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
... ladies are practicalminded and listen to my proposals because I respect them,” he explained. “If they didn't see me, how would they know I'm honest?” After all, as Confucius advises in the Analects, a righteous person keeps “trust and ...
... a Song dynasty wife, Lady Shao, notes that following her husband's death, she “called the household together and laid down the rules so that the family could continue in harmony. No one was to usurp Strange Tales from Liaozhai xxix.
... lady of sixteen or seventeen who was beautiful beyond compare. The old man pointed at her and announced, “This is my daughter, Shiniang, and I've expressed my sentiments that you two would make a lovely couple; your father, however, saw ...
... lady, however, didn't really believe him and tried to convince him to swear that he'd marry Qiulian. Changong, however, felt that he couldn't do this. “So,” the old lady replied angrily, “in the real world someone can initiate a ...
... lady, and once they'd loosened her clothing as they laid her on a bed, the old woman turned to Changong and declared, “When you make someone this ill, don't expect to have nothing to do with it, because it won't do any good!” Then she ...