Dragon Dormant
"Dragon Dormant" | |||
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Zhiguai | |||
Publication | |||
Published in | Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio | ||
Publication date | 1740 | ||
Chronology | |||
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"Dragon Dormant", also known as "The Hibernating Dragon" (simplified Chinese: 蛰龙; traditional Chinese: 蟄龍; pinyin: Zhélóng), is a short story by Chinese author Pu Songling collected in Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio (Liaozhai; 1740). The story is about a character named "Commissioner Qu" and his encounter with a supernatural creature in his study.
Plot
Wuling County commissioner Qu is in his study reading when suddenly he spots a "little creature, bright as a
Publication history
Originally titled "Zhelong" (蟄龍), the story first appeared in Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio (1740) by Qing dynasty writer Pu Songling.
Reception
Sidney Sondergard posits that the story, which she translates as "The Hibernating Dragon", is an example of Pu rewarding "his scholar characters by allowing them access with individuals and creatures not from the mundane world".[2] Minford and Claire Roberts write in a column for the March 2008 issue of the quarterly circular China Heritage that "Dragon Dormant" allows for the "magical power contained within the scholar's library of books, and the latent energy contained within the written Chinese character, finds powerful expression".[5]
References
Citations
- ^ a b c d Minford 2006, p. 264.
- ^ a b Sondergard 2008, p. xx.
- ^ Minford 2006, p. 537.
- ^ Minford 2006, p. xxxv.
- ^ Minford, John; Roberts, Claire (March 2008). "Zhai, the Scholar's Studio". China Heritage.
Bibliography
- Minford, John (2006). Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio. Penguin Books. ISBN 9780140447408.
- Sondergard, Sidney (2008). Strange Tales from Liaozhai. Jain Publishing Company. ISBN 9780895810519.