Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things
About this ebook
A miscellany of ghost stories, odd tales, and curious observations by a master storyteller who penetrated Japan more deeply than any other Westerner. Lafcadio Hearn's fascinating life would bring him from Greece, to Ireland, to the United States, and finally to Japan, where he would marry and eventually die. In Japan, Hearn authored many of his most famous writings and translations. Kwaidan ("ghost story") captures the folk spirit and quaint “exoticism” of a land thought at the time to be both mysterious and sinister.
Hearn's writing would not only impact the West's perception of Japan but become celebrated in the country as well. Director Masaki Kobayashi (Harakiri, 1962) adapted Kwaidan into an award-winning horror film of the same name in 1964.
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About the author
Lafcadio Hearn (1850-1904) was born in Levkas, Greece, as the son of Greek and British parents. In 1869 he went to the United States and did various work, finally as a journalist. In 1890 he came to Japan and taught English in Japanese schools, and became a Japanese citizen under the name of Koizumi Yakuma. He died in Tokyo.
