047 - The Sisters

Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio (also known as Strange Tales of Liaozhai) is a mesmerizing collection of nearly five hundred supernatural stories penned by the renowned Pu Songling during the early Qing Dynasty. Written in Classical Chinese, this captivating anthology reflects a rich tradition of oral storytelling, where the lines between reality and the fantastical blur. Most of these tales were completed around 1679, though Pu may have added more until as late as 1707. The narratives are populated with a diverse cast of characters, including vixen spirits, ghosts, scholars, court officials, Taoist exorcists, and mythical beasts. Often, the moral compass is intriguingly inverted, revealing the author’s critique of society—where bold and trustworthy spirits contrast sharply with the indecisive and easily manipulated humans. Join our Librivox volunteers as they bring to life Volume 1 of Herbert Giles English translation of these timeless and enchanting stories.