pre-Qin Philosophical Prose: Recorded Conversations and Argumentative Essays 66
13. 4 Pre-Qin Philosophical Prose: The Inner Chapters of the Zhuangzi 86
14. 5 Pre-Qin and Han Philosophical and Historical Prose: Self-Interest, Manipulation, and the Philosophical Marketplace 112
15. Part II The Han Dynasty and the Six Dynasties
16. 6 Han Historical Prose: Sima Qian and the Grand Scribe’s Records (Shiji) 129
17. 7 Han and Six Dynasties Epistolary Prose: Memorials and Letters 148
18. 8 Six Dynasties Informal Prose: A New Account of the Tales of the World (Shishuo xinyu) 181
19. 9 Six Dynasties Parallel Prose: Descriptive and Expository 210
20. Part III The Tang and Song Dynasties
21. 10 Tang and Song Expository Prose: The Practice of Persuasion 229
22. 11 Tang and Song Occasional Prose: Accounts of Places, Things, and Events 249
23. 12 Tang and Song Occasional Prose: Prefaces and Epistolary Writing 267
24. 13 Tang and Song Biographical Prose: Allegorical and Fictional 291
25. Part IV The Ming and Qing Dynasties
26. 14 Ming and Qing Eight-Legged Essays 311
27. 15 Ming and Qing Occasional Prose: Letters and Funerary Inscriptions 331
28. 16 Ming and Qing Occasional Prose: Accounts of Places and People 356
29. Abbreviations of primary texts 375
30. Acknowledgments 381
31. Contributors 383
32. Glossary-index 389