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The Bell of Awakening
The Bell of Awakening rings for anyone asleep in greed, lust or vanity. Its stories open with a lament from a monk who hates his shaven head and go on to cheats, faithless friends, misguided parents and lovers led astray, each brought to its awakening. Earthy, ironic and quick, the collection belongs to the great vernacular tradition of the Three Words and Two Slaps. This is a complete new English translation, with names in modern pinyin and the text rendered as plain, readable English prose. Each story stands alone and can be read in a sitting, and together they give a lively picture of everyday Chinese life: markets, inns, temples, courts and bedrooms. These vernacular stories were the popular reading of Ming and Qing China, sold cheaply and read aloud, and very few have been translated into English before.
