A major new translation of a classic of Chinese literature almost completely unknown to the English-speaking world
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.
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Summary
A major new translation of a classic of Chinese literature almost completely unknown to the English-speaking world
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.
Description
A major new translation of a classic of Chinese literature almost completely unknown to the English-speaking worldThe Strange Tales of Pu Songling (1640-1715) are exquisite and amusing miniatures that are regarded as the pinnacle of classical Chinese fiction. With their elegant prose, witty wordplay and subtle charm, the 104 stories in this selection 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.
Critic Reviews
“"Magical and wondrously entertaining . . . Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio overflows with ghosts, demons, monsters, monks, magicians, revived corpses, gods and fox-spirits. . . . [It] calls to mind a collection of mildly racy club stories or lost episodes of The Twilight Zone. . . . Fast paced, surprisingly light in tone, emotionally cool, wryly humorous--these uncanny tales, often just one or two pages long, might almost be adult bedtime stories. . . . Reading this beloved classic provides a particularly enjoyable way to help celebrate Chinese New Year." -- The Washington Post”
“Magical and wondrously entertaining . . . Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio overflows with ghosts, demons, monsters, monks, magicians, revived corpses, gods and fox-spirits. . . . [It] calls to mind a collection of mildly racy club stories or lost episodes of The Twilight Zone. . . . Fast paced, surprisingly light in tone, emotionally cool, wryly humorous—these uncanny tales, often just one or two pages long, might almost be adult bedtime stories. . . . Reading this beloved classic provides a particularly enjoyable way to help celebrate Chinese New Year.” —The Washington Post
About the Author
John Minford (Introducer, Translator)John Minford is an emeritus professor of Chinese at the Australian National University. He has produced renowned translations of some of the most beloved works of Chinese literature, including The Story of the Stone, The Art of War and the Tao Te Ching.
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
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