There are nearly 500 books in Strange Tales from a Lonely Studio, which are rich in content and mainly divided into the following types:
1. Love stories occupy the largest proportion in the book. Most of the main characters in the story are not afraid of feudal ethics and dare to pursue free love. Such famous articles include Lianxiang, Xiao Xie, Liancheng, Huanniang, Crow's Head and so on.
Second, attack the imperial examination system for the destruction of scholars. As a victim of the imperial examination system, Pu Songling has a great say in this respect, such as Ye Sheng, Si Wenlang, Xie Xie and Wang Zi 'an.
Third, it is of great social significance to expose the cruelty of the ruling class and its oppression of the people, such as Xi Fang Ping, Zhi Jian, Dream Wolf, Beauty, etc.
Extended data
Creation background
Pu Songling was born in a scholarly family. In his early years, he also wanted to use the imperial examination to be an official. Unfortunately, he tried again and again and could only make a living by teaching. He has been interested in folk ghost stories since childhood.
It is said that Pu Songling once opened a teahouse in front of his house in order to collect materials. People who come to drink tea can use a story instead of tea money. Pu Songling collected a large number of bizarre stories in this way, and after finishing and processing, they were included in Strange Tales from a Lonely Studio.
According to the notes of the Qing Dynasty, "Three Borrowing Lu Bi Tan", Pu Songling spread a mat on the ground next to the avenue every morning and set up a yancha, waiting for passers-by to collect anecdotes. Every time I hear something, I whitewash it when I go home. ?
In the first year of Kangxi (1662), Pu Songling began to write stories about foxes and ghosts at the age of 22. In the spring of the eighteenth year of Kangxi, forty-year-old Pu Songling compiled the manuscript into a book Strange Tales from a Lonely Studio for the first time, with a preface in the south.
Since then, it has been added frequently. It was not until around 239 and 46 years of Kangxi that there were several addenda in the book. The writing of Strange Tales from a Lonely Studio lasted more than forty years, and Pu Songling devoted most of his energy.
Baidu Encyclopedia-Strange Tales from a Lonely Studio