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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... took you to be a friend who shared the love of literature,” thereby shaming the man with the very description that any true scholar would covet. A modest monk in “A Sequel to the Yellow Millet Dream” (xu huangliang) similarly humiliates ...
... took her words to heart; each night he'd get up, come to her coffin, and expressively recite the scriptures while fingering his prayer beads. When it came time for a festival, Zhang wanted to take her home with him. The girl worried ...
... took their places fell out as well. The lines in his face also gradually relaxed. After several months had passed, his jaw became as bald as a boy's face, just like a fifteenor sixteen-year-old. He often wandered about carefree and made ...
... took his 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 ...
... took Hu by the hand, urging him to enter his house, and had wine set out so they could enjoy themselves. Calmly the host said, “You're a wise individual, so I hope we can forgive each other. Thinking over our warm friendship, how could ...