Literature and History in the Shi ji of Sima Qian - Miyazaki Ichisada - Bookniverse

This volume is a translated and edited collection of studies on theShi ji(Records of the historian) by Sima Qian, authored by the prestigious Japanese sinologist Miyazaki Ichisada. Providing a pathbreaking analysis of the structure and formation of theShi ji, it serves not only as an excellent introduction to Sima Qian’s masterpiece but also offers historiographical and methodological insights that will stimulate further debate and research.In this volume, Miyazaki presents fascinating evidence of the influence of narrative fiction and drama in Sima Qian’s recreation of the entire length and breadth of Chinese history right up to his own time. By establishing a foundational model for writing comprehensive histories in China, Sima Qian’s work is essential for understanding the subsequent tradition of historical writing. This volume offers readers valuable insights into how Sima Qian constructed his seminal work.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A monument of Japanese scholarship on theShi ji, Prof. Miyazaki Ichisada’s work is the result of decades of meticulous research and original analysis by one of the giants of modern Japanese Sinology. Presented for the first time to readers of English through Prof. Joshua A. Fogel’s fine and learned translation, the essays collected in this book not only provide compelling testimony to the groundbreaking quality of modern Japanese scholarship on theShi jibut also offer a magisterial contribution to the growing body of new studies in English on Sima Qian’s work as both history and literature.—Martin KernJoanna and Greg ’84 P13 P18 Zeluck Professor in Asian Studies, Princeton UniversityThis translation of Prof. Miyazaki Ichisada’s essays on theShi jiis one of the most important studies of that history, while also providing insights into Japanese Sinology of the late 20th century. He goes beyond modern Chinese and Western approaches to theShi jiunder the aegis of his theories about the rise of city states and the appearance of free men, arguing as that for Sima Qian the idea of a free man who dared to express himself regardless of the consequences was a personal ideal that shaped his view of his predecessors and their history.—William H. Nienhauser, Jr.Halls-Bascom Professor of Classical Chinese Literature, University of Wisconsin-MadisonMiyazaki Ichisada, a required reading in graduate school, is a pleasure to meet again through his enlightening essays on theShi ji, which draws attention to several neglected features of China’s greatest history: its innovative format, its likely inspiration from oral traditions of urban performance, and its cross-cultural significance. This translation of Miyazaki’s work is bound to intrigue those new to the China field as well as seasoned professionals.—Michael NylanProfessor, Jane K. Sather History Chair, University of California at Berkeley