1. Fiction and Contexts. Introduction: Reading and Vernacular Fiction. Regarding Books. Basic Definitions. Thoughts on the Changing Social Bases for Reading Audiences 2. Fiction as Text. The Growth of Chinese Fiction. General Observations on Chinese Vernacular Narratives 3. Text as Artifact. Physical Constituents of the Book. The Techniques of Book Production. The Business of Printing Books. General Conclusions: Fiction as Artifact 4. Artifact as Art. Illustrated Texts. Illustrations and Art 5. Art as Text. Redefining Reading for the Illustrated Book. Reading Audiences for the Novel in Late Imperial China. First Impressions, Suggestions, and Clues for Reading Texts. Readings Guided by Commentaries. Habits of Viewing Pictures. Picturing Texts and Textualizing Pictures. Picturing Through Texts and Pictures. Epilogue: New Contexts, New Texts App. A. Locations for Ming and Qing Editions App. B. Glossary of Names, Terms, and Phrases App. C. Glossary of Book and Painting Titles