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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... turned towards Zhang and laying upon his chest, the girl's tears fell like spilled beans as she cried, “Five happy years now come to an end! I'm so indebted to you that several lifetimes won't be long enough for me to repay you!” Shaken ...
... turned back to Zhang and told him, “This is it, we have to part now; don't forget what I told you.” Zhang promised. She walked over to the carriage, where the old woman put out her hand to help her up, then the carriage wheels began to ...
... turned his head away and looked around, serving to show that Zhang was no longer his guest. Zhang understood Lu's meaning, took his leave and departed. The girl wept pitifully for several days and then died. That night, Zhang dreamt ...
... turning back to look at him. Han heard a pounding at the door for some time, then asked who it was, and his servant described the situation. But before he'd finished explaining, the Daoist had actually entered, so Han invited him to ...
... turned around and asked the beauties, “It's been a long time since you danced, so can you still do it?” Then the servants rolled out a carpet beneath the hall's roof and the two girls danced, their long garments whipping about briskly ...