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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... servants would lead the deceased to various deed-specific tortures.2 In time, both King Yama and Taishan became just two of ten kings of the underworld (the fifth and seventh, respectively). The earliest surviving paintings of the hell ...
... servant.” After pausing for a bit, she declared, “You can carry me for six or seven li. This route is full of thistles and thorns, and it will be very Six or seven li: A distance equal to 2-2.33 miles. hard for me due to my long clothes ...
... servant requested that he follow, till he saw a person sitting in a palace who looked like the bodhisattva, Guanyin, and who welcomed him by saying, “Your deeds Guanyin: The goddess of mercy, also known as Avalokiteśvara. really deserve ...
... servants and horses to accompany him to Hebei. He searched for information about Minister of Revenue Lu and found that there was such a person for sure. A daughter had been born to the Lu family who at birth was already able to speak ...
... servant tossed him some money and corn, but he wouldn't accept it; nor would he go away. The servant became angry and went back inside without turning back to look at him. Han heard a pounding at the door for some time, then asked who ...