Robert E. Hegel

Accidental Incest, Filial Cannibalism, and Other Peculiar Encounters in Late Imperial Chinese Literature (review)

Published by the Harvard-Yenching Institute HJAS 70.2 (2010): 507–516 precision may undermine the book’s authority. For others, including myself, this imprecision is both suggestive and analytically significant. Indeed, it was likely essential to the constitution of the petty urbanites themselves. They were a heterogeneous lot, and the consumerism and professional ethos that characterized their lives were both lived experiences and aspirational categories. As subjects that were both sociological and discursive, Shanghai’s petty urbanites were in flux throughout the period covered in Yeh’s study. Whether scholars agree with or contest some of Yeh’s findings, Shanghai Splendor helps set a new agenda for those interested in urban transformation, economics and commerce, and cultural history. It will be a touchstone for future work on the inculcation of modern business thought and practices among the Shanghai petit bourgeoisie, as well as for the more general fostering of economistic thought and values throughout society.