Shadowings (Tut Books)

A menagerie of observation, philosophy, musing, and storytelling, Shadowings is quirky and charming, not unlike its author, transplanted Westerner Lafcadio Hearn. In this work, Hearn takes us from an ancient Japanese legend of love and spirits to an intimate contemplation on fear to a philosophical study of feminine Japanese names. Applying both his keen aesthetic eye and his uncanny ability to translate feelings as well as words, Hearn awakens the intellect and spirit, and offering us a prime view not only into his beloved adopted country, but into humanity itself.Bohemian and writer PATRICK LAFCADIO HEARN (1850-1904) was born in Greece, raised in Ireland, and worked as newspaper reporter in the United States before decamping to Japan. He also wrote In Ghostly Japan (1899), and Kwaidon (1904). This collection of essays and classic stories set in Japan by Lafcadio Hearn—one of the earliest Westerners to write about Japan—is an essential addition to any collection of Japanese literature.

Shadowings is made up of three parts: "Stories from Strange Books," which presents six old Japanese tales; "Japanese Studies," in which Hearn explores the lore of his adopted country; and "Fantasies," a group of essays in which he gives free rein to his wide-ranging imagination. All in all, it is a delightful collection of Japanese curiosities and fancies.
This collection of essays and classic stories set in Japan by Lafcadio Hearn—one of the earliest Westerners to write about Japan—is an essential addition to any collection of Japanese literature. Shadowings is made up of three parts: "Stories from Strange Books," which presents six old Japanese tales; "Japanese Studies," in which Hearn explores the lore of his adopted country; and "Fantasies," a group of essays in which he gives free rein to his wide-ranging imagination. All in all, it is a delightful collection of Japanese curiosities and fancies.