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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... felt himself to be the victim of more overt resistance in opposing corruption and favoritism (see below), consequently necessitating that he work more covertly— and his love of narrative and of the anomalous provided him the perfect ...
... felt it was a disgrace to him for his wife to be so wealthy, so he always reminded her to keep separate financial records for the two households, to guard against any confusion about what belonged to whom. Yet whenever his family needed ...
... felt uneasy about it all and remarked, “I lived in virtuous purity for thirty years before getting involved with you. Now my entire world consists of just watching and breathing, I do what my wife tells me in order to get my daily meals ...
... felt relieved. Yet after a few days had passed, he began to miss her terribly. He had her summoned, but she was unwilling to come; he had no alternative, so he went to see her. Ma took to staying overnight there on a regular basis ...
... felt so scared that he finally went and informed Huangying. When she heard what he'd done, she cried, “You've killed my brother!” They rushed out to look, but the flower's roots and stalk were all dried up. In tormented desperation ...