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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... leave that allowed me to prepare the present volume. I also wish to thank the Freeman Foundation for the generous grant support that enabled me to pursue research in 2005 on Pu Songling's life and work at Zibo and other sites in ...
... leave offerings, since there wasn't anyone specifically charged with the task. Her modesty prevented her from taking a caretaker's credit for improving the shrine's appearance; I'm sure that she would have been even more emphatic about ...
... leave to take the provincial examination, the girl told him, “You have no luck, so it will be a futile effort for you to go there and take the exam.” After listening to her words, he didn't go after all. Four or five years passed, and ...
... leave and departed. The girl wept pitifully for several days and then died. That night, Zhang dreamt that the girl came to him and said, “Was the man I saw that day really you? Your age and looks are strangely at odds, but if we'd seen ...
... , and wasn't very courteous to him. Han also treated him as a common traveler. The Daoist drained more than twenty cups of wine, then took his leave and went on his way. From then on, any time Han gave a dinner party, 401.