Discourses on Drama

焦循Jul 2024

4.0

Word count: 85K words
Chapters: 9

Summary

Traditional Chinese thought and culture have a long history and are highly original, inventive and literary. Early forms of thought are highly distinctive: religious theology, medical classics, ancient military texts, Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism and the Hundred Schools, feng shui and metaphysics, the Twenty-Four Histories, and local customs and topography are all vast and profound in content. This series, "Essential Classics of Chinese Traditional Culture: Original Texts," preserves the original appearance of the books and focuses on preserving and transmitting traditional Chinese thought and culture. By reading the literary essence left by ancient sages, readers cultivate their temperament and are subtly influenced by the classics of Chinese learning.

Editor's review

Jushuo is a note-style work on drama by the Qing scholar Jiao Xun, and together with Li Diaoyuan's Juhua it is an important document of ancient literati discourse on drama. This book is included in the "Essential Classics of Chinese Traditional Culture: Original Texts" series, preserving the original appearance and focusing on preserving and transmitting traditional thought and culture. Its appeal lies in recording repertoire, actors, performance observations, and comments in note form: the materials are scattered yet information-dense, showing how Qing literati talked about drama and what issues concerned them. For researchers, it is a desk reference for finding leads to dramatic historical materials; for enthusiasts, it offers a sense of the scene of ancients watching drama, closer to everyday interests than systematic treatises. The difficulty in reading lies in the original format not being a modern monograph, with entries lacking coherent argumentation and classical Chinese expression requiring some foundation. It is recommended not to approach it with a task of reading through, but to skip-read according to interest, noting repertoire items, names, and terms as you go, and extending through reference works on drama history. Reading it alongside Juhua further reveals the different emphases of Qing dramatic theory.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Academic readers studying Qing dynasty dramatic historical materials and dramatic theory
Traditional culture enthusiasts interested in ancient literati notes on drama viewing
Readers who need leads on repertoire and actors for reference
Advanced readers accustomed to skip-reading notes and able to supplement background themselves

Not a good fit for

Beginning readers who need modern edited annotations and sentence-by-sentence translation
General readers expecting a complete narrative history of drama
Readers lacking patience for classical Chinese note formats who only want stories

Reading tips

First browse the table of contents and preface to grasp the general scope of entries, then read according to interest.
Record repertoire items, characters, and terms while reading, and verify them with reference works afterward.
Read alongside Li Diaoyuan's Juhua to compare the two Qing scholars' similarities and differences in discussing drama.
Reading several entries at a time is enough; no need to read through, maintaining a reference-oriented casual reading rhythm.

版权信息
剧说提要
剧说卷一
剧说卷二
剧说卷三
剧说卷四
剧说卷五
剧说卷六
剧说校勘记

FAQ

Will the content of Jushuo and Juhua overlap?

Both are Qing dynasty drama notes by different authors with different emphases and recording methods; their entries are not identical. For general understanding, reading either one suffices; for research on Qing dramatic theory or finding leads to historical materials, reading them together allows cross-reference, but there is no need to worry about complete duplication.

Can I read this book without a foundation in classical Chinese?

Reading will present considerable obstacles. The book preserves the original appearance and is written in classical Chinese note style, lacking modern annotations and sentence-by-sentence translation. Readers with a weak foundation in classical Chinese are advised to first read annotated editions or introductory works on drama history, then return to this book to look up materials.

Is this book suitable for looking up information on dramatic repertoire?

It can be used as lead-oriented material. The book records many repertoire items, actors, and performance observations, but the entries are scattered and it is not a systematic reference work; after finding leads, verification with specialized dictionaries and drama history works is still needed, and it should not be the sole basis.

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About the author

焦循 Author

Jiao Xun was a Chinese scholar of the Qing dynasty who lived for a long time in the Yangzhou region. His scholarship covered classical studies, philology and drama. Among his surviving works are note-style studies of the Book of Songs such as Shijing Xiaoxue and Maoshi Bushu, which examine the text, glosses and meaning of the classic, as well as specialized writings on song lyrics and drama, including Diaogulou Cihua, Huabu Nongtan and Jushuo. Judging from the five works in this collection, he read the classics closely in the philological manner, paying attention to the sound and meaning of words and to the verification of names, things and institutions; at the same time he turned his attention to the popular "huabu" drama of his day, recording plays and commenting on performance with an open and undogmatic attitude. His writing is generally plain and concise, valuing evidence and concrete material over empty discussion. Because public information is limited, his biographical details and official career are not elaborated here; interested readers may begin with his classical notes and drama jottings to appreciate how a Qing scholar moved between classical studies and popular literature.