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A review by corvy707
Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things by Lafcadio Hearn
4.0
Hearn's acclaimed ghost story book doesn't work very well as a faithful compendium of Japanese tales. His quirks of translation are prevalent, visible most when he shows the reader the original text he's working from, as is the case with his poem translations. It becomes quickly visible to even the most rookie of Japanese-speaking readers that he has taken odd liberties towards a decidedly Anglophonic flowery style. This is only a minor knock against this book, though, because it's at its best when Hearn indulges in a more personal approach.
I refer, mainly, to the short section near the end on mosquitos. This scant chapter has lived in my head for days after reading, above any of the regular stories that make up the meat of the book. Here he disposes of the regular format and discusses his frustration with the mosquitos that inhabit the local cemetery. It quickly evolves into a brief meditation on reincarnation, and consequentially a window into Hearn's mind.
My favourite story in the main section, which should be of no surprise, is Yuki-Onna. This particular iteration of the tale, unlike most others, has come to him orally rather than textually, and it creates a contract between Hearn and the reader to mutually appreciate it with a special level of care, and to regard it with the same level of anticipation as we would a campfire tale. (Even if you've already watched Masaki Kobayashi's fabulous movie adaptation of this book!) There are other strong stories pulled from the annals - "The Story of Aoyagi" is beautifully melancholic and universally appreciable - but it is where Hearn exists as part of the story that shines the most, after all.
I refer, mainly, to the short section near the end on mosquitos. This scant chapter has lived in my head for days after reading, above any of the regular stories that make up the meat of the book. Here he disposes of the regular format and discusses his frustration with the mosquitos that inhabit the local cemetery. It quickly evolves into a brief meditation on reincarnation, and consequentially a window into Hearn's mind.
My favourite story in the main section, which should be of no surprise, is Yuki-Onna. This particular iteration of the tale, unlike most others, has come to him orally rather than textually, and it creates a contract between Hearn and the reader to mutually appreciate it with a special level of care, and to regard it with the same level of anticipation as we would a campfire tale. (Even if you've already watched Masaki Kobayashi's fabulous movie adaptation of this book!) There are other strong stories pulled from the annals - "The Story of Aoyagi" is beautifully melancholic and universally appreciable - but it is where Hearn exists as part of the story that shines the most, after all.