Slapping the Table in Amazement is the unabridged English translation of the story collection Pai An Jing Qi by Ling Mengchu (1580-1644), originally published in 1628. The forty stories gathered here present a broad picture of traditional Chinese society and include characters from all social levels. We learn of their joys and sorrows, their views about life and death, and their visions of the underworld and the supernatural.--Publilsher's description.