''Langshi'' (), translated into English as ''A History of Debauchery'' and several other titles, is a Chinese novel composed during the late

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...

by an anonymous writer under a

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...

. Believed to be one of the oldest erotic novels published in China, ''Langshi'' revolves around the scholar Langzi (), who is described as adept in seducing others. The novel has been constantly banned or censored since its publication.

Plot

Divided into forty "episodes" or chapters, the novel follows the adventures of a young scholar named Langzi (; "The Rake") as he seduces his female and male lovers. After "achieving ultimate sexual gratification", Langzi ascends to heaven and becomes a

Taoist immortal ''Xian'' () refers to a person or similar entity having a long life or being immortal. The concept of ''xian'' has different implications dependent upon the specific context: philosophical, religious, mythological, or other symbolic or cultural ...

Publication history

''Langshi'' was written by an anonymous writer under the

"Youxuan zi of Wind and Moon Studio" () in the late Tianqi era. One of the earliest mentions of the novel is in the preface of the novel ''Tianxu zhai pidian Bei Song san Sui pingyao zhuan'' (), dated 1620. The novel is also "presumably" mentioned in the preface of ''

The Three Sui Quash the Demons' Revolt ''The Three Sui Quash the Demons' Revolt'' (; ) also translated as ''Quelling the Demons' Revolt'' and ''The Sorcerer's Revolt'' is a Chinese novel attributed to the 14th-century novelist Luo Guanzhong, although the earliest extant version was com ...

'' as expanded by

Feng Menglong Feng Menglong (1574–1646), courtesy names Youlong (), Gongyu (), Ziyou (), or Eryou (), was a Chinese historian, novelist, and poet of the late Ming Dynasty. He was born in Changzhou County, now part of Suzhou, in Jiangsu Province. Life Fen ...

in the 1620s. Alongside ''

Jin Ping Mei ''Jin Ping Mei'' () — translated into English as ''The Plum in the Golden Vase'' or ''The Golden Lotus'' — is a Chinese novel of manners composed in vernacular Chinese during the latter half of the 16th century during the late Ming dynasty ...

'' () and '' Xiuta yeshi'' (), both also written during the late Ming dynasty, ''Langshi'' is believed to be one of the oldest erotic novels published in China.

Literary significance and reception

Cuncun Wu and Mark Stevenson argue that ''Langshi'' "represents a complete abnegation of any form of moral standpoint" and "lacks even the slightest hint of moral didacticism or contrition, and instead parodies moral conventions by upending them". Furthermore, they claim that "in the history of the Chinese novel there are few works that can match ''Langshi'' in ... being devoid of any suggestion of a moral causality." Martin W. Huang writes that ''Langshi'' is an example of "erotic fiction as a transgressive genre (that) seems occasionally to have offered more latitude for viewing deviations, especially those committed by women, with more tolerance." For instance, Mei Suxian makes the "feminist" gesture of allowing his wife Li Wenfei to have sex with his servant and

bisexual Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, whi ...

lover Lu Shu, because she allowed her husband to keep a concubine. The early Qing dynasty commentator Liu Tingji () attacks the novel as "poison", while Giovanni Vitiello criticises the book for being "rather poor in plot and repetitive in style".

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Bibliography

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External links

* {{authority control Chinese erotic novels Censored books Ming dynasty novels 17th-century Chinese novels Male bisexuality in fiction Works published under a pseudonym