Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things

Description

Japan has held a deep enigma for westerners since olden times. Lafcadio Hearn was one of the first authors to attempt to interpret Japanese culture, and, to some extent, present it in a more easy to understand format that readers in the west could relate to.

Kwaidan is a collection of stories that aren’t actually Hearn’s, but come mainly from ancient Japanese texts and old writings that Hearn translated and compiled with the help of his Japanese wife. Along with the stories are also included several fascinating insect studies that present many diverse species of insects, as they have been observed and studied, as well as written about, in song and Japanese haiku verses composed mainly by children.

Because of its intriguing collection of old stories, the book is fascinating, to say the least. Its historical value alone should be enough to satisfy anyone who might be interested by the Japanese culture of old, and how it evolved up to the beginning of the 20th century, when Kwaidan was compiled. The book includes a series of intriguing Japanese ghost stories taken from local folklore, as well as stories of monks, their unusual travels, and their encounters with various monsters and strange animals.

The story of Hiochi the Earless, a talented blind minstrel, the tale of Yuki-Onna, the spirit of a snow woman and a popular figure in Japanese culture and literature, as well as Rokurokubi, the story of a curious type of Japanese yokai (ghost) whose neck stretches, are just a few of the quite captivating tales included in Kwaidan.

Hearn goes to painstaking lengths to bring ancient Japanese culture and literature back to life, animating it in a modern format for western readers to try and catch a glimpse at the richness and educational qualities it possesses. You will find these stories to be as enchanting as they are rare, making for a quite interesting reading experience.
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