The Odyssey of the Buddhist Mind

Book excerpt: Xiaolian Liu presents the first and only major study on the achievement of the novel in the context of both Western and Chinese allegorical traditions. This groundbreaking book provides a comparative study of the nature and various aspects of allegory as illustrated through the analysis of The Later Journey to the West, a seventeenth-century Chinese allegorical novel. The author also examines the theme, structure and characterization of the novel and their allegorical meanings. Contents: Introduction: A Chinese Allegorical Novel; The Hero's Quest: The Basic Allegory; The Pilgrims' Progress: Meaning of the Allegorical Journey; Symbolic Images and Actions: Representations of Allegorical Characters; Hou Xiyou ji in the Context of Western and Chinese Allegorical Traditions; Appendix I; A Synopsis of Hou Xiyou ji; Appendix II: The Problem of Authorship of Hou Xiyou ji; Selected Bibliography; Index.