An Anthology of Chinese Literature: Beginnings to 1911

Hailed as a groundbreaking text in Chinese Studies, An Anthology of Chinese Literature brings together representative works from the first millennium B.C. to the end of the imperial system in 1911.

This collection of over 600 pieces, translated with great clarity and sense of the original, presents the tradition in historical and aesthetic context. Moving roughly chronologically through the tradition, An Anthology of Chinese Literature gathers texts in a variety of genres―songs, letters, anecdotes, poetry, political oratory, plays, traditional literary theory, and more―to show how the essential texts build on and echo each other. Coupled with highly readable commentary, this innovative structure uniquely highlights the interplay among Chinese literature, culture, and history.