Comments on Peony Pavilion by Wu Shanshan

by Tang Xianzu

本书为明代杰出的戏曲家汤显祖创作的《牡丹亭》评本之一，它由清代著名文人吴舒凫的未婚妻陈同、续娶妻谈则、妻子钱宜先后评点，共同完成。这个评本，一般的读者很少见到，此次整理，以康熙刻本为底本，参校同治清芬阁刻本，改正若干刻印错误，并配有大量精美的插图，以满足不同读者的阅读和收藏需求。

154 pages, Paperback

Published January 7, 2008

About the author

Tang Xianzu (Chinese: 湯顯祖; September 24, 1550 — July 29, 1616), courtesy name Yireng (義仍), was a Chinese playwright of the Ming Dynasty.

Tang was a native of Linchuan, Jiangxi and his career as an official consisted principally of low-level positions. He successfully participated in the Provincial examinations at the age of 21 and at the imperial examinations at the age of 34. He held official positions in Nanjing, Zhejiang province, Guangdong province etc.. He retired in 1598 and returned to his hometown where he focused on writing.

His major plays are collectively called the Four Dreams, because of the decisive role dreams play in the plot of each one. All of them are still performed (in scenes, or in adapted full versions) on the Chinese Kun opera (kunqu) stage. Generally considered his masterpiece, the Mudan Ting (The Peony Pavilion) has been translated into English several times; each of the other plays has been translated once.

(from Wikipedia)