FF:KSCB084 Classical Chinese Novel

KSCB084 Classical Chinese Novel

Faculty of Arts
Autumn 2024

Extent and Intensity

0/2/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).

Teacher(s)

Guaranteed by

Mgr. Ondřej Vicher
Department of Chinese Studies – Asia Studies Centre – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Mgr. Ondřej Vicher
Supplier department: Department of Chinese Studies – Asia Studies Centre – Faculty of Arts

Timetable

Wed 14:00–15:40 B2.32, except Mon 18. 11. to Sun 24. 11.

Prerequisites

KSCA023 History of Chinese Literature
Completion of KSCA023 History of Chinese Literature

Course Enrolment Limitations

The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with

Chinese Studies (programme FF, B-CS_) (3)

Course objectives

The seminar aims to provide a comprehensive introduction to the development of the Chinese novel during the Ming and Qing dynasties, focusing on the so-called Six Great Chinese Novels and several more. Through thematic lectures, the course participants will gain a deeper understanding of their themes and content and become familiar with their structure, language, and characters, as well as their historical context and all social, political, and cultural contexts and references. Students will then further deepen this knowledge by reading the relevant secondary literature as well as passages from the originals, by analyzing them, and, above all, in the subsequent discussion. Overall, this course will provide students with a deep understanding of the development of classical Chinese literature and deepen their ability to analyze literary works and their historical and cultural contexts critically.

Learning outcomes

Thanks to the course, students will:
- be introduced to the ideas and content of the six great Chinese novels and many others
- have a deeper understanding of the structure of Chinese novels
- be able to identify the main specifics of the literature of the period
- know the circumstances and works that contributed to the creation of the great novels
- know the influence of the great novels on the development of later Chinese literature, culture and society
- be able to navigate and read the original texts of the works under study
- be able to discuss and better interpret literary texts

Syllabus

1. Introduction - The Origin and Development of the Classical Chinese Novel
2. Translation and translating
3. Historical novel - Tales of the Three Empires (Sanguo yanyi), Chronicles of the Eastern Zhou States (Dong Zhou lieguo zhi)
4. Rich man's novel - Tales from the lakeshore (Shuihuzhuan), Three brave and five righteous (San xia wu yi)
5. Allegorical and Fantastic Novel - Wandering to the West (Xiyouji), Inauguration (Fengshen yanyi), Flowers in the mirror (Jinghuayuan)
6. Moral Novel - The Plum in the Golden Vase (Jin Ping Mei), Meditation Mats of mass (Rouputuan), The Story of Love's Destiny to awaken the World (Xingshi yinyuan zhuan), Light at the Crossroads (Qilu deng)
7. Satirical Novel - Literati and Mandarins (Rulin waishi), The Wanderings of Old Chromec (Laocan youji)
8. Social novel, bildungsroman and family saga - Dream in the Red House (Hongloumeng)
9. Novels to add - sequels and adaptations

Literature

OLIVOVÁ, Lucie and Ondřej VICHER. Jin Ping Mei aneb Slivoň ve zlaté váze. Svazek devátý. (Jin Ping Mei Or Plum in Golden Vase. Volume Nine.). 1st ed. Lásenice: Maxima – Marek Král, 2023. ISBN 978-80-86921-22-8. info
OLIVOVÁ, Lucie and Ondřej VICHER. Jin Ping Mei aneb Slivoň ve zlaté váze. Svazek osmý. (Jin Ping Mei Or Plum in Golden Vase. Volume Eight.). 1st ed. Lásenice: Maxima – Marek Král, 2022, 496 pp. ISBN 978-80-86921-20-4. info
OLIVOVÁ, Lucie and Ondřej VICHER. On Translating Jin Ping Mei into Czech. In Qi, Lintao; Tobias, Shani. Encountering China’s Past : Translation and Dissemination of Classical Chinese Literature. 1st ed. Singapore: Springer, 2022, p. 207-232. New Frontiers in Translation Studies. ISBN 978-981-19-0647-3. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-0648-0_12. info
XIAOXIAOSHENG. Jin Ping Mei, aneb, Slivoň ve zlaté váze. Translated by Oldřich Král. První vydání. Praha: Maxima, 2018, 475 stran. ISBN 9788086921198. info
XIAOXIAOSHENG. Jin Ping Mei, aneb, Slivoň ve zlaté váze. Translated by Oldřich Král. První vydání. Lásenice: Maxima, 2016, 352 stran. ISBN 9788086921167. info
XIAOXIAOSHENG. Jin Ping Mei, aneb, Slivoň ve zlaté váze. Translated by Oldřich Král. První vydání. Lásenice: Maxima, 2015, 350 stran. ISBN 9788086921150. info
XIAOXIAOSHENG. Jin Ping Mei, aneb, Slivoň ve zlaté váze. Translated by Oldřich Král. 1. vyd. Lásenice: Maxima, 2013, 364 s. ISBN 9788086921136. info
XIAOXIAOSHENG. Jin Ping Mei, aneb, Slivoň ve zlaté váze. Translated by Oldřich Král. 1. vyd. Lásenice: Maxima, 2012, 379 s. ISBN 9788096921119. info
The Cambridge history of Chinese literature. Edited by Kang-i Sun Chang - Stephen Owen. 1st pub. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010, xxxi, 793. ISBN 9780521116770. info
SHI, Nai'an. The water margin : outlaws of the marsh : the classic Chinese novel. Edited by Edwin Lowe, Translated by J. H. Jackson. First edition. Tokyo: Tuttle, 2010, xlix, 798. ISBN 9780804840958. info
OLIVOVÁ, Lucie, ed. Klenoty čínské literatury. 1st ed. Praha: Portál, 2006. info
HSIA, C. T. The classic Chinese novel : a critical introduction. Ithaca, N.Y.: East Asia Program Cornell University, 1996, xiii, 413. ISBN 1885445741. info
WU, Jingzi. Literáti a mandaríni : neoficiální kronika konfuciánů. Translated by Oldřich Král. Vyd. 2., ve Votobii 1. Olomouc: Votobia, 1995, 682 s. ISBN 8085885557. URL info
How to read the Chinese novel. Edited by David L. Rolston - Shuen-fu Lin - Andrew H. Plaks - David Tod Roy - Jo. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1990, xvii, 534. ISBN 0691067538. info
CAO, Xueqin. Sen v červeném domě. Edited by Oldřich Král. Vyd. 1. Praha: Odeon, 1988, 649 s. info
CAO, Xueqin. Sen v červeném domě. Edited by Oldřich Král. Vyd. 1. Praha: Odeon, 1988, 761 s. info
PLAKS, Andrew H. The four masterworks of the Ming novel : Ssu-ta-ch'i-shu. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1987, xiii, 595. ISBN 0691067082. info
CAO, Xueqin. Sen v červeném domě. Edited by Oldřich Král. Vyd. 1. Praha: Odeon, 1986, 644 s. info
KRÁL, Oldřich. Umění čínského románu. Praha: Universita Karlova, 1965. info
Příběhy od jezerního břehu. Edited by Augustin Palát. Praha: Naše vojsko, 1962. info
WU, Cheng'en. Opičí král. Translated by Zdenka Heřmanová, Illustrated by Zdeněk Sklenář. 1. vyd. Praha: Státní nakladatelství dětské knihy, 1961, 348 s. URL info
WU, Cheng'en. Opičí král. Translated by Zdenka Heřmanová, Illustrated by Zdeněk Sklenář. 1. vyd. Praha: Státní nakladatelství dětské knihy, 1961, 348 s. URL info
PRŮŠEK, Jaroslav. O čínském písemnictví a vzdělanosti. Vyd. 1. V Praze: Družstevní práce, 1947, 340 s. URL info

Teaching methods

lectures
discussions
exercises (reading of original texts)

Assessment methods

1. attendance, activity in discussion
2. translation of an excerpt from a selected work, its analysis and written presentation

FF:KSCB084 Classical Chinese Novel - Course Information

KSCB084 Classical Chinese Novel

Other applications