Synopses & Reviews
Exquisite Chinese stories of the supernatural Eminent Chinese scholar John Minford's superb translation captures the consummate skill and understated humor of Pu Songling's classic Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio. With elegant prose, witty wordplay, and subtle charm, the 104 stories in this collection reveal a world in which nothing is as it seems. In his tales of shape-shifting spirits, bizarre phenomena, haunted buildings, and enchanted objects, Pu Songling pushes the boundaries of human experience and enlightens as he entertains.
* Includes an introduction, suggestions for further reading, glossary, notes, and illustrations
Synopsis
Act as miniatures that aim to be regarded as the pinnacle of classical Chinese fiction. These tales with their prose and wordplay, include 104 stories that reveal a world, in which nothing is as it seems. Here a Taoist monk conjures up a pear tree, a scholar recounts his incarnations, and a woman out-foxes the fox-spirit that possesses her.
Synopsis
Exquisite and amusing miniatures regarded as the pinnacle of classical Chinese fiction With their elegant prose, witty wordplay and subtle charm, the 104 stories in this selection from The Strange Tales of Pu Songling (1640-1715) reveal a world in which nothing is as it seems. Here a Taoist monk conjures up a magical pear tree, a scholar recounts his previous incarnations, a woman out-foxes the fox-spirit that possesses her, a child bride gives birth to a thimble-sized baby, a ghostly city appears out of nowhere and a heartless daughter-in-law is turned into a pig. In his tales of humans coupling with shape-shifting spirits, bizarre phenomena, haunted buildings and enchanted objects, Pu Songling pushes back the boundaries of human experience and enlightens as he entertains.
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About the Author
Pu Songling (16401715) was one of the most celebrated Chinese writers from the Qing dynasty.
John Minford is dean of the School of Arts and Social Sciences at the Open University of Hong Kong. He has published widely on Chinese literature and translated numerous works, including the Penguin Classics edition of Sun-tzus The Art of War.