The Age of Irreverence: A New History of Laughter in China

by Christopher Rea

The Age of Irreverence tells the story of why China's entry into the modern age was not just traumatic, but uproarious. As the Qing dynasty slumped toward extinction, prominent writers compiled jokes into collections they called "histories of laughter." In the first years of the Republic, novelists, essayists and illustrators alike used humorous allegories to make veiled critiques of the new government. But, again and again, political and cultural...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0520283848
• ISBN13: 9780520283848
• Release Date: September 2015
• Publisher: University of California Press
• Length: 356 Pages
• Weight: 2.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.3" x 9.2"