Strange Tales from a Lonely Studio: Liaozhai Zhiyi (Volume 1 of 3) Kindle Edition

Strange Tales from a Lonely Studio (abbreviated as Strange Tales, commonly known as Tales of Ghosts and Foxes) is a collection of classical Chinese short stories written by the Qing Dynasty novelist Pu Songling. The earliest hand - copied versions were circulated during the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty. These stories either expose the darkness of feudal rule, or criticize the corruption of the imperial examination system, or resist the constraints of feudal ethics, with rich and profound ideological content. The works themed on love are the most numerous in the whole collection, showing a strong spirit of opposing feudal ethics. Some of these works, through the love between flower fairies, fox spirits and humans, express the author's ideal of love. As soon as Strange Tales from a Lonely Studio came out, it became extremely popular across the country. Reprinted versions appeared one after another, followed by annotated and commented editions, making it a best - selling novel. As a result, classical Chinese novels saw a revival. Among the large number of collections of classical Chinese novels produced at this time, works such as Xie Duo by Shen Qifeng, Ye Tan Sui Lu by He Bang'e, and Ying Chuang Yi Cao by Hao Gezi are note - style novels mainly in the legend style, and most of them are imitations of Strange Tales from a Lonely Studio. Neither their ideological content nor their artistic level can compare with those of Strange Tales from a Lonely Studio. Read more