[LITERATURE - CHINA] GILES, Herbert

A History of Chinese Literature

New York: D. Appleton -Century Co., 1935. Later printing. 8vo. 448pp. Dustjacket. Publisher's original yellow cloth, titled and decorated in black to spine and front board, a very good, strong copy in a similarly very good copy of the dustwrapper with some superficial edgewear. Internally clean. With a striking and rather beautifully executed inscription in Mandarin Chinese to the front flyleaf:
"To Hai Luo, [from] Younghill Kang, late 1935"

Although the recipient of the inscription is unknown, the characters may be a play on the nickname (Leisure Man of Lakes and Seas) of the Ming Dynasty writer Luo Guanzhong, a tremendously important figure in Chinese literature who is notably absent from Giles's book, and intended as something in the manner of a private joke. Younghill Kang is best known as the early Asian American author of the celebrated "The Grass Roof", and its sequel "East Goes West; The Making of an Oriental Yankee." Originally of Korean descent, he moved to the US in the 1930's and became, amongst other things, an avid chronicler of his own culture shock. [61931].

Price: $250.00

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