Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio cover聊斋志异选

🇨🇳 Mandarin Chinese graded reader

聊斋志异选

Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio — after Pu Songling

Fox spirits who love better than people do, a wall you can walk through if you truly believe, a painted skin, a cricket worth a family's fate: Pu Songling's strange tales, retold as a graded reader from HSK 4 to HSK 5 — beautiful, eerie, and finally readable.

HSK 4–5 44 chapters 10,525 words Pro Narrated

Chapters

  1. 第一章:柳树下的茶摊read online
  2. 第二章:崂山道士(一)Chapter 2: The Daoist of Laoshan (Part One)
  3. 第三章:崂山道士(二)Chapter 3: The Daoist of Laoshan (Part Two)
  4. 第四章:崂山道士(三)Chapter 4: The Daoist of Laoshan (Part Three)
  5. 第五章:种梨(上)Chapter 5: Planting Pears (Part One)
  6. 第六章:种梨(下)Chapter 6: Planting Pears (Part Two)
  7. 第七章:骂鸭Chapter 7: Scolding the Duck
  8. 第八章:狼(一)Chapter 8: The Wolves (Part One)
  9. 第九章:狼(二)Chapter 9: The Wolves (Part Two)
  10. 第十章:酒友Chapter 10: The Drinking Companion
  11. 第十一章:茶摊之夜Chapter 11: Night at the Tea Stand
  12. 第十二章:聂小倩(一)Chapter 12: Nie Xiaoqian (Part One)
  13. 第十三章:聂小倩(二)Chapter 13: Nie Xiaoqian (Part Two)
  14. 第十四章:聂小倩(三)Chapter 14: Nie Xiaoqian (Part Three)
  15. 第十五章:聂小倩(四)Chapter 15: Nie Xiaoqian (Part Four)
  16. 第十六章:婴宁(一)Chapter 16: Yingning (Part One)
  17. 第十七章:婴宁(二)Chapter 17: Yingning (Part Two)
  18. 第十八章:婴宁(三)Chapter 18: Yingning (Part Three)
  19. 第十九章:画皮(一)Chapter 19: The Painted Skin (Part One)
  20. 第二十章:画皮(二)Chapter 20: The Painted Skin (Part Two)
  21. 第二十一章:画皮(三)Chapter 21: The Painted Skin (Part Three)
  22. 第二十二章:茶摊小坐Chapter 22: A Short Sit at the Tea Stand
  23. 第二十三章:促织(一)Chapter 23: The Cricket (Part One)
  24. 第二十四章:促织(二)Chapter 24: The Cricket (Part Two)
  25. 第二十五章:促织(三)Chapter 25: The Cricket (Part Three)
  26. 第二十六章:促织(四)Chapter 26: The Cricket (Part Four)
  27. 第二十七章:促织(五)Chapter 27: The Cricket (Part Five)
  28. 第二十八章:席方平(一)Chapter 28: Xi Fangping (Part One)
  29. 第二十九章:席方平(二)Chapter 29: Xi Fangping (Part Two)
  30. 第三十章:席方平(三)Chapter 30: Xi Fangping (Part Three)
  31. 第三十一章:陆判(一)Chapter 31: Judge Lu (Part One)
  32. 第三十二章:陆判(二)Chapter 32: Judge Lu (Part Two)
  33. 第三十三章:茶摊霜降Chapter 33: First Frost at the Tea Stand
  34. 第三十四章:娇娜(一)Chapter 34: Jiaona (Part One)
  35. 第三十五章:娇娜(二)Chapter 35: Jiaona (Part Two)
  36. 第三十六章:娇娜(三)Chapter 36: Jiaona (Part Three)
  37. 第三十七章:娇娜(四)Chapter 37: Jiaona (Part Four)
  38. 第三十八章:罗刹海市(一)Chapter 38: The Rakshasas and the Sea Market (Part One)
  39. 第三十九章:罗刹海市(二)Chapter 39: The Rakshasas and the Sea Market (Part Two)
  40. 第四十章:罗刹海市(三)Chapter 40: The Rakshasas and the Sea Market (Part Three)
  41. 第四十一章:石清虚(上)Chapter 41: The Pure-Void Stone (Part One)
  42. 第四十二章:石清虚(下)Chapter 42: The Pure-Void Stone (Part Two)
  43. 第四十三章:最后一个故事Chapter 43: The Last Story
  44. 第四十四章:灯下Chapter 44: Under the Lamp
What level is Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio in Mandarin Chinese?

It starts at HSK 4 and climbs gradually to HSK 5. Each chapter introduces a little new vocabulary, so you're always reading just above your comfort zone.

How long is it?

44 chapters and about 10,500 words in total, using roughly 900 different word forms.

Is it free?

It's part of ReadNative Pro. The first chapter is free to read here. The first book in every language is free.

Does it have audio?

Yes — the whole book is narrated, with each word highlighted as it is read.

More Mandarin Chinese books

New to Mandarin Chinese? Start with how ReadNative teaches Mandarin Chinese or our guide How to learn Mandarin Chinese by reading.