A collection of Kwaidan or Weird Tales compiled by the Greek/British journalist, teacher, and storyteller Lafacdio Hearn. An essential read in Japanese folk tale studies.
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The publication of a new volume of Lafcadio Hearn's exquisite studies of Japan happens, by a delicate irony, to fall in the very month when the world is waiting with tense expectation for news of the latest exploits of Japanese battleships. Read the first page
Front Cover | Table of Contents | Excerpt
The publication of a new volume of Lafcadio Hearn's exquisite studies of Japan happens, by a delicate irony, to fall in the very month when the world is waiting with tense expectation for news of the latest exploits of Japanese battleships. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
Format:Paperback
"Kwaidan" is Hearn's most famous book, and justifiably so. It is the least academic of his works, collecting together some of Japan's core ghost and monster stories into one slim volume. Much like the Brothers Grimm, Hearn did not actually create these stories but rather compiled them and put them into written form for the first time, learning them from folk tales and storytellers.
Along with famous, "Kwaidan" is Hearn's most influential book. "The Story of Mimi-nashi Hoichi" is as well-known in Japan as "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is in the United States. The "Yuki Onna" has made it into a few films, including Kurosawa's "Dreams" and the filmed version of this book, "Kwaidan."
The stories themselves are of excellent quality, ranging from spooky ghost tales to humorous tales of wandering monks encountering monsters. Each story ranges from 5-15 pages long.
Along with the stories are three insect studies, the likes of which can be found in all Hearn books. These are excellent academic studies of insects in traditional Japanese folk lore, including children's songs and haiku poetry involving insects.
Included are:
The story of Mimi-nashi Hoichi
Oshidori
The story of O-Tei
Ubazakura
Diplomacy
Of a mirror and a bell
Jikininki
Mujina
Rokuro-kubi
A dead secret
Yuki-Onna
The story of Aoyagi
Jiu-Roku-Zakura
The dream of Akinosuke
Riki-Baba
Hi-Mawari
Horai
Insect Studies -
Butterfiles
Mosquitos
Ants
By kmp
Format:Paperback
This is a deliciously creepy collection of Japanese folk stories from Lafcadio Hearn (aka Koizumi Yagumo). Hearn was born in Greece, raised in Ireland, and then spent later years in the U.S. (esp. Cincinatti and New Orleans), where he worked as a reporter. In 1890, during the early Meiji Era, he settled in Japan. Hearn taught English in several places (Yokohama, Shimane-ken, Kyushu, and Tokyo-shi), married into a samurai family (gaining the name Koizumi Yagumo and Japanese citizenship), and wrote several books about Japanese culture and folklore. Kwaidan is a fun, spooky book, and I highly recommend it. (Also, if you or your children have read the Harry Potter books, you'll see that some of the "Dark Creatures" therein are actually of Japanese origin).
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.5 out of 5 stars
4 reviews
23 of 23 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ghost stories by a Western more Japanese than Japanese
Feb 9 1998
By Mire Uno
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
Lafcadio Hearn is well-known in his Japanese name, Koizumi Yagumo. Actually, I never doubted that Koizumi Yagumo was a born-Japanese. His famous Kwaidan, or Japanese ghost stories are so "Japanese" and it really scared me. When my brother told me that Koizumi Yagumo is actually a Western people, I didn't believe it at first...
He was born in 1850 in Greek, his mother's country. Educated in his father's country, Ireland, he went to USA when he was 19 years old. He worked as a journalist in New Orlens, then came to Japan and became an English teacher in Matsue, Shimane prefecture in 1890. He married with Yae Koizumi and got Japanese citizenship.
Kwaidan includes ghost stories lik Earless Ho Ichi, a Biwa (Japanese PiPa) player and story teller of famous Heike legends, who was possesed by Heike (the warrior family once governed Japan then defeated) warriors' ghosts because of his talent, and Mujina, bewitched racoon dogs which scare people to death. Koizumi Yagumo is more Japanese than Japanese... Koizumi Yagumo is still popular in Japan (and I believe a lot of people still believe that he is a born-Japanese...). When I searched Koizumi Yagumo in Japanese Goo, it hit 422!
He was born in 1850 in Greek, his mother's country. Educated in his father's country, Ireland, he went to USA when he was 19 years old. He worked as a journalist in New Orlens, then came to Japan and became an English teacher in Matsue, Shimane prefecture in 1890. He married with Yae Koizumi and got Japanese citizenship.
Kwaidan includes ghost stories lik Earless Ho Ichi, a Biwa (Japanese PiPa) player and story teller of famous Heike legends, who was possesed by Heike (the warrior family once governed Japan then defeated) warriors' ghosts because of his talent, and Mujina, bewitched racoon dogs which scare people to death. Koizumi Yagumo is more Japanese than Japanese... Koizumi Yagumo is still popular in Japan (and I believe a lot of people still believe that he is a born-Japanese...). When I searched Koizumi Yagumo in Japanese Goo, it hit 422!
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Japan's most famous collection of ghost and monster tales
Dec 29 2003
By Zack Davisson
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
"Kwaidan" is Hearn's most famous book, and justifiably so. It is the least academic of his works, collecting together some of Japan's core ghost and monster stories into one slim volume. Much like the Brothers Grimm, Hearn did not actually create these stories but rather compiled them and put them into written form for the first time, learning them from folk tales and storytellers.
Along with famous, "Kwaidan" is Hearn's most influential book. "The Story of Mimi-nashi Hoichi" is as well-known in Japan as "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is in the United States. The "Yuki Onna" has made it into a few films, including Kurosawa's "Dreams" and the filmed version of this book, "Kwaidan."
The stories themselves are of excellent quality, ranging from spooky ghost tales to humorous tales of wandering monks encountering monsters. Each story ranges from 5-15 pages long.
Along with the stories are three insect studies, the likes of which can be found in all Hearn books. These are excellent academic studies of insects in traditional Japanese folk lore, including children's songs and haiku poetry involving insects.
Included are:
The story of Mimi-nashi Hoichi
Oshidori
The story of O-Tei
Ubazakura
Diplomacy
Of a mirror and a bell
Jikininki
Mujina
Rokuro-kubi
A dead secret
Yuki-Onna
The story of Aoyagi
Jiu-Roku-Zakura
The dream of Akinosuke
Riki-Baba
Hi-Mawari
Horai
Insect Studies -
Butterfiles
Mosquitos
Ants
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
things that go bump in the night
Nov 4 2003
By kmp
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
This is a deliciously creepy collection of Japanese folk stories from Lafcadio Hearn (aka Koizumi Yagumo). Hearn was born in Greece, raised in Ireland, and then spent later years in the U.S. (esp. Cincinatti and New Orleans), where he worked as a reporter. In 1890, during the early Meiji Era, he settled in Japan. Hearn taught English in several places (Yokohama, Shimane-ken, Kyushu, and Tokyo-shi), married into a samurai family (gaining the name Koizumi Yagumo and Japanese citizenship), and wrote several books about Japanese culture and folklore. Kwaidan is a fun, spooky book, and I highly recommend it. (Also, if you or your children have read the Harry Potter books, you'll see that some of the "Dark Creatures" therein are actually of Japanese origin).
›
Go to Amazon.com to see all 4 reviews
4.5 out of 5 stars
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