KSCB781 Classical Chinese Novel for MA. programme

Faculty of Arts
Autumn 2024
Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Ondřej Vicher (lecturer)
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.
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
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 familiar with the themes and content of the Six Great Chinese Novels and several more
- 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 studied
- 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 adaptation
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, 2017, 435 stran. ISBN 9788086921174. 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, 294 s. ISBN 9788086921143. 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
  • 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
  • PRŮŠEK, Jaroslav. O čínském písemnictví a vzdělanosti. Vyd. 1. V Praze: Družstevní práce, 1947, 340 s. URL info
Teaching methods
1. attendance, activity in discussion
2. translation of an excerpt from a selected work, analysis and written presentation
3. creation of an encyclopaedic entry on the selected novel
Assessment methods
lectures
exercises (reading of original texts)
discussion
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is taught once in two years.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
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