Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio: An Illustrated Anthology

Author: Pu Songling (Qing Dynasty), compiled by Guangling Book Society
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2002-12-01
Features: The book Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio by Pu Songling of the Qing Dynasty is regarded as a masterpiece of classical Chinese vernacular short stories. The author employs rich imagination and a combination of realism and fantasy to depict a series of vivid pictures encompassing the myriad aspects of the world. The illustrations selected for this book are presented in a visual form, vividly reflecting the book's rich content and the magical and magnificent world of imagination. Detailed Annotations and Illustrations of Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio in sixteen volumes with a preface volume, written by Pu Songling of the Qing Dynasty and annotated by Lü Zhan'en, was published in stone print by Shanghai Tongfang Book Bureau in the 12th year of the Guangxu reign (1886). According to the preface written by Gao Changhan Xingsheng (He Yong), the book was originally owned by Xu Run (1838–1911), the owner of Guangbai Songzhai, and the illustrations were drawn by renowned artists at the time. This book compiles all the illustrations from Detailed Annotations and Illustrations of Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, including the preface, a portrait of Pu Songling writing the book, and four pages of the Zichuan County Gazetteer and Preface, all photocopied from the original book with only the page borders and interlinear text rearranged. It is presented to readers and lovers of illustration art.