The Tale of Shuangshuang

梅鼎祚Mar 2015

3.4

Word count: 20K words
Chapters: 2

Summary

Chinese classical chuanqi fiction, or tales of the marvelous, underwent a long process of development. Through this process it gradually matured in artistic technique, and it eventually broke away from historical biographical literature, in which such narratives had originally been embedded, establishing itself as an independent literary genre with its own conventions. Thereafter it no longer depended on historical records for its form or standing. This transformation marked an important stage in the evolution of Chinese fiction.

Editor's review

Shuangshuang Zhuan comes from the Ming man of letters Mei Dingzuo and belongs to the tradition of chuanqi fiction. Such works are often read merely as stories, but what deserves more attention is the genre itself: after long accumulation, chuanqi by the Ming had freed itself from dependence on historiography, stood on fiction, and developed its own narrative tone and way of handling characters. Mei Dingzuo excelled in both poetry and drama, and literati chuanqi of this kind usually worked hard on diction and scenes, which repay close reading. This unannotated edition preserves the original text without modern introductions or notes standing between reader and text, so that details of syntax, forms of address, and scene transitions are easier to notice. Its value lies not in a twisty plot but in offering a slice for observing how Chinese fiction moved toward maturity; for writers it is also a usable resource of classical narrative.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Literature specialists concerned with the evolution of ancient Chinese fiction as a genre
Scholars of ancient literature tracing the course of Ming chuanqi writing
Writers seeking narrative and linguistic nourishment from classical fiction
Enthusiasts who read classical Chinese without difficulty and prefer editions preserving the original

Not a good fit for

First-time readers who need vernacular translation and detailed annotation to get through
Readers looking only for lively plot as entertainment and unconcerned with genre
Readers expecting a modern critical edition with collation, introduction, and appendices

Reading tips

Read a famous Tang chuanqi or two first as a reference, then return to see how Ming chuanqi differs in method
Note narrative perspective, character entrances, and scene transitions as you go, reading it as a specimen of genre
Read only one or two sections at a time, leaving room to savor the syntax and rhythm of the classical Chinese

版权信息
全一卷

FAQ

Can I read this book if my classical Chinese is only average?

Yes, but be prepared. The unannotated edition does not explain rare characters or institutional terms; keep a dictionary of classical Chinese at hand, read a passage through to get used to the syntax before pushing on; if it proves too hard, compare with an annotated edition of the same material.

Where does it stand in Ming fiction?

It belongs to the line of literati chuanqi fiction. By the Ming, chuanqi was quite mature and no longer dependent on historiography, able to stand as fiction on its own. Seeing it in that line is more rewarding than looking at the story alone.

Should I study the history of fiction first?

Not systematically. It is enough to know roughly how chuanqi differs from historiography and from huaben; for closer reading, see the chapters on Ming chuanqi in a history of Chinese fiction, a few dozen pages will build a basic framework.

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About the author

梅鼎祚 Author

Mei Dingzuo was a literatus of the Ming dynasty. Publicly available information about his life, including his dates of birth and death, is limited, making it difficult to describe in detail his native place, official career, or circle of acquaintances. Judging from the works currently extant, at least two of his works are included on this site: The Jade Box Tale from the Sixty Plays collection and The Tale of Two Twos (unannotated edition). The former is a chuanqi play contained in the drama anthology Sixty Plays, while the latter is a narrative work. The site classifies his works under "Eastern philosophy," though this label may not fully capture the nature of his writing; readers should judge by the texts themselves. Overall, Mei Dingzuo's writing spans drama and biographical narrative, with elegant language and detailed plotting, and holds some documentary value for the study of Ming popular literature and the transmission of drama. Given the limited public information, his literary standing and influence still require further examination through more editions, prefaces and postscripts, and later catalogues.