KWAIDAN Stories and Studies of Strange Things Lafcadio Hearn 1904

Description: Up for sale is a vintage 1904 edition of Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things by Lafcadio Hearn, published by Houghton Mifflin. Small Octavo. 240pp. The binding shows moderate wear with scuffs and fraying, characteristic of its age. An ownership signature on the pastedown adds historical value. The pages exhibit light foxing towards the extremities, and some staining affects the lower corners of roughly the first half of the book, though readability remains intact. The gutter has splitting following the printer's advertisement, yet the binding remains secure. Overall, this is a lovely and serviceable copy, perfect for collectors of rare books, especially those interested in Japanese culture and ghost stories. "Kwaidan" translates from the Japanese as weird tales, which perfectly describes these haunting stories. This collection of supernatural tales includes a musician called upon to perform for the dead, man-eating goblins, and insects who uncannily mimic human behavior. A perfect treat for fans of the strange and other worldly. It is a unique collection of haunting Japanese supernatural stories written by a Westerner who adopted Japan as his homeland. Hearn collects seventeen Japanese ghost stories (and a few nonfiction pieces about insects) in this 1904 volume. While most of these stories are translations from older texts, one was the first printed recording of a Japanese farmer's tale, and a few others are Hearn originals. Included are accounts of ghosts who eat freshly deceased corpses, ghosts who look human during the day but stretch their necks and alter their faces at night, ghosts who bewitch their human targets, and many other ghastly figures. [Barron, Fantasy, and Horror; Designed by Bruce Rogers (Work of Bruce Rogers, 110; Warde, F., Bruce Rogers, 43.] BAL 7940.

Price: 175 USD

Location: Greensboro, North Carolina

End Time: 2024-12-07T00:09:53.000Z

Shipping Cost: 10 USD