A Topsy-Turvy World presents English translations of shorter late Ming and early Qing plays. Satirical and often earthy, these mostly one-act plays provide a glimpse of Chinese daily life and mores even as they question or subvert the boundaries of social, moral, and political order.

Wilt L. Idema is professor emeritus of Chinese literature at Harvard University.
Wai-yee Li is the 1879 Professor of Chinese Literature at Harvard University.
Stephen H. West is Louis Agassiz Emeritus Professor of Chinese, University of California, Berkeley, and Emeritus Foundation Professor of Chinese at Arizona State University.

Introduction
Table of Dynasties
1. Cracking a Dumb Chan Riddle
2. The Mad Drummer: Thrice-Played Yuyang
3. Chan Master Yu Has a Dream of Cuixiang
4. Real Puppets
5. Sublime Jokes from the Back of Beyond
6. Pinning Flowers in His Coiffure
7. A Song for a Laugh
8. Ramblings with Magicians in Lyrics and Songs
9. Black and White Donkeys
10. Zaju from the Studio of Singing on the Wind
11. Song of Dragon Well Tea
Appendix: A List of Short Plays from the Period 1400 to 1850 Already Available in English Translation
Contributors
References