Hanan includes a brief introduction in Falling in Love to Chinese
marriage and the paradox of "a prescribed practice
of arranged marriage existing
alongside an imaginative literature glorifying
romantic love". Footnotes explain
historical and literary references. And an appendix offers two classical Ming
short stories — written in classical rather than vernacular Chinese — which were
the sources for stories in the collection.
The seven stories in Falling in Love can, however, stand by
themselves, with the background not so foreign, even to those unfamiliar with
the period, and the allusions mostly understandable from context. They are good
entertainment, with variety in plot and mood. Most link
scholars with the
daughters of scholars, but in one a lower-class oil-seller woos a high-class
courtesan, another features a butcher, and one describes a homosexual love
affair; some incorporate mystery elements. And there is a mix of comedy,
tragedy, and suspense.
Falling in Love also offers a perspective on the broader culture and
society of Ming China, not just on romantic love.