REVIEWS OF RECENT BOOKS 257 



painstaking piece of work. It was decidedly worth doing, and will 

 add to Mr. Morgan's fame as the author of a very serviceable series 

 of helps to the student of the Chinese language and literature. 



H. K. W. 



The Chinese Drama. R. F. Johnston, c.b.]B., m.a. Shanghai : Kelly 

 & Walsh, Ltd. 



Although well worthy of investigation, students of Chinese have paid 

 hut little attention to the Chinese Drama, and therefore this book 

 is all the more welcome. It was evidently intended as a gift book, 

 and hence was published in an attractive form, with brilliantly colored 

 binding, and with striking hand painted illustrations by C. F. Winzer. 

 It is not, however, written altogether in a popular style. Perhaps 

 it was expecting too much of a scholar like Mr. Johnston to produce 

 a book that would merely be popular. 



Judged as a work to interest the uninitiated, it is not a complete 

 success, for only Sinologues would appreciate some of the chapters, 

 especially the one on the Historical Development of the Chinese 

 Drama. To the ordinary reader there is much that will appear to be 

 as dry as dust, but to the serious student there is much that will 

 prove interesting. 



We believe a much more popular book could have been written, 

 one that would have given, for instance, some examples of the stories 

 and plots used in the Chinese Drama, and anecdotes connected with 

 the theatrical profession. 



It would appear as if the material for the book had been gathered 

 from Chinese writings on the drama, and there is not a great deal 

 of evidence of first hand knowledge. It may be difficult for a westerner 

 to write sympathetically, but one cannot escape being struck by the 

 difference between the spirit of Mr. Johnston's book and the lectures 

 on the same subject by Prof. Soong Tsung-faung. 



The writer begins with some introductory remarks, calling atten- 

 tion to the small amount of literature on his subject, produced by 

 western writers, and then gives a brief account of the village theatre, 

 and the troops of travelling actors. This is followed by a description 

 of the city theatre. According to the author "at the present time 

 Peking still maintains its place as the dramatic capital, and as the 

 best training ground for actors. Shanghai comes second, while Tien- 

 tsin and Hankow rank as third and fourth." The next Section on 

 Historical development, as we have said, is somewhat too scholarly 

 for the ordinary reader. It is based largely upon a book recently 

 published in Chinese called $£ % fc ffi &• Tn © author points out 

 17 



