Strange Tales from Liaozhai - Vol. 6The 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 sixth of 6 volumes. |
From inside the book
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... sheng) composes some irreverent verse with gay overtones about county magistrate Xu, then dies mysteriously as a result; the reader is shocked, however, to discover that Xu's wife (who also read the poem) and Zhou's servants (to whom he ...
... force” of “legendary” discipline: “the ferocity of its troops, who slaughtered their prisoners, inspired dread among their opponents” (Paludan 17). 416. The Great Sage, Heaven's Equal Xu Sheng was from Strange Tales from Liaozhai 2077.
... Xu Sheng didn't know what god this great sage was supposed to be, so he went with his elder brother to see. They came to a temple that was connected to a magnificent pavilion. As they entered the temple and looked up at aneffigy, they ...
... Sheng observed his reaction and began making his complaints even more boisterously; when the innkeeper and others heard this, they covered their ears and ran out. In consequence, Xu Sheng fell ill that night with a violent headache ...
... Sheng. “You show respect for the god and then this happens; you're just as sick as I was, so it must not be because ... Xu Sheng purchased a coffin and laid his brother in it, then went to the temple of the great sage, shook his finger ...