Used book "Ghost Stories and Strange Tales" [90% new]

"Kwaidan: Ghost Stories and Odd Tales" collects fifty-five ghost stories, all retold and rewritten by Lafcadio Hearn based on famous Japanese classical literary works. These stories are drawn from numerous ancient Japanese texts, including "Wayō Kidan," "Yaso Kidan," "Jūkunshō," "Konjaku Monogatarishū," "Ugetsu Monogatari," "Kokin Chomonjū," "Hyakumonogatari," and "Shin San Hyakumonogatari." "Kwaidan: Ghost Stories and Odd Tales" is an indirect reflection of Japanese history and also embodies the shared cultural aesthetic of the East. The aesthetic realm of East-West civilization fusion presented throughout the book possesses extremely high appreciative and cognitive value. The book features Hearn's hand-drawn illustrations from his posthumous manuscripts and multiple ukiyo-e works by famous Japanese artists, making this translated edition exceptionally precious and a true collector's item.

As a renowned Western Japanologist of modern times, Lafcadio Hearn's name is widely known in Japan. Although of Irish-Greek descent, he lived in Japan for fourteen years until the end of his life. Influenced by the captivating culture of Eastern nations and religions, Hearn was accustomed to explaining and insightfully examining the Japanese soul from the perspectives of folklore and emotion. During his fourteen years in Japan, he dedicated immense effort to studying Japanese traditions and national character, as well as Japanese literature, art, religion, and mythology. With his eloquent pen, he wrote numerous works about Japan, such as "Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan" (1894), "Out of the East" (1895), "Exotics and Retrospectives" (1898), "In Ghostly Japan" (1899), "Shadowings" (1900), "A Japanese Miscellany" (1901), "Kotto" (1902), and "Kwaidan" (1904). These works made him a mirror through which Westerners could view Japan and secured his place in world literature.