Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio
Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio
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Summary
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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Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio by Pu Songling
The 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.
“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
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. 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.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780140447408 |
| ISBN 10 | 0140447407 |
| Title | Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio |
| Author | Pu Songling |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Penguin Books Ltd |
| Year published | 2006-05-25 |
| Number of pages | 608 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |