The stories are short but their length doesnt affect their potency. The film consists of four separate and unrelated stories. Kwaidan ebook by lafcadio hearn 9780486120928 rakuten kobo. The famous film of the same name by masaki kobayashi actually uses stories from three different lafcadio hearn works, two of which are from kwaidan. Strange tales ghost stories buy online strange tales. Rent kwaidan ghost stories and strange tales of old japan 1st edition 9780486450940 and save up to 80% on textbook rentals and 90% on used textbooks. The 1964 movie kwaidan ghost stories, directed by masaki kobayashi, as well as being a beautiful and atmospheric piece of cinema, is curious in the sense that it is a japanese movie based on an english book of short stories translating japanese folk tales. Kwaidan stories and studies of strange things read. Known primarily as an early interpreter of japanese culture and customs, the famous writer lafcadio hearn also wrote ghost storiesdelicate, transparent, ghostly sketches. Ghost stories and strange tales of old japan by lafcadio hearn, is a fascinating book, retold be an unusual man hearns biograpy is less than conventional. His superb translation of 20 supernatural tales teems with undead samurais, maneating goblins, and other terrifying demons. Stories and studies of strange things after which the film was named.
Ghost stories and strange tales of old japan by lafcadio hearn at indigo. One of the famous stories by lafcadio hearn kwaidan ghost stories and strange tales of old japan is written about a buddhist priest, named kairyou, encountering five nukekubi sometime also referred as rokurokubi. Kwaidan ghost stories and strange tales of old japan dover. Spooky stories with the folklore, superstitions and traditions of old japan.
Chapter lxxxiii nukekubi by hallowie29 on deviantart. It is based on stories from lafcadio hearns collections of japanese folk tales, mainly kwaidan. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Deal on strange tales ghost stories that is coordinated agreeable to you from ebay. Chinese ghost storiescurious tales of the supernatural. The best quality custom strange tales ghost stories at the best low cost. They are also a culmination of his lifelong interest in the endlessly fascinating customs and tales of the country where he spent the last fourteen years of his life, translating into english the atmospheric stories he so avidly collected.
Ghost stories and strange tales of old japan by lafcadio hearn 2006, paperback at the best online prices at ebay. Kwaidan is a collction of 20 short, strange tales, taken from old japanese books a. Hearn declares in his introduction, that most of these stories were translated from old japanese texts probably with the help of his wife, setsu koizumi. Kwaidan translates from the japanese as weird tales, which perfectly describes these haunting stories. Another thing worth noting here is that there is a movie called kwaidan, based on hearns stories, two. A blind musician with amazing talent is called upon to perform for the dead. During the latter half of the 19th century, american journalist lafcadio hearn became our nations great interpreter of all things japanese. Kwaidan then is an interesting collection of japan weird stories illustrated with. Stories and studies of strange things audiobooks lafcadio hearn 1850 1904 most of the following kwaidan, or weird tales, have been taken from old japanese books, such as.
An exwarrior became a traveling buddhist priest after he lost his lord in the war and named himself, kairyou. Kwaidan can easily be read in about three hours and is a good introduction to hearns other work about japan. Free sending on certain strange tales ghost stories. Stories and studies of strange things tuttle classics of. Ghost stories and strange tales of old japan, by lafcadio hearn. Anticipating a visit from his publisher, a writer relates an old tale of an attendant of lord nakagawa. Reading this collection of old japanese ghost stories, youd find it hard to. Other stories include tales of murdered birds that haunt the murderer and a young woman who. This is just one of the tales gathered by hearn who was a translator and scholar of japanese folklore from the turn of the last century. At least, not the way we understand the horror genre today. Kwaidan by lafcadio hearn overdrive rakuten overdrive.
Stories and studies of strange things, stands out for me. They are also a culmination of his lifelong interest in the endlessly. Stories and studies of strange things, kaidan, also kwaidan archaic, often shortened to kwaidan ghost story, is a book by lafcadio hearn that features several japanese ghost stories and a brief nonfiction study on insects. Written by lafcadio hearn over a century ago, and now brilliantly illustrated with accompanying photographs by awardwinning photographer hiroshi watanabe, these folk stories are revitalized in this new edition. Free shipping and pickup in store on eligible orders. Stories and studies of strange things, for which it is named. These and 17 other chilling supernatural tales based on legends, myths, and beliefs of ancient japan represent the very best of lafcadio hearns literary style. Main chinese ghost storiescurious tales of the supernatural. Kwaidan, kaidan, literally ghost stories is a 1965 japanese anthology horror film directed by masaki kobayashi. Kwaidan ghost stories and strange tales of old japan dover books on literature amp drama free ebook download as pdf file.
Ghost stories and strange tales of old japan by lafcadio hearn, yasumasa fujita illustrator, oscar lewis introduction by online at alibris. Lafcadio hearns timeless anthology of ghost tales the. The style of these ghost stories and tales is delightfully odd. Stories and studies of strange things 1904 the public. Ghost stories and strange tales of old japan lafcadio hearn this collection of japanese supernatural stories is a classic work in the field of japanese horror. Stories and studies of strange things, by lafcadio hearn, features several japanese ghost stories and a brief study on insects. Read kwaidan ghost stories and strange tales of old japan by lafcadio hearn available from rakuten kobo. Ghost stories and strange tales of old japan 2006 variant. Kaidan is a genre that has persisted in japan for as long as the known history of japanese literature.
Kwaidan means ghost story, and thats what these are, in the same way that m. Deriving its title from the word for ghost story in japanese this is a book by scholar. The popularity of kaidan, although that has not always the name been associated with the genre, has had its ebbing and flowing over the centuries, but never entirely disappeared, vanishing only for a short time until a new generation rediscovers these classical tales of the. Ghost stories and strange tales of old japan, by lafcadio. Stories and studies of strange things by lafcadio hearn.
A classic book of ghost stories from one of the worlds leading nineteenthcentury writers, the author of in ghostly japan and japanese fairy tales. Kwaidan is a collction of 20 short, strange tales, taken from old japanese books a ghostly woman dressed in white appears before a young woodcutter and makes him promise never to tell, a mysterious face shows up in a cup of tea, a girl with no features. It wasnt lafcadio hearns first take on japanese ghost stories it wasnt even his first such book whose title was a single j. Beautifully told, perfectly paced stories of japanese ghosts and. Ghost stories and strange tales of old japan by lafcadio hearn and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. A stranger is walking on the countryside when he suddenly hears voices in a seemingly abandoned house and decides to investigate. Kwaidan ghost stories and strange tales of old japan by lafcadio hearn author yasumasa fujita illustrator.
Shot in gorgeous, sumptuous color way back in 1964 by director masaki kobayashi, kwaidan is an unusual, unique and quite extraordinary entry in the old horror anthology genre best represented by 1945s dead of night and milton subotskys amicus anthology series i. The translator of these tales was lafcadio hearn, a man of travel and words. Fast and free shipping free returns cash on delivery available on eligible purchase. Kwaidan is also quite slow close to three hours to tell four stories and even though its often described as a horror film, its not. This collection of supernatural tales includes a musician called upon to perform for the dead, maneating goblins, and insects who uncannily mimic human behavior. Kwaidan ghost stories and strange tales of old japan 1st. Ghost stories and strange tales of old japan dover. In 1964, masaki kobayashis highly acclaimed kwaidan was released, a japanese anthology horror film based on stories from hearns collections of japanese folk tales, mainly his kwaidan. A miscellany of ghost stories, odd tales, and curious observations by a master storyteller who penetrated japan more deeply than any other westerner. Deriving its title from the word for ghost story in japanese kwaidan is a book by scholar and translator lafcadio hearn in which are compiled an array of ghost stories hailing from japan. Stories and studies of strange things tuttle classics of japanese.