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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... karmic debt for the sin of killing animals, she is finally released from the underworld and reborn into another family. As early as 200 C.E., it was widely believed in China that the souls of the dead returned to Taishan (signifying xxi.
... family, posing the rhetorical question, “Do you think heaven's going to have the Hell King reincarnate a Magistrate Bao for you two?” The Hell King may not reincarnate heroes to rescue the living from their woes, but on occasion the ...
... family, or as a handsome and successful person” (Palmer 1996:61). But those booklets also emphasize that misdeeds can counteract positive works, and tables show the reader what punishments to expect, given what specific wrongs one has ...
... family who at birth was already able to speak, and who had grown increasingly wise and beautiful, so her parents loved her very deeply. Though wealthy families inquired about marriage arrangements, the girl always refused them ...
... family's gate, learning that their daughter had been dead for two days. Grief-stricken, Zhang proceeded to the room ... family, he grew even happier. Then they picked an auspicious day for the marriage ceremony. Zhang stayed there for ...