Chinese Mythology

As noted in the preface, the line between Chinese history and mythology is sometimes blurry, and a Chinese myth may contain figures from different historical periods and religions or philosophies. The ten myths here were carefully chosen to reflect important Chinese values and philosophies, and reading them, one gets a sense of the foundation underlying Chinese culture. Each story is preceded by an introduction that gives context to the myth, and is followed by two sections—a set of questions, and answers, that test comprehension and an "Expert Commentary" that extends elements of the story. The commentaries—excerpts from the work of anthropologists, sinologists and other scholars—add a fascinating dimension to the book, and source notes are provided for those who might want to follow this thread. Although a pen-and-ink drawing accompanies each story, the volume has a textbook feel and will certainly appear uninteresting to those who have no reason to discover its sound scholarship. Part of the "Mythology" series. 2001, Enslow, $20.95. Ages 12 to 16. Reviewer: Susan Stan

Download