Journey Through World Classics - Liaozhai

Author: Pu Songling
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio is a treasure of classical Chinese fiction. This collection of short stories was copied and circulated during the author's lifetime, and its popularity spread even further after it was published. By the mid-19th century, it had been translated into over 20 languages, including English, French, German, and Japanese. Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio often arranges story plots based on the patterns of "similar things attract each other" and "things with the same aura seek each other." This is an ancient concept referring to the idea that similar things can draw closer, resonate with each other, and achieve a level of communication at the biological and spiritual level. Many stories in Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio develop and unfold around these principles.
Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio is a "history of ghosts and foxes" written in the style of legends. Since its publication, this extraordinary book has deeply captivated a wide readership. Many of its stories have become household names, known even to children. The author, Pu Songling, lived during the transition between the last two dynasties of feudal China: he was born in the 13th year of the Chongzhen era of the Ming Dynasty (1640) and passed away in the 54th year of the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty (1715). The turbulent society and shocking realities of his time pushed this brilliant and sensitive literary figure, who came from a scholarly family, to painstakingly gather materials and write this extraordinary masterpiece—Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio.
The events recorded in Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio are all bizarre, yet each story is utterly captivating, sometimes even unsettling. By writing about ghosts, foxes, and seemingly impossible events, Pu Songling critiques, exposes, and satirizes the cruelty, savagery, and ugliness of human society, vividly revealing the "man-eating" nature of feudalism to his readers. At the same time, he praises and expresses his ideals for humanity, his beautiful emotions, and the kindness, goodness, and sincerity in the world.
When it comes to ghosts and monsters, young readers might be scared into not staying alone in the dark after reading the stories. They might ask: Are ghosts really real in this world? Of course, no explanation is needed—you know there are no such things as ghosts in the real world. However, when some people commit bad deeds and escape punishment, upright people hope they will eventually face justice. This is why supernatural forces like ghosts and gods exist. Meanwhile, the beautiful things Pu Songling desired, constrained by feudal etiquette, were hard to see in reality at the time, or could not be openly celebrated. So, they had to happen in a supernatural world, in the interactions between humans and ghosts or between humans and fox spirits.