Showing results by author "Lafcadio Hearn" in All Categories

Patricio Lafcadio Tessima Carlos Hearn (1850-1904) was the son of a British father and Greek mother. He spent his early life in England, Ireland, France and America before moving in 1890 to Japan, where he married and settled. His most famous works are retellings of Japanese and Chinese folktales, in particular those of a ghostly or macabre nature. 'The Story of Chugoro' is the tale of a young man who is enticed into the clutches of a vampiric frog.

One day a hunter came across a pair of mandarin duck, oshidori, swimming together in a river that he was about to cross. To kill oshidori is not good; but Sonjô happened to be very hungry, and he shot at the pair. His arrow pierced the male: the female escaped into the rushes of the farther shore, and disappeared. Sonjô took the dead bird home, and cooked it. That night he dreamed a dreary dream.

On the Akasaka Road, in Tokyo, there is a slope called Kii-no-kuni-zaka. Before the era of street-lamps and jinrikishas, this neighbourhood was very lonesome after dark; belated pedestrians would go miles out of their way rather than mount the Kii-no-kuni-zaka, alone, after sunset. All because of a Mujina that used to walk there....

Un ragazzo salva una tartaruga e questa per sdebitarsi lo conduce al palazzo del re dei mari. Oppure salva uno squalo, che finisce per annidarsi nello stagno del suo giardino, e infine gli procura un tesoro. Un samurai sposa una bellissima ragazza di origini ignote, finché un giorno non si accorge che dal suo kimono spunta una coda fulva. E come mai quella mosca che ronza in cucina sembra avere proprio le abitudini del nonno, morto poco tempo fa?

Il folklore giapponese è ricco di creature spaventose: apparizioni inquietanti, demoni, creature metà animali e metà donne, mutaforma... Ma tutti questi esseri hanno una caratteristica in comune, radicata nella sensibilità del Giappone: non appartengono a una dimensione "altra", condividono il nostro stesso "spazio di realtà". Un elemento, questo, che Lafcadio Hearn riesce a trasmettere appieno, e non a caso le sue selezioni di racconti dal folklore nipponico sono considerate ancora oggi un ponte tra Occidente e Oriente.

Dive into this captivating posthumous collection of short stories by a renowned author and historian of weird folklore. Fantastics and Other Fancies features 36 of his earliest works, rich with enchanting romantic sketches, surreal imagery, and supernatural tales from distant lands. H. P. Lovecraft praised this collection in his influential essay, Supernatural Horror in Literature, calling it one of the most impressive displays of ghoulishness in all literature. Experience the magic and mystery woven into these extraordinary narratives. (Summary by Ben Tucker)

Discover the enchanting world of Kottō, a captivating collection of 20 Japanese tales, masterfully gathered from diverse sources and translated by the renowned Lafcadio Hearn. This anthology showcases a rich tapestry of narratives, including the haunting ghost stories Hearn is celebrated for, such as The Legend of Yurei-Daki, his personal insights and reflections in Pathological, and the poignant translation of A Womans Diary, which offers a touching glimpse into the lives of Tokyos underprivileged classes at the close of the 19th century. Join us on this journey through the intriguing and ...

Short stories have always been a sort of instant access into an author’s brain, their soul and heart. They can lift our lives into locations, people and experiences with a sweep of landscape, narration, feelings and emotions that are difficult to achieve elsewhere. In this volume we examine one of the great names from the past whose works invite life, rituals and the spirit world together to fashion dramatic and chilling unforeseen happenings.

In modern society writing a letter, on paper, is almost unheard of. We all scribble notes and reminders but very rarely compose our thoughts in lengthy prose for another person to read. In this volume our talented authors bring us a plethora of narratives that centre themselves on how vital a few lines are to characters navigating through the twists and turns of a story.