Rulin waishi (the unofficial history of the scholars) is more than a landmark in the history of the Chinese novel. This 18th-century work, which was deeply embedded in the intellectual and literary discourses of its time, challenges the reader to come to grips with the mid-Qing debates over ritual and ritualism, and the construction of history, narrative and lyricism. Wu Jingzi's (1701-54) ironic portrait of literati life was unprecedented in its comprehensive treatment of the degeneration of mores, the predicaments of official institutions, and the Confucian elite's futile struggle to...
Rulin waishi (the unofficial history of the scholars) is more than a landmark in the history of the Chinese novel. This 18th-century work, which was d...
