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pillywiggin's review against another edition
4.0
This was a very good introduction to folklore and folk tales from Japan. I was skeptical, because I heard the author's interview on Coast to Coast AM, and he did not seem to remember what was in his own book; however, the book itself is an interesting and fun introduction to a topic about which I know very little. I am interested enough to read some of the author's other books. My only issue was poor proofreading near the end. It seemed as if entire words were left out of sentences in places, but I tried not to let that interfere with my enjoyment of the topics presented. On the one hand, I question the attention to detail in the research if attention is not paid to basic proofreading. On the other hand, I can be too judgmental and just need to let little things go. In any case, I enjoyed this introduction to a new interest.
rach_eb's review against another edition
3.0
3.5/5
This was okay. It condensed many of the writings of Lafcadio Hearn into bite-sized stories, often snipping off some of the charm too. Also, while I'm in no way an expert about Japan, it seemed to me that he attempted to make certain traditions seem scarier than they really are (like Obon, for example, which is a time when people honor their ancestors, not really a spooky ghost time).
This was okay. It condensed many of the writings of Lafcadio Hearn into bite-sized stories, often snipping off some of the charm too. Also, while I'm in no way an expert about Japan, it seemed to me that he attempted to make certain traditions seem scarier than they really are (like Obon, for example, which is a time when people honor their ancestors, not really a spooky ghost time).
fei_chan's review against another edition
1.75
Stories are so short and don’t go into depth about anything. Made very interesting Japanese stories super boring. Only gave it an extra .75 because some of the art is cool, other than that it’s a 1. The only reason I finished it is because I have it.
koji_kuma's review against another edition
1.0
DNF
There are so many problems with this book that it's not even worth going into. I feel duped and stupid for buying it. It is extremely poorly written, the author has absolutely no credentials and the information is corrupt because it is completely out of context. The research is poorly done, poorly documented and poorly applied. And I can say with a completely straight face that I could organize a better paragraph when I was in elementary school.
If you're interested in fun & quirky tidbits about Japan I would check out the podcast Uncanny Japan by author Theresa Matsuura. If you want Japanese urban legends/horror check out the podcasts Kowabana & Toshiden by Tara Devlin or check out her books. If you want a book about Japanese creatures check out the amazingly well researched The Book of Yokai by Michael Dylan Foster. If you're interested in Japanese legends and folklore read the legends themselves. There are a lot of books of Japanese legends out there.
There are so many problems with this book that it's not even worth going into. I feel duped and stupid for buying it. It is extremely poorly written, the author has absolutely no credentials and the information is corrupt because it is completely out of context. The research is poorly done, poorly documented and poorly applied. And I can say with a completely straight face that I could organize a better paragraph when I was in elementary school.
If you're interested in fun & quirky tidbits about Japan I would check out the podcast Uncanny Japan by author Theresa Matsuura. If you want Japanese urban legends/horror check out the podcasts Kowabana & Toshiden by Tara Devlin or check out her books. If you want a book about Japanese creatures check out the amazingly well researched The Book of Yokai by Michael Dylan Foster. If you're interested in Japanese legends and folklore read the legends themselves. There are a lot of books of Japanese legends out there.
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