book review of strange tales from a chinese studio by pu songling

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At this very moment, for the peoples and the nations of the earth, may not even the names disease, famine, war, and suffering be heard.
Rather may their moral conduct, merit, wealth, and prosperity increase, and may supreme good fortune and wellbeing always arise for them.

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"His tales are constructed and developed with consummate art, the episodes, transitions and
surprises are cleverly handled, the descriptions lively, full of unexpected details. The depiction
of characters and the twists and turns in the plot testify to a rare imagination."

Jacques Dars, French scholar and

translator

Introduction:
The Strange Tales of Pu Songling (1640-1715) conjures up a world in which nothing is as it
seems, stretching the boundaries of human experience in ways that both enlighten and
entertain. In this selection of his stories, fox-spirits bewitch helpless young men, a Taoist monk
creates a magical pear-tree, a scholar recounts his previous incarnations, a ghostly city
appears out of nowhere and a heartless daughter-in-law is turned into a pig. Some tales are
miniatures, others are longer narratives, with powerfully drawn characters and subtle
psychological nuances. The Tales have been regarded since their creation as the pinnacle of
Chinese fiction in the classical language, and continues to delight readers today.

The Tales is a good read for…

people who love ghost stories and fantastic tales
people who are interested in Chinese literature
people who are studying translation

The Tales is not merely a paranormal collection of stories, but provides readers with
comprehensive, detailed reference in author’s biography, historical background, glossary,
translator’s note, scholastic reviews and analysis. I find the part ‘How to Read Strange Tales’
especially useful. The translator quotes the advice from a nineteenth-century commentator
Feng Zhenluan on how to read The Tales effectively.

‘If one reads the Strange Tales just for the plot, and not for the styles, one is a fool.’

‘Appreciate the wonders of the style, see into the author’s subtle intentions, grasp the human
qualities of his characters and value his thoughts; then this book will be a unique guide to you
in your own inner development. It will transform your character, and purify your heart.’

Themes:
Various themes are present in The Tales. Most of them are concerned with the idea of illusion.
Some of them praise the undying theme of love and sacrifice through romances between
humans and super-natural beings. Other minor themes include friendship, filial piety,
vengeance and homosexuality.

The Tales mainly involves…

stunningly beautiful women, and lustful, gullible young men
extremely handsome, sissy young men, and wealthy gentlemen
fox-spirits disguised as humans
Taoist Monks with supernatural power
bizarre creatures, such as trolls and pythons
enchanted objects, such as portraits and haunted temples

Most horrible part(s):
I consider the tales of Living Dead and Spitting Water the most terrifying. Both tales are short,
each with no more than 4 pages and vivid illustrations.

Living Dead takes place in a roadside tavern, where the sleeping lodgers are mysteriously
murdered by the owner’s dead daughter-in-law. I read this tale at night and it had a vivid image
in my mind when I went to sleep. As for the other, Spitting Water is a relatively short one but
macabre. It too talks about a dead murderous woman who kills by spitting water to her victims.

Most hilarious part(s):
The tale of Fox Control is a very special one, which completely violates the norm of the femme
fatale. This time, men no longer succumb to the alluring beauty disguised by the fox-spirits.
They change the side of the game by assuming their sexual superiority. Thus they achieve
final victory and become “the invincible lover”. The author’s commentary in the last paragraph
is especially funny, ‘This man was a veritable Exterminator of Foxes! He could indeed have
hung a sign up outside his door inscribed with the words “Fox Control”, and made a living that
way.’

Most touching part(s):
The tale of Friendship Beyond the Grave recounts the tragic life of a talented but unsuccessful
scholar Ye. I find the friendship between Ye and Magistrate Ding very touching. Ye is
acknowledged by his contemporaries as a master of prose and verse composition, yet he
never succeeds in the public examinations. Ye’s talent is recognized by the local magistrate,
Ding, who gives him financial support and invites him to teach his son. When Ding’s son
achieves success in the exam, Ding encourages Ye to make a second attempt, and he finally
succeeds. After the death of Ye, Ding offers to support Ye’s son and help him achieve success
in the examination.

Most critical interpretations consider the tale a reflection of Pu’s unfortunate attempt in the
public examination. But at least Pu is much more fortunate from another point of view, for he
ended up as a renowned writer and his work is still remembered and appreciated.

Remarks:
For Chinese readers, some famous tales may have somewhat strangely translated titles. To
give a hint, check for the original title of The Magic Sword and The Magic Bag! I had been
reading almost half of the story until I could finally realize this was actually a very famous tale.

Another thing to note is that The Tales is only a selected collection of the original work.