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"I am confident that it is the finest in its field to include a lyric by me."—Eric Idle
"Academic books do not always reflect their subject matter. Studies of sex, for example, are notoriously unsexy. But Mr. Rea’s book is funny, beginning with its hilarious “executive preface."—Ian Johnson, The New York Times
"China’s tumultuous and painful history during the last two hundred years has led many of its writers to focus on heavy questions like 'What went wrong?,' 'Whose fault was it?,' and 'What can we do now?' Scholarship, both Chinese and Western, has generally followed this emphasis. Now The Age of Irreverence shows, in marvelous variety and detail, how laughter and raillery—not separate from the pain but complexly involved with it—infused the cultural scene as well."—Perry Link, author of Anatomy of Chinese: Rhythm, Metaphor, Politics
"Rea's study is beautifully written and meticulously researched. At a time when western interest in and access to Chinese 'cultural products' have never been greater, books like this are essential for challenging entrenched stereotypes and fostering greater appreciation of the country."—Jonathan Sullivan, Comedy Studies
Inhaltsverzeichnis
Executive Preface
Acknowledgments
1. Breaking into Laughter
2. Jokes
3. Play
4. Mockery
5. Farce
6. The Invention of Humor
Epilogue
Appendix 1: Selected Chinese Humor Collections, 1900–1937
Appendix 2: Which Classic? Editions and Paratexts
Abbreviations
Notes
Glossary
Bibliography
Index
Über den Autor / die Autorin
Christopher Rea is Associate Professor of Asian Studies at the University of British Columbia. He is the editor of Humans, Beasts, and Ghosts: Stories and Essays by Qian Zhongshu and the coeditor of The Business of Culture: Cultural Entrepreneurs in China and Southeast Asia, 1900–60.
Zusammenfassung
Tells the story of why China's entry into the modern age was not just traumatic, but uproarious. The author argues that this period from the 1890s to the 1930s transformed how Chinese people thought and talked about what is funny.
Zusatztext
"Masterful... The book is a model of scholarship, clarity, and academic rigor. The translations are meticulous, masterful, and helpful to Sinologists and non-specialists alike."
