Strange Tales from Liaozhai - Vol. 5The weird and whimsical short stories in Strange Tales from Liaozhai show their author, Pu Songling (1640-1715), to be both an explorer of the macabre, like Edgar Allan Poe, and a moralist, like Aesop. In this first complete translation of the collection's 494 stories into English, readers will encounter supernatural creatures, natural disasters, magical aspects of Buddhist and Daoist spirituality, and a wide range of Chinese folklore. Annotations are provided to clarify unfamiliar references or cultural allusions, and introductory essays have been included to explain facets of Pu Songling's work and to provide context for some of the unique qualities of his uncanny tales. This is the fifth of 6 volumes. |
From inside the book
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... afraid of repercussions they can't even imagine, following the death of a Daoist there from an apparent spelunking accident. A devout Daoist will not actively attempt to do harm, but conversely will also make no particular effort to ...
... afraid that this would shame her mother-in-law, so she began laughing uproariously at the maidservant's words. The old servant then began taking out the dishes and pastries, arranging them in front of Xijiu's mother. Then she stopped ...
... afraid—given how sickly his daughter appeared—that Chen Xijiu wouldn't take her in, so he set her just inside Xijiu's gate and then left, abandoning her. Xijiu's neighbors were so worried about her health that they all suggested she ...
... afraid you'll find it all too weird. What should I do?” “You might as well just tell me,” Tao answered. Yu then explained, “I'm really not a living person, but a ghost. In the underworld, they assign us positions according to our ...
... afraid it might prove discouraging to you.” “What did you want to say?” asked Tao. “You're fated to be frustrated presently in your aspirations,” Yu replied, “for you were born at the wrong time. In this examination, you have a one-in ...