![The Letter to Ren An and Sima Qian's Legacy: (The Letter to Ren An and Sima Qian's Legacy)](/mobify/caching/assets/product-image/large/9780295743646-10-000_1.jpg)
The Letter to Ren An and Sima Qian's Legacy: (The Letter to Ren An and Sima Qian's Legacy)
By
Paperback
Available / dispatched within 1 - 4 weeks
Quantity
Description
Sima Qian (first century BCE), the author of Record of the Historian (Shiji), is China's earliest and best-known historian, and his "Letter to Ren An" is the most famous letter in Chinese history. In the letter, Sima Qian explains his decision to finish his life's work, the first comprehensive history of China, instead of honorably committing suicide following his castration for "deceiving the emperor." In the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, some scholars have queried the authenticity of the letter. Is it a genuine piece of writing by Sima Qian or an early work of literary impersonation? The Letter to Ren An and Sima Qian's Legacy provides a full translation of the letter and uses different methods to explore issues in textual history. It also shows how ideas about friendship, loyalty, factionalism, and authorship encoded in the letter have far-reaching implications for the study of China. 7 charts, 1 table
About the Author
Stephen Durrant is professor of Chinese language and literature at the University of Oregon; Wai-yee Li is professor of Chinese literature at Harvard University; Michael Nylan is professor of history at University of California, Berkeley; and Hans van Ess is professor of sinology at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Munchen.
More Details
- Contributor: Stephen Durrant
- Imprint: University of Washington Press
- ISBN13: 9780295743646
- Number of Pages: 190
- Packaged Dimensions: 152x229mm
- Packaged Weight: 295
- Format: Paperback
- Publisher: University of Washington Press
- Release Date: 2018-03-01
- Series: The Letter to Ren An and Sima Qian's Legacy
- Binding: Paperback / softback
- Biography: Stephen Durrant is professor of Chinese language and literature at the University of Oregon; Wai-yee Li is professor of Chinese literature at Harvard University; Michael Nylan is professor of history at University of California, Berkeley; and Hans van Ess is professor of sinology at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Munchen.
Delivery Options
Home Delivery
Store Delivery
Free Returns
We hope you are delighted with everything you buy from us. However, if you are not, we will refund or replace your order up to 30 days after purchase. Terms and exclusions apply; find out more from our Returns and Refunds Policy.