Kwaidan

Stories and Studies of Strange Things (Stone Bridge Classics)

Paperback, 142 pages

English language

Published Feb. 20, 2007 by Stone Bridge Press.

ISBN:
9781933330242

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3 stars (1 review)

"Kwaidan" translates from the Japanese as weird tales, which perfectly describes these haunting stories. This collection of supernatural tales includes a musician called upon to perform for the dead, man-eating goblins, and insects who uncannily mimic human behavior. A perfect treat for fans of the strange and otherworldly.

This collection of Japanese supernatural stories is a classic work in the field of Japanese horror.

Known primarily as an early interpreter of Japanese culture and customs, the famous writer Lafcadio Hearn also wrote ghost stories—"delicate, transparent, ghostly sketches"—about his adopted land. Many of the stories found in Kwaidan, "stories and studies of strange things," are based on Japanese tales of long ago told to him by his wife; others possibly have a Chinese origin. All have been re-colored and reshaped by Hearn's inimitable hand.

Some critics attribute Hearn's fascination with eerie tales to his partial blindness. Whatever its roots, he was …

32 editions

Subjects

  • Modern fiction
  • Fiction
  • Sociology
  • Literature: Folklore/Mythology
  • Folklore & Mythology
  • History / Asia
  • Fairy Tales, Folklore & Mythology