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Readers who enjoy ghost stories, fox spirits and courtroom mysteries will find plenty here, as will anyone curious about daily life in Qing China and fans of short tales with dry humor.

Che cos’è questo libro

A servant loves his dead master so much that he offers his own life to bring him back. A Daoist priest agrees to perform the rite, a barefoot monk hands the servant a packet holding five claws and a rope, and the night of the ritual goes in a direction nobody expects.

That is the first tale in What the Master Would Not Discuss, also called New Records of the Uncanny, by Yuan Mei, who died in 1798. Yuan was a Qing dynasty official, poet and critic. He gathered hundreds of short tales from friends and old books: ghosts that ask for justice, foxes that sit examinations, and corpses that walk at night.

You get a tour of eighteenth-century China through its spirits. Yuan tells every story briefly and plainly, often with a dry joke.

Questions about Ciò di cui il Maestro non parlava

What is What the Master Would Not Discuss about?

It is a collection of hundreds of short Chinese tales about ghosts, fox spirits, dreams, haunted houses, underworld courts and strange lands. Yuan Mei gathered them from friends, officials and old books during the eighteenth century.

Why is it called What the Master Would Not Discuss?

The title refers to Confucius, who did not discuss the uncanny, force, disorder or spirits. Yuan first called it What Confucius Would Not Discuss, then changed it to New Records of the Uncanny after finding a similar older title.

Are the stories true or made up?

Yuan says he writes the tales down not because he believes them but for entertainment. Many name a person who told the story or give a date and place, which gives them the feel of reports.

Do I need to read it in order?

No. Each tale stands alone and most take only a page or two, so you can dip in anywhere. The short length, vivid scenes and plain narration make it easy to read in small sittings.

What is the main message of the book?

There is no single message. Recurring themes include justice for the wronged, the value of courage and honesty, the workings of fate, and a good-humored doubt toward charlatans, whether human or supernatural.