Reviews

Mysterious Tales of Japan by Rafe Martin

puddingtaco's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.5

stayamy's review

informative lighthearted relaxing slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

corar's review

4.0

Mysterious Tales of Japan is a collection of eleven folk and fairy tales from Japan. I enjoy fairy tale collections, especially those from other cultures. Reading these traditional Japanese stories helps the reader get a feel for Japan and its culture. There were many similarities with more common European stories, but there was also more of a haunting quality to them. Nature, plants and animals have a strong presence in these eleven stories. Many of them feature a person that was really a tree, a snake, a frog, etc. I recommend the collection to anyone with an interest in fairy and folk tales, or an interest in Japan.

rachelkc's review against another edition

3.75

This collection, meant to embrace the “fleeting yet haunting beauty we know from life,” is filled with spiritual tales - ghostly, eerie, and refreshing. Martin invites readers to “walk in the moonlight of imagination” as they read stories from the Zen, Buddhist, and Shinto traditions. Most stories were originally collected in the early 1900s, though Martin infuses them with his own style, and each story concludes with a note on its origin. Jesus and I read one of these each night (or rather, I read to him) until we finished the collection, and experiencing the tales at that pace was perfect for cool fall nights.