Whimsical and Mysterious Tales of Ancient China

Stories that people have been returning to for a thousand years. These whimsical and mysterious tales from ancient China are among those narratives that win over listeners time and time again. It’s no wonder this book has been reissued in several print editions over the years—its popularity is enduring. Now, it finally has an audiobook version, making the path to ancient wisdom even more accessible and vibrant. These stories, with origins reaching back to ancient folk mythology and the tales of Buddhist monks in marketplaces, have survived for centuries thanks to their extraordinary power: they combine love, crime, adventure, humour, and supernatural phenomena, while also offering a subtle, often surprisingly modern perspective on the society of the time. The selection by Jarmila Häringová (a renowned Sinologist, translator from Chinese, and poet) provides a deep insight into the spirit of ancient Chinese culture, its customs, wisdom, and inequalities. The audiobook is elevated by the interpretation of Petr Šmíd—an actor who manages to give the stories exactly what they need: tension, lightness, gentle irony, and dramatic drive. His voice can be playful, dark, or meditative, and as a result, the listener finds themselves right in the middle of an ancient Chinese marketplace, where the storyteller is just beginning their tale. Over eleven hours of captivating listening await on two CD-MP3s. The Chinese “Decameron”, created half a millennium before its European counterpart, returns in a form that is as compelling as ever—and perhaps even more so.