Strange Tales from Liaozhai - Vol. 3The 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 third of 6 volumes. |
From inside the book
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... I've forgotten the majority of the words I wrote for the call to arms, here are enough to suggest the substance of the full document”). Playing on the word for wind, feng, Pu includes an exhaustive list of the wind's crimes against ...
... I've visited in places like Tai'an and Yuncheng (where the latter's city god is a salt deity, associated with the nearby salt lakes) amply testify. Veneration of gods of place also serves as an assertion of local pride, nurturing ...
... I've enjoyed your generous pourings of wine so much that I'm already drunk. Hence I'll have to entrust your nephew to you. I'll return home alone and visit you tomorrow.” Then he left. Jia told Miao, “You have no other brothers, so your ...
... I've done wrong.” Jia then told him, “The Hell King's messenger has already come, and was waiting to give you the paper for your release, but you were out drinking and didn't return. I've brought you that paper, and I've paid him a ...
... I've come from Shaolin Temple. I have only meager martial arts skills, but please let me teach you what I may.” Li, overjoyed, arranged lodging for him at a guest house, ensuring that he was very generously fed, and soon began studying ...