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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
informative
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
This book is divided into 2 sections, the longer one called "Kwaidan," which means 'weird tales' (there are 17 of them) and a shorter section called "Insect-Studies," which is comprised of 3 different essays about butterflies, mosquitoes and ants. All the writings are from a Japanese perspective, though Hearn points out where the tradition is even older and likely comes from an earlier Chinese telling.
In the "Kwaidan" section I was reminded of other folklorists who've done the same kind of 'archiving' for other communities. The details in the stories may be very different from other traditions, but many times the fears embodied in the stories seem the same, giving them a universal feel. Certain stories even helped explain the modern-day Japanese horror stories and movies in which the spirit cannot rest because of a grudge it held at the time of its earthly death.
I previously knew how much at peace Hearn felt in Japan, knowing that here is where he found his true home, becoming a citizen and marrying a local woman. The well-written essays with his philosophical musings show how much he had embodied the essence of Japan.
In the "Kwaidan" section I was reminded of other folklorists who've done the same kind of 'archiving' for other communities. The details in the stories may be very different from other traditions, but many times the fears embodied in the stories seem the same, giving them a universal feel. Certain stories even helped explain the modern-day Japanese horror stories and movies in which the spirit cannot rest because of a grudge it held at the time of its earthly death.
I previously knew how much at peace Hearn felt in Japan, knowing that here is where he found his true home, becoming a citizen and marrying a local woman. The well-written essays with his philosophical musings show how much he had embodied the essence of Japan.
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book is weird. Not in a good way, and not in a bad way either... just weird. It’s a collection of ghost stories from Japan written by a Greek writer. It didn’t fail to spook me, I’ll give it that, but I definitely didn’t expect the book to end with three essays written about different insects.
Also, I believe so much was lost in translation, despite the author’s commendable efforts at conveying each and every word. (I say convey rather than translate because the author really tried to bring soul and feeling into the stories; almost every page had a full margin explaining some words that either couldn’t be translated or needed more explanation.)
Overall, an odd experience. I enjoyed some stories, but nothing really blew me away.
Also, I believe so much was lost in translation, despite the author’s commendable efforts at conveying each and every word. (I say convey rather than translate because the author really tried to bring soul and feeling into the stories; almost every page had a full margin explaining some words that either couldn’t be translated or needed more explanation.)
Overall, an odd experience. I enjoyed some stories, but nothing really blew me away.
informative
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
It's a pretty good book considering it's age and the time it was written in, but the weird essay about ants at the end creeped me out.
(I re-read it because it's sorta a "classic" and it's been a while, but man that ant thing bothered me on a level of wtf.)
(I re-read it because it's sorta a "classic" and it's been a while, but man that ant thing bothered me on a level of wtf.)