Chinese Myths & Tales

by Davide Latini (Foreword)

Great floods and river Gods, snake spirits, and Immortals, China's unique set of mythological tales are derived from its vast expanse, diverse culture and the endless wars between tribes and dynasties. The result is a rich landscape of humanity, gods and spirits introduced here in this comprehensive book of folk tales and legendary exploits.

Genres: Mythology, Classics, Folklore, China, Fantasy, Short Stories, Fiction

480 pages, Hardcover

First published November 15, 2018

About the author

Davide Latini is currently a PhD student at SOAS. He obtained his BA in Foreign Cultures and Languages at Carlo Bo University of Urbino, and focused on classical Chinese studies during his MA at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice. His field of research revolves around the symbology of ancient Chinese mythology and its relationship with the ideological and textual context in which the narratives are inserted.

Reviews

[Mykola H. · Rating 2 out of 5]

І хоча книга місцями дуже цікава, все ж вона мені не сподобалась. Я був неприємно здивований тим, що деякі історії дублювались в різних розділах. Це максимально дивно і мені важко зрозуміти навіщо це було зроблено. Більш того, ці дубльовані історії не привносили нічого нового в плані розкриття фабули.

Редактори цього видання взагалі не запарились, що вони публікують. Сум.

[anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so interesting, I really liked it because since my attention span sucks, reading small tales helps a lot and it's very hard to get bored.
It was lovely to get to know a little bit better such a fascinating culture.
My favorite chapter was the Ghostly Tales one but the tales I’m definitely rereading more than once will be The herdsman and the Weaver Girl, the Nodding Tiger, and The beautiful daughter of Liu-Kung, those stories were just SO beautiful that stuck with me.
I would recommend this book to anyone, especially to those interested in other cultures, but anyone would like this book the tales are not only interesting but beautifully written.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually love books about Chinese myths, but this book fell pretty flat for me. Many of the stories were boring, and they showed only a shallow understanding of Chinese culture. I assume this is because all the stories were taken from collections Europeans collected who traveled to China in the 1800s or early 1900s. Not a bad book, but for such a pretty cover I was hoping for a better collection.

[Sierra · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are funny short stories. I liked that Davide gives historical references and explanations to each section. I was surprised to learn a lot about Chinese mythology's connection to other mythologies and absorption. The funnest thing to me was two different stories referred to women being impregnated by footprints. I will say after a while of reading, some of the stories and names started to blur together. I still enjoyed this and believe it's worth getting and reading.

[Keri Sparks]

I couldn't force interest. Maybe I should have kept going but I had little desire to keep reading. It wasn't quite what I was expecting.

I DNF at about 80 pages in

[Krista]

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[♠ TABI⁷ ♠]

yes please