Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things

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I adore spooky stories and these are really captivating. It is amazing how they almost don't repeat thematics but are so many aspects in the supernatural in this chronicle of Japanese traditions. Some stories have a ghostly aspect, others are instead quite realistic and others are product of traditions and superstitious fears.

Although the style at beginning seemed to me a bit slow it quickly grew on me. Lafcadio Hearne wrote it when Japan had just decided to be a modern country, a change made in a Japanese way, and in the care for explain the words is noticeable that he really loved to know that historic Japan that perhaps has survived in our days. There are some afterwords by interesting observations about insects, they are not related to the core theme of the book but nevertheless I found them interesting.

The kindle edition has not been completely well formatted: They are just at the end so as this is not a physical book as they impractical to review I just read the tales without them until I got to the very end. One person found this helpful 2 people found this helpful. Lafcadio Hearn is my favorite Western writer when it comes to the subject of Japanese legends, folk stories and other kinds of supernatural stories which you can find in Japan. This book contains stories that he heard and wrote down, all with notes about what is it, so we can know what is all about because Hearn was very diligent about describing Japanese culture the way Japanese people see it, not the way the Westerners see it.

It also contains stories that Hearn witnessed himself, so we can see the way he reacts to some events which occurred in front of him or was told to him, which is, in my opinion, very interesting read, because usually Hearn just writes down what he was told and his opinion is, except the part he likes those stories and finds those supernatural events interesting, usually very professional and objective.

Very good book for those who want to see Japan from a different perspective. One person found this helpful. Lalla Rookh Top Contributor: The first part of this book contains a mix of 8 "strange" as the title suggests stories.

The stories are an eclectic assortment of ghost tales and legend but all of them will most likely seem strange to the Western mind. Individually, the stories seem confusing, perhaps even without point, but take them as a whole and they begin to paint a picture. They lend the reader a strong sense of the Eastern mind. It is really, quite a lovely collection. The second part of this book, contains a collection of three "essays", if you will, on insects. In particular, a sampling of insects which hold some place within Japan's culture or customs - butterflies, mosquitos and ants are covered here.

To my mind, this is an unfortunate departure from the first half of the book's legends and tales.

Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things: Lafcadio Hearn: bahana-line.com: Books

The information will likely seem a bit dry as Lafcadio Hearn LH hails from a different time and to many modern minds, I would think the words of his essays may seem rambling. Nonetheless, they are interesting in and of themselves for the information within. If I were to truly pick apart the fine particulars of the two subject matters, I could surely list some fine argument here as to why they are brought together as one, but in the end, the contrast is greater than the benefit. I find they cause quite some disharmony when brought together.

Two last notes for this e-book version: For example, LH references Japanese soldiers on their war boats as "little men", etc. If you can forgive these words as those from a different time, the meat of this book will be your reward, and 2 for those that appreciate additional information, endnotes are included at the end of each tale. Lafcadio Hearn is well enough known to both Japanese and Westerners alike, and well enough respected by both for his translations of Japanese tales that it would seem almost criminal for a Western student of things Japanese, to completely ignore his works.

This book and any of his compilations of Japanese ghost stories and legends are highly recommended. A charming collection of mostly supernatural Japanese tales. The charm extends to the three essays of natural history at the very end Butterflies, Mosquitoes, and Ants , with the possible exception of the last, which has no connection whatsoever with Japan whereas the first two emphatically do and which does not do honor to LH's philosophical acuity so say I.

I first read this book in when I was stationed in Japan. I, never heard of the author but found that the Japanese were very familiar with his writings. This book is scary and memorable. I had to have it for the memories of my youth. To be clear, this review is for the March 15, edition of this book. The book is of good quality, pages are the right thickness, and the cover is beautiful.

I am a firm believer than the cover of a book can indeed change how you view the stories inside that book. I came across a manga based on Yuki Onna the Snow Woman that reminded me that I meant to read this, someday. View all 6 comments. Dec 06, Zak rated it liked it Shelves: Not what I expected. This collection came across more like the author telling me ABOUT weird tales than actual storytelling.

As a result, it was really hard for me to get into any of them, save for the title story.

View all 5 comments. A much more in-depth look at this book can be found here at my online reading journal ; otherwise, here's a brief look. I'm late to the Lafcadio Hearn party, having only read two stories in this collection before picking up this book -- "The Story of Mimi-Nashi-Hoichi" and "Yuki-Onna," which have long been personal favorites. There are seventeen actual "Kwaidan" in this book, and then a section by Hearn called "Insect Studies," three compositions that in their own right are definitely worth readin A much more in-depth look at this book can be found here at my online reading journal ; otherwise, here's a brief look.

There are seventeen actual "Kwaidan" in this book, and then a section by Hearn called "Insect Studies," three compositions that in their own right are definitely worth reading. Ranging from out-and-out creepy ghost stories to monks roaming the countryside where various monsters, demons and other creatures seem to abide, there is never a bad note struck throughout the entire collection. The stories are short but their length doesn't affect their potency; by virtue of being stories that have been handed down over several centuries, the reader also gets a look at ancient Japan from different angles, from the world of the samurai on down to that of the lowliest peasant.

It is a world of constant upheaval in terms of the physical world and also vis a vis the traditional social order. One major exception is "Hi-Mawari," a story that takes place in Wales, obviously penned by Hearn himself. After the kaidan section is finished, the reader moves into Hearn's "Insect Studies," where he dwells on butterflies, mosquitoes and ants. While you might be tempted to skip them, don't. They're absolutely fascinating, drawing on traditional folklore, etc. I realize that not everyone is going to admire these stories like I do, but I love all things Japanese and this collection was simply superb.

It might just be a good opening into all sorts of kaidan for a novice reader, and there are several works available in English that would make for great follow-up reading.

KWAIDAN: Stories and Studies of Strange Things

I absolutely loved this book and I can't recommend it highly enough. Feb 04, Erma Odrach rated it really liked it Shelves: So I did my research.

Kwaidan is a collction of 20 short, strange tales, taken from old Japanese books - a ghostly woman dressed in white appears before a young woodcutter and makes him promise never to tell, a mysterious face shows up in a cup of tea, a girl with no features h I recently joined the group "Friends of Lafcadio Hearn" here on GR's without knowing who he was. Kwaidan is a collction of 20 short, strange tales, taken from old Japanese books - a ghostly woman dressed in white appears before a young woodcutter and makes him promise never to tell, a mysterious face shows up in a cup of tea, a girl with no features has a face as smooth as an egg.

And there are samurais, monsters, floating heads and much more. Bizaare and full of the supernatural, Kwaidan is a look into Japan's past. It's fun and easy to read. Here's the link for the "Friends of Lafcadio Hearn" group for anyone who might be interested. This is a collection of traditional Japanese ghost stories, followed by three charming essays about butterflies, mosquitoes, and ants in Japanese culture. The famous film of the same name by Masaki Kobayashi actually uses stories from three different Lafcadio Hearn works, two of which are from Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things.

Kwaidan can easily be read in about three hours and is a good introduction to Hearn's other work about Japan. He became a Japanese citizen, married a Japanese This is a collection of traditional Japanese ghost stories, followed by three charming essays about butterflies, mosquitoes, and ants in Japanese culture.

He became a Japanese citizen, married a Japanese wife, and raised a family in Tokyo. I can think of no better introduction to Japanese culture than reading his essays and stories.

Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things

Kwaidan will be a great travel guide to Japan once Cthulhu rises from the ocean and a universe of muting horrors is poured upon the world. Everything's a demon in these stories. Lafcadio's a lot of fun, and his writing is clean and folky and ethereal, definitely a qualified style for retelling ancient fantasy tales. He's got a lot in common with Lord Dunsany, and that's a big compliment.

My version had spectacular colorful illustrations on most pages, to make the whole thing seem like a Kwaidan will be a great travel guide to Japan once Cthulhu rises from the ocean and a universe of muting horrors is poured upon the world.

My version had spectacular colorful illustrations on most pages, to make the whole thing seem like a lovely dream-ride. A section of essays on Lafcadio's insect studies, bizarrely enough, was the most thought-provoking of the set. Lafcadio sees ants as the ultimate examples of altruistic society, millions of years past humanity in their moral evolution, since each one would rather benefit the whole than itself.

He wonders if humans will ever reach such a level, practicing kindness for its own sake, obsoleting law, religion and philosophy itself. Of course, nowadays ants are thought of as creepy, mindless stimulus-response machines monomaniacally devoted to order and The Hive. You could write a fun essay on the change in the cultural perception of ants over the last century.

It probably has something to do with the Red Scare - T H White and Kurt Vonnegut both tried to write fables comparing ants to communism in the s. Not to mention how much of an ant's thought process has been laid bare by biology in the past hundred years - and it is creepy from our standpoint.

Oct 22, Audrey rated it really liked it. Kwaidan is a beautiful selection of Japanese ghost stories; some of them are horrifying, some of them are touching, and all of them provide an intricate look into the many subtleties that make up the Japanese culture.

I am greatly enjoyed each and every story in this book, and each of them I enjoyed for different reasons. Some of the stories were translations of old Japanese texts wheras, for others, this book was the first place they were ever written. The author heard them while traveling thro Kwaidan is a beautiful selection of Japanese ghost stories; some of them are horrifying, some of them are touching, and all of them provide an intricate look into the many subtleties that make up the Japanese culture.

The author heard them while traveling through small-town Japan and enjoyed them so much that he transcribed them. Because of this, it is somewhat difficult to write a real review. Obviously, some things are lost in translation, but the author did a great job of minimalizing this loss, and I really feel like I got the full effect of what was originally being said.

I found the sections on ants and butterflies to be especially enjoyable though I should perhaps note that I am slightly obsessed with ants. The chosen poems and texts along with the author's observations and commentary gave me great insight as to the roles that insects played and insects are VERY prominent in Japan in ancient Japan. I highly recommend this selection of stories to anyone who is even remotely interested in Japanese culture.

Apr 10, Marc rated it really liked it Shelves: There is an eerie but mystical feel to most of them with strength of will often triumphing over death and dismemberment.

And each is treated so differently to really bring out the "strange" part of the book's title. The section on ants veers off into a wonderful metaphysical discussion about ant society being a morally superior existence to human society due in large part to its physiological removal of selfish behaviors sex and greed in favor of behaviors that support the whole community over the individual. Nov 24, Pelin rated it really liked it Shelves: These stories are quite unexpected, surely bizarre, but each of them somehow relates to our modern lives. It was a pure coincidence that I found this book in the mostly forgotten Japanese shelf of the bookstore, but I'm happy I bought it.

Even if it is not so popular, I think it's a must read for anyone who is interested in Japanese history and culture. Sep 05, Michael Adams rated it it was amazing. Classic collection of Japanese ghost stories. Clever, eerie tales and weird scenarios. View all 3 comments. Dec 26, Meghan Fidler rated it really liked it Shelves: I truly admire Lafcadio Hearn.

An international traveler and writer, his works on Japanese ghost stories not only captures the reader, but captures the idiolect inherent in Japanese stories I recognize that it is a bit odd, but I also like it as a descriptive maneuver, capturing the individual narrator within the practice and knowledge of a broad region, history, I truly admire Lafcadio Hearn.

I recognize that it is a bit odd, but I also like it as a descriptive maneuver, capturing the individual narrator within the practice and knowledge of a broad region, history, and language. There are 17 short ghost stories within the novel, and then three short sections on insect stories, poems and narratives. For those with an anthropological bent, like myself, the description of the term Nazoraeru in the story "Of a Mirror and a Bell" is particularly intriguing, as it calls forth the same sympathetic magic principle behind the Trobriand Islander's safeguards when loved ones are traveling on the ocean.

To exemplify, allow me to provide an excerpt from page The word itself cannot be adequately rended by any English word; for it is used in relation to many kinds of mimetic magic, as well as in relation to the performance of many religious acts of faith.

The merit of so offerieng the pebble becomes equal, or almost equal, to the merit of erecting a temple…" The book continues with delightful examples of poetry and lines, the sentiment of Japanese oral storytelling is given credit.

By Lafcadio Hearn

One of my favorite examples came from the story entitled "Hi-Mawari": Oct 30, umberto rated it liked it Shelves: Taken from old Japanese books, most stories seem to be human being-friendly, that is, the godlike spirits are not ordinary horrible monsters. For he was beloved by two spirit-maidens, celestial sisters, who every ten days came to visit him and to tell him stories about butterflies. Now there are marvelous Chinese stories about butterflies — ghostly stories; and I want to know them. With a view to self-protection I have been reading Dr. There are several species in my neighborhood; but only one of them is a serious torment, -- a tiny needly thing, all silver-speckled and silver-streaked.

The air — the delicious air! In the neighboring bamboo-grove I hear the flute-call of the bird that praises the Sutra of the Lotos; and the land is very still by reason of the south wind. May 24, Paul rated it it was amazing. His stories are written in a simple straight-forward style, and his knowledge of Japanese culture and customs are such that if his name wasn't on the cover you'd swear it was written by someone native to that country. The stories themselves are well written and utterly bizarre.

Disembodied, floating heads to tragic, spirit-possessed ducks are subjects covered in this collection. Sep 02, Bbrown rated it liked it. Indeed, Hearn explicitly injects a lot of himself into these tales, the story Hi-Mawari is almost entirely about an experience of his and touches upon Japan only briefly. In other tales Hearn discusses the circumstance in which he hears the story, or mentions the current state of Japan with which he is familiar. I found this western influence disappointing, as I picked up this collection seeking faithful renditions of supernatural Japanese folktales, and this disappointment led to me reading Tales of Moonlight and Rain by Ueda Akinari in tandem with Kwaidan.

Furthermore, many of the tales only have a supernatural framework and are not folktales as you would normally envision them. Kwaidan is therefore a superior collection in terms of actually telling these strange tales, Hearn having focused more on being a good storyteller than on precisely translating preexisting texts. The stories do not frequently moralize or have a lesson: There is, however, a tale that seems to be an inverted version of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth, with all the moral implications of that tale.

If you are reading to be entertained, Kwaidan is superior to Tales of Moonlight and Rain, but if you are reading with an academic interest in the subject matter then the reverse is true. Neither collection is exactly what I was seeking, however. Though it is a collection of Chinese supernatural folktales and not Japanese ones, Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio by Pu Songling strikes a better balance between entertainment and authenticity than either Kwaidan or Tales of Moonlight and Rain, and it is a collection I would recommend if you enjoyed this work.

View all 4 comments. Al que le interese esta literatura: May 12, Philipp rated it liked it Shelves: Fun ghost stories from ; mostly strange to me as a European because our "traditional" stories always have a moral, or some point, like "don't stray from the given path", "listen to your superiors" etc. Japanese ghost stories rarely have a moral, the doom brought by ghosts or spirits befalls the good and the evil alike.

Karma exists but it it's more useful for reincarnation - there is no all-encompassing "good" like in the Christian worldview. The entire folklore of Japanese yokai is fasci Fun ghost stories from ; mostly strange to me as a European because our "traditional" stories always have a moral, or some point, like "don't stray from the given path", "listen to your superiors" etc.

The entire folklore of Japanese yokai is fascinating, and Hearn touches on some of them, like the Yuki-Onna, but it's often feels like Hearn influences the stories too much. The last few chapters are all weird, starting with an autobiographical story of Hearn that I did not particularly care for, then continuing with a strange description of Horai, a mythical Chinese and Japanese place, but the description differs from anything else in the Japanese literature and must have been mostly invented by Hearn.

Sadly, this "taints" the other preceding stories: I can't tell whether Hearn influenced them, or if they're "proper" Japanese stories. Even weirder is the finishing chapter with Hearn's thoughts on butterflies, mosquitoes and ants. Interestingly he described that ants keep mushrooms, I thought that was a more recent discovery.

Fans of Japan, and those who like Folklore stories. I think most people can skip the last 3 chapters. Upon his arrival in Japan in , Lafcadio Hearn found himself enamored with the culture, people, and stories of the country, and would make Japan his home until his death in His collections of stories published during this time became the most popular of Hearn's writings, and earned him veneration worldwide as not only a great translator of Japanese mythology, but as a sensational teller of strange and wonderfully macabre tales.

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