Author Liu An stated his purpose for writing Huainanzi: "to record and comment on the events of the present and to propose their meaning to the deeper understanding of the human condition." He believed that even if people could not grasp esoteric philosophies, these stories could engender a deeper awareness of these issues and prompt contemplation and consideration. It speaks on all topics--nature, politics, astronomy, geography, military affairs, philosophy, medicine etc.
With the passage of time, it is hard to avoid abstruse and involved writing when reading the classics. The Stories of Huainanzi revealed the rich traditional culture of Huainanzi thoroughly with its appealing contents, full of strong and vivid plots and load usage questionable images.
The classics of Huainanzi related the stories again such as Preventing Trouble at All Times, Living and Dying, Misfortune and Happiness etc, which brought classics back to life by adapting to contemporary language and incorporating elements that made the stories applicable to the present. The stories of Huainanzi included folk tales, historical accounts, fables, and explains the source of many idioms and aphorism still in use today. From these two hundred stories, the reader gets a sense of how all--enampassing this work is.
