Pu Songling is best known for his collection of supernatural tales, Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio, but 醒世姻緣 (often translated as Marriage as Retribution or Awakening to the World) is his sprawling, novel-length masterpiece. It's a family saga with a supernatural twist that holds up a dark mirror to society.

The Story

The plot revolves around the tangled destinies of two main characters across two lifetimes. In the first life, a scholar named Chao Yuan heartlessly kills a magical fox. In his next life, he is reborn as a woman, Sujie. By a cruel twist of fate, she is married to a man named Ji, who is the reincarnation of that very fox spirit. Their marriage is a battlefield. Sujie is tyrannical, abusive, and endlessly creative in her torment of her husband. Ji, meanwhile, is meek to the point of absurdity, suffering her rage with pathetic acceptance. The novel follows their miserable life together, interspersed with subplots about other flawed marriages and corrupt officials, painting a broad picture of a society where justice is absent and cosmic payback is the only law.

Why You Should Read It

What grabbed me wasn't just the plot, but the sheer audacity of it. Pu Songling uses this outrageous premise to do something really clever. He's not just writing about karma; he's writing about power. He flips gender roles, showing a woman wielding absolute domestic control in a society that gave her none. The "revenge" is brutal and personal, making you question what real justice looks like. The characters are infuriating but unforgettable—you'll want to shake Ji and run from Sujie. Beneath the supernatural setup and the dark comedy, there's a serious, surprisingly modern critique of social hypocrisy, bad governance, and the cycles of abuse we inherit and perpetuate.

Final Verdict

This book is perfect for readers who love historical fiction but want something grittier than the usual romance. It's for anyone fascinated by folklore and classic literature that doesn't pull its punches. If you enjoy stories about deeply flawed characters, dark humor, and complex themes of fate and morality, you'll find this centuries-old novel shockingly fresh. Just be ready for a bumpy, provocative, and utterly unique ride.