Scents of China

Rezensionen / Stimmen

'Scents of China leads us by the nose on a journey through key moments in modern Chinese history and literature. Bringing scientific, theoretical, and historical scholarship to bear on diverse archival materials, Huang evokes the unruly, indeterminate qualities of smell that exceed the rationalizing drives of China's olfactory revolution.' Hsuan L. Hsu, author of The Smell of Risk: Environmental Disparities and Olfactory Aesthetics 'Xuelei Huang's superb new book is a masterful reconsideration of late imperial and modern Chinese history through the prism of the nose. Drawing deeply on archival materials and theories of the human sensorium, Huang pursues the lost scents of the past to show how 'smellscapes' both foul and fragrant helped to define what made China modern. This imaginative and adventurous book will be required reading for students and scholars of Chinese cultural history.' Margaret Hillenbrand, author of On the Edge: Feeling Precarious in China (Columbia University Press, forthcoming 2023) 'Embark on a memorable olfactory journey through modern China's past with Huang Xuelei's brilliant book. This groundbreaking study uncovers scent's untapped power in shaping culture and politics. Meticulous research and captivating storytelling reveal a hidden aromatic world, breathing life into history like never before.' Christian Henriot, author of Scythe and the City '... exquisitely argued and exhaustively researched ... Replete with adept theorization, multi-layered arguments laid out in clear prose, and inspiring new interpretations of well-worn sources, Scents of China is sure to be a defining work.' Nicole Elizabeth Barnes, Journal of Chinese History 'Groundbreaking and insightful ... Anyone who calls him/herself a scholar of modern China should take this olfactory journey' Yangwen Zheng, Cultural and Social History '... pioneers as the first book-length study on the history of olfaction in China and will undoubtedly become an indispensable reference for scholars seeking to advance sensory history in China and beyond.' Ya Zuo, American Historical Review