Mo said he doesn't feel that censorship should stand in the way of truth but that any defamation, or rumors, "should be censored." "But I also hope that censorship, per se, should have the highest principle," he said in comments translated by an interpreter from Chinese into English.

Mo is spending several days in Stockholm before receiving his prestigious prize in an awards ceremony next Monday.

He won the Nobel for his sprawling tales of life in rural China. In its citation, the jury said Mo "with hallucinatory realism merges folk tales, history and the contemporary."

In addressing the sensitive issue of censorship in China, Mo likened it to the thorough security procedures he was subjected to as he traveled to Stockholm.

"When I was taking my flight, going through the customs … they also wanted to check me—even taking off my belt and shoes," he said. "But I think these checks are necessary."

Use context clues to determine the meaning of the term in bold.

Words in bold: hallucinatory realism

A) Strange stories about the real world
B) Dark and depressing tales of sadness
C) Stories about many amazing people
D) Tales of fantasy creatures and magic