Kara Monogatari: Tales of China

by Ward Geddes

This work includes a study and a complete, annotated translation of the late twelfth- or early thirteenth-century Japanese tale collection, the Kara monogatari (Tales of China). The twenty-seven tales are interesting as stories, literate as short written pieces, and important as a Japanese cultural source, as well as being of interest to students of China. The Kara monogatari gave Japanese readers vernacular translations of some of the most well-known stories about China. It offers an interesting example of the transition in Japanese literature from the uta monogatari (poem tale) form to the setsuwa bungaku (story literature) form.

128 pages, Paperback

First published November 5, 2005