Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

by Pu Songling (Author), John Minford (Introduction) "Tan Jinxuan, a first-degree graduate of my home district of Zichuan, was a great believer in Taoist yoga..." (more)
Key Phrases: predestined affinity, forty strings, two maidservants, Lotus Fragrance, Madame Wang, Auntie Hua (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
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

About the Author
Pu Songling (1640–1715) was one of the most celebrated Chinese writers from the Qing dynasty.

John Minford is dean of the School of Arts and Social Sciences at the Open University of Hong Kong. He has published widely on Chinese literature and translated numerous works, including the Penguin Classics edition of Sun-tzu’s The Art of War.

Product Details

• Paperback: 608 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Classics (October 31, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140447407
• ISBN-13: 978-0140447408
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #123,343 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars These are paranormal Chinese tales of old..., January 18, 2008

By	Isaac Ho (Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As a Chinese, I find these supernatural tales penned by one of ancient China's finest and most imaginative storytellers - Master Pu Songling, proved to be fascinating reading, particularly in a cold and windy night and alone by oneself...! I had read the Chinese version and look forward to reading the English translation to compare how faithful the selection had been rendered into a Western language. Pu Songling was a Chinese scholar and he had passed the country's highest examination - the Jinshi - given an official post. On his retirement from official duties after serving his lifetime, he retired to a thatched hut in the midst of fragrant pines and there spent the rest of his retirement collecting and editing the present volume - Tales of Liaozhai (Chinese title) sometime between 1640-1715, shortly after the Manchu Ch'ing Dynasty (AD1644-1912). Such Liaozhai tales proves to be fascinating among the Chinese people at the teahouses and streetcorners at night...fox-fairies, ghosts and other strange and wandering spirits which vigorously meting out rewards and punishments to either good or erring mortals! Based on popular legends and folklore of the day, these paranormal collection of tales were retold under the able penmanship of the retired Master Pu Songling, especially in an era of strict censorship and which were strictly scrutinized by the alien Manchu rulers and their corrupted officials. Under a lonely bean oil lamp, the dedicated Master Pu Songling labored with love and care to produce for his contemporaries and even his fellow countrymen years to come these strange tales... Finest reading, highly recommended and provide an insight into the Chinese mind and for that, there is no equal to this day. Thanks.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Chinese Grotesque & the Arabesque, January 22, 2007

By	Mark Newbold (Pittsburg, KS United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a wonderful new edition of a legendary Chinese collection of strange and eerie stories by one of the masters of Chinese literature. Pu Songling provides exquisite miniatures as well as short stories that capture the ill at ease nuances when the supernatural and natural worlds intrude upon one another. Many of the stories seem dreamlike and full of faery, others disturbing and gory, but all make for an ideal nightstand book for yourself and guests.
These are tales rich in the folklore and everyday life of early 18th century China, John Minford provides copious footnotes and appendixes to guide you through an unfamiliar Asian society. This work was a great favorite of the late Victorian/Edwardian era due to the decadent elements in many of the stories I'm sure.
This is the ideal book for long wintry nights or warm days at the beach, regardless of the locale, this is a welcomed reprint of a fantasy classic of world literature.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great place to get started with Chinese literature, October 31, 2007

By	Z. E. Lowell "zlowell" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Pu Songling (1640-1715) lived and wrote during a very tumultous time in Chinese history. He witnessed the devestating effects of the Manchu invasion and the collapse of the Ming Dynasty, peasant uprisings, natural disasters, famines, banditry and official corruption. Yet, rather than discussing such events directly in his work, Songling instead created a fictional world which was no less uncertain, chaotic and melancholy than the one he actually lived in. His stories are populated with monsters, fox spirits, ghosts, trolls, talking animals and numerous other strange beings which alternately haunt or help his human protagonists. Yet, whatever bizarre or inexplicable situation Songling's characters encounter, they usually meet with a happy ending: either by vanguishing, or outsmarting, an enemy; or changing their dissolute ways. Unfortunately for Songling and his contemporaries, the real events of late-17th, early-18th century China rarely concluded on such optimistic notes. Readers interested in learning more about this era should also check out Jonathan Spence's "The Death of Woman Wang" (which frequently cites Songling's essays and stories).

Focusing on the text itself, the stories complied in this volumne do not, by any stretch of the imagination, fall into the horror or weird tale genres familiar to Western readers (so don't expect scares or chills). They should instead be considered re-imaginings of folk stories which usually carry some sort of moral message or injunction. For modern readers unfamiliar with (or uninterested in) the origins and significance of Chinese myth and lore, these peices can be read and enjoyed purely as fantasy. Yet, while typically strange and fantastic, some of these works are also quite touching (for example, the breezy tone of gentle romanticism used "Twenty Years A Dream" may have influenced the style of Shen Fu's "Six Records of a Floating Life"). If you're interested in Chinese literature and culture - and don't have the time or energy to tackle one of the very lengthy "Four Classics" - this is a great place to start. Many of these stories are extremely short (most are between 2 and 5 pages) and a dozen or so can easily be digested in one sitting. Yet, herein lies the problem: many peices are too short to develope characters, plot or tone and are quite forgetable. I would recommend focusing on the longer tales first and then reading the shorter ones if you're still interested.