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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... home town) with someone inside the underworld bureaucracy who can turn a blind eye to the individual's case, or with a relative or acquaintance who can exploit their own contacts to make that happen. One can even return to the living ...
... returned home, recalling the beauty he'd glimpsed in the valley, remembering her with admiration and fondness. Later he heard that the girl had died of a sudden illness, and in his mournful sighing for her, he wanted to die. Because he ...
... returned home, writing down the date of their rendezvous on the wall. Because he realized that the reciting of the Diamond Sutra had been effective, he offered even more sincere recitations of the scriptures. He dreamt that a holy man ...
... returned to his inn, disappointed that there was nothing he could do about ... home with him. Just as Zhang was about to ask Lu about himself, the official ... returned, complaining that her father had deceived her. Lu swore that it was ...
... return home. He undid her burial clothes and began to massage her corpse, reciting blessings for her. Instantly he heard the sound of coughing come from her throat. Then he suddenly saw her mouth open and out came lumps of phlegm that ...