Lafcadio Hearn's Japan: An Anthology of His Writings on the Country and It's People

Lafcadio Hearn published a series of short stories to be printed in a famous periodical in US. These are a few of those stories. His approach is reminiscent of Washington Irving, Tales of Alhambra. That is to say, that the stories are part folk, part his own imagination or views. Just like a Gaugin's painting of Tahitian women, Mr Hearn "recreated" his own Japan. The stories and descriptions are beautiful, very atmospheric, and easthetic. They are a pleasure to read over and over.

The selection of works by Lafcadio Hearn shows the true Japan of ancient times. In his writings, there is a great deal of description and depth which allows the reader to fully understand how completely different it is from the Western world he came from. The first half deals with his surroundings-the garden he would watch for hours, his home where he would watch the townspeople go about their daily routines, the temples with their own unique legends and traditions. The second half of the book, though, is more interesting in that he describes the people in particular. Through his friends and those around him he tells exciting anecdotes that reveal the real Japan. I enjoyed this book very much and am glad I decided to purchase it. For anyone interested in learning about Japan following the beginning of the Meiji era (after 1868) this is definitely a good book to start with.