Strange Tales from Liaozhai - Vol. 2The 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 second of 6 volumes. |
From inside the book
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... civil service examinations for idiosyncratic reasons), and deprivations ranging from homesickness and loneliness (while studying in isolated settings, like mountaintop monasteries) to romantic longings (which is why so many of the ...
... civil service examinations and their implications for his ability to advance in public service, see the preceding volume's “The Mystery of the Disappearing Artist: Pu Songling's Voice and Persona in the Stories” (1:xi-xxii, esp. xv-xvii) ...
... civil service examination he would otherwise have passed, and the disgraced scholar is informed—having been judged, even though not yet dead—that “your official rank and salary has been cut from the records in the underworld.” Yet the ...
... civil service examinations with top rankings. And though Zhang quickly rose in social status and wealth, he didn't lose his focus on performing benevolent deeds. One night he dreamt that someone dressed as a servant requested that he ...
... (胡) and for fox (狐) are pronounced with the same (a second, or rising) tone. Xiucai: The rank of a scholar who's passed the county level imperial civil service examination. The next day, a visitor arrived and tied up his 406.