2-Volume Selection -- A Series of Mini-Reviews of Chinese Classical Novels

Author: Wang Junwei, Xu Yanrui, Jiang Fan (editors)
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-03-01
Features: A bleak portrayal of the declining Ming society—psychological imbalances caused by extreme wealth inequality and social unrest stemming from a corrupt system. The main problems in the thematic content of Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio (Initial and Second Installments) are two. The first is the crude erotic descriptions. Many works, such as The Western Mountain Temple Conducts Funerals for the Dead, Kaifeng Prefecture Prepares Coffins to Rescue the Living, Qiao Exchange Beards for Sexual Debauchery, Manifestation of a Monastic’s Rebirth, and A Village Woman’s Self-Sacrifice for Passion, A Courtier’s Judgment by Divine Command, contain lewd depictions. Such works reflect the vulgar tastes of the urban populace. The second is the strong influence of religious superstition, the belief in cause and effect, and fatalism. Stories like Ambassador Wang’s Authority Among His Subordinates, Li’s Vengeance for Past Wrongs, Financial Scheming in the Suburban Market, the Ghost’s Testimony Against Yang Huai’s Borrowed Body, Li Ke-Rang’s Empty Letter and Liu Yuan-Pu’s Twin Sons, and Zhang Rong’s Encounter with a Tiger Through a Medium, Pei Yue-K’e’s Marriage on a Lucky Day are filled with descriptions of encounters with spirits, rewards for good deeds, and punishments for evil.
Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio (Initial and Second Installments) are the earliest collections of colloquial tales independently written by literati in the history of Chinese classical fiction, akin to modern short story collections. Their defining features are their brevity and short length. Despite this, short stories can still vivid and dynamic typical characters through representative life fragments or the experiences and encounters of main figures in a particular stage, vividly presenting and addressing significant issues in real life. Ling’s successive compilations of Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio not only faithfully fulfilled the mission history entrusted to him but also objectively elevated the creation of Chinese short fiction to a new height. Before Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio, there were Feng Menglong’s Three Words, but Feng primarily compiled and refined the Ci-hua (lyric tales) from the Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties. In contrast to Ling Mengchu’s independently created Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio, the latter exhibits greater artistic consistency and maturity, marking the beginning of a new era. The 80 stories in Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio mostly revolve around two themes: greed and lust, much like money and beauty in capitalism. Compared to feudal society, capitalism’s progress lies in the liberation of individuality and humanity from feudal constraints, while its decline stems from the and excess of private desires. This reveals the limitations and incompleteness of capitalism in liberating feudalism. In the past, many regarded Ling’s Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio as heretical, a view that is clearly biased. To take the essence and discard the dross, adopting a critical and selective approach to inherit cultural heritage has always been the attitude and method toward such legacies. I believe readers will each find their own insights. The selection in this book is based on the first and second installments of the Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio published by Shangyou Tang during the Chongzhen era of the Ming Dynasty, reordered accordingly, and supplemented with references from other editions to correct errors.