Spring and Autumn Annals of Wu and Yue

This title is printed to order. This book may have been self-published. If so, we cannot guarantee the quality of the content. In the main most books will have gone through the editing process however some may not. We therefore suggest that you be aware of this before ordering this book. If in doubt check either the author or publisher’s details as we are unable to accept any returns unless they are faulty. Please contact us if you have any questions.

An approachable and readable translation of a classic work of Chinese literature and landmark work of non-Western fiction writing.

A Tale of Two Kingdoms offers a highly readable translation of the earliest surviving novel written in the Chinese language, Wu Yue chunqiu (The Spring and Autumn Annals of the Kingdoms of Wu and Yue). Composed nearly two millennia ago and featuring some of the most famous characters in Chinese literature, this powerful saga of humiliation, violence, and revenge recounts the battles between the states of Wu and Yue during the Spring and Autumn period (770-481 BCE). In her detailed introduction and annotations, translator Olivia Milburn places the work in its historical and cultural context and explains its ongoing significance in the history of fiction writing in East Asia, making the case that this was, in fact, China's first novel. This approachable translation by one of the leading scholars in the field makes this key text available to specialist and nonspecialist readers alike.