The Misadventures of Master Mugwort

The Hsu-Tang Library presents authoritative and eminently readable translations of classical Chinese literature, in bilingual editions, ranging across three millennia and the entire Sinitic world.The Misadventures of Master Mugwort: A Joke Book Trilogy from Imperial China is a translation of three collections of humorous episodes revolving around the beloved fictional character of Master Mugwort (Aizi). Set in the ancient Warring States period, Master Mugwort counsels kings in the art of statecraft, takes on other masters in mock philosophical debates, and wisecracks his way through this age of opportunity and intrigue, disciples in tow.The explosive popularity of the original collection from the late 1000s, attributed to literatus-extraordinaire Su Shi, inspired sequels centuries later: in 1516 by precocious teenager Lu Cai; and in 1608 by whimsical retiree Tu Benjun. Together, these three books represent a time-honored tradition of Chinese humor as well as a light-hearted interpretation of a bygone age that remained of enduring importance to the writers' own day and age.Translated in full for the first time by Elizabeth Smithrosser, with an introduction and explanatory notes, this volume introduces a once bestselling, if today much overlooked, tradition of Chinese literature to new audiences.FeaturesFirst full translation of these joke books in any languageAnnotations provide literary and historical context to make the work accessible to non-specialist readersA rare work of pre-modern Chinese humor translated into EnglishIncludes parallel Chinese text

[The Hsu-Tang Library] will open up a classical tradition that spans millennia, relatively little of which has ever been translated into English. There is a humanity and irreverence to some of these works that readers expecting stuffy, prim Confucian moralizing will find refreshing. The Wall Street Journal
There is real humor to be found here... Smithrosser's informative Introduction and extensive supplementary material help greatly with appreciation of the texts. The Complete Review
Smithrosser's complete translation of the three Master Mugwort collections is a remarkable achievement, especially considering how sophisticated the jokes are.... [It] is not only an important addition to the body of English translations of premodern Chinese texts, but also an excellent example of scholarly rigor. Ming Studies
The translation is excellent: accurate, fluent, and - most important! - often very amusing. Journal of the European Association for Chinese Studies
With her elegant style, Smithrosser managed to donate coherence and cohesion to three different texts written by (at least) three authors in different epochs.... I would recommend this book to fellow humour scholars, as an important contribution (in English, finally! And translated by a native speaker!) to the field of late-imperial Chinese jokes. Antonio Leggieri, The European Journal of Humour Research
The collection is also a fascinating account of the reception history of the pre-Qínperiod in the Sòng and Míng eras. Lukas K. Pokorny, Religious Studies Review

Elizabeth Smithrosser is an historian of late imperial China, currently based at the Leiden Institute for Area Studies, Leiden University. Su Shi (1037-1101), to whom Miscellaneous Stories of Master Mugwort has traditionally been attributed, was a scholar-official during the Northern Song period and is one of the most prominent figures in the history of Chinese literature.Lu Cai (1497-1537) was a traveling playwright and diarist active across the vibrant cities of the Yangtze River Delta during the mid-Ming period. Tu Benjun (1542-1622) was an encyclopedia compiler and humorist from the modern-day Ningbo region during the late Ming period.

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