For three centuries, any Chinese bookstore has been stocked with a collection of stories by Pu Songling, filled with astonishing tales: of werefoxes, sorcerers and ghosts, strange animals, cursed mirrors, talking birds, living paintings, and much, much more. In fact, Pu Songling's books have long since transcended China's borders and are now read worldwide in all major languages. Their author was a scholar of Confucian upbringing, and strictly speaking, it was not appropriate for him to write stories containing all manner of miracles and erotic themes. However, it was precisely these books that Pu Songling achieved fame, becoming the most renowned Chinese writer of his time. His work was inspired by folk tales, but over time, his stories themselves became folklore and were passed down orally by simple storytellers.
This edition contains a variety of stories by Pu Songling in remarkable translations by the philologist and Sinologist Vasily Mikhailovich Alekseev with detailed notes.