Undergraduates will join specialists in enjoying this feast of melons. Schneewind's marvelous little book is at once a primer in some key aspects of China's traditional civilization and history, as well as a case study of an obscurely understood event that took place in 1372, in the reign of Taizu, founder of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). When two melons share a single stalk, and a local grower presents the anomaly to the emperor, the symbolism, the intentions of the giver, the reaction of the recipient, and the meaning of the whole act to observers and later commentators turn out to be anything but straightforward. Divergent interpretations began immediately, and continue to the present day.
John Dardess, University of Kansas Building on an apparently tiny incident in 1372, Sarah Schneewind has conjured up an absorbing evocation of Chinese imperial power, the ambiguity of omens, and the unpredictability of fate. This concise and finely crafted book also provides a grand introduction to the ways historians (both then and now) think, work and present their findings.
Jonathan Spence, Yale University Schneewind offers sharp insights into the structure and daily workings of premodern Chinese society and government and t he subtle forces that acted to temper absolute imperial power. Especially appealing is the metaphor of a social and political fabric perpetually in process of weaving, as exemplified by the complex interplay between center and peripheries, near and far; between individuals, products, and texts; between the formally empowered and the relatively powerless, whether ruler and subject or men and women; between the human, natural and supernatural worlds; and between past, present, and future. A rich and original study that wears its erudition lightly and presents a wealth of detail in highly readable form.
Joanna Waley-Cohen, New York University