The Dragon Daughter and Other Lin LAN Fairy Tales - (Oddly Modern Fairy Tales) by Juwen Zhang (Paperback)

About the Book

"Although the influence of the Brothers Grimm on folklore in virtually every country in the West has been widely studied, a similar development in the early part of twentieth-century China is virtually unknown. This book collects and translates more than 40 tales selected from the "Lin Lan" series, published in China from the late 1920s to the early 1930s. The pseudonym "Lin Lan" was created in 1924, when a group of three literary stories about the legendary Xu Wenchang (1521-1593), himself the author of many literary works still popular today, were published in a morning newspaper. The success of this first attempt encouraged the creators to publish more folk tales and fairy tales, which ultimately played a major role in the development of modern folk literature in China. The series, written and developed by a Shanghai publisher under the pen name Lin Lan, was divided into three subgenres-minjian chuanshuo (folk legends/tales), minjian tonghua (folk fairy tales), and minjian qushi (comic folk tales)-published in 43 volumes containing nearly one thousand tales in all. The tales were collected the tales from oral storytellers throughout China in response to a call from the publisher, and combined elements of European fairy-tale literature with traditional Chinese narratives"--

Book Synopsis

A delightful collection of modern Chinese tales

The Dragon Daughter and Other Lin Lan Fairy Tales brings together forty-two magical Chinese tales, most appearing for the first time in English. These stories have been carefully selected from more than a thousand originally published in the early twentieth century under the pseudonyms Lin Lan and Lady Lin Lan--previously unknown in the West, and now acclaimed as the Brothers Grimm of China.

The birth of the tales began in 1924, when one author, Li Xiaofeng, published a set of literary stories under the Lin Lan pen name, an alias that would eventually be shared by an editorial team. Together, this group gathered fairy tales (tonghua) from rural regions across China. Combining traditional oral Chinese narratives with elements from the West, the selections in this collection represent different themes and genres--from folk legends to comic tales. Characters fall for fairies, experience predestined love, and have love/hate relationships with siblings. Garden snails and snakes transform into cooking girls, and dragon daughters construct houses. An introduction offers historical and social context for understanding the role that the Lin Lan stories played in modern China. Appendixes include information on tale types and biographies of the writers and contributors.

The Dragon Daughter and Other Lin Lan Fairy Tales is a captivating testament to the power of storytelling.

Review Quotes

"A useful tool for cross-cultural reading in the classroom or comparative research on folk and fairy tales. . . . There are still not many scholarly compilations of Chinese tales in the English-language circle. With its well-considered selection, meticulous translation, and refreshing perspective, Zhang's book is a valuable contribution, presenting the Lin Lan series that has played an important role in continuing and preserving Chinese folk narrative traditions but is rarely known outside China."---Jing Li, Journal of American Folklore

"[The book] is an exuberant celebration of humanity and translates beautifully into a joyously fresh read"---Bob Rickard, Fortean Times

"Enjoyable. . . . An exciting look at oral traditions of rural China. Lovers of folktales and fairytales will enjoy this book and Zhang's conversational prose."-- "Library Journal"

"Readers will discover in this collection displays of violence in its most unforgiving forms as well as repeated tributes to beauty and its seductive power."---Maria Tatar, Foreign Policy

About the Author

Juwen Zhang is professor of Chinese Studies at Willamette University, fellow of the American Folklore Society, and current president of the Western States Folklore Society. Jack Zipes is the editor of The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm (Princeton).