Lafcadio Hearn Libri

This book introduces a world that few early Western visitors to Japan ever saw. This is the world of unusual customs, bizarre superstitions, and enchanting scenery. Included in this classic volume are Hearn's well-known essays on gardens, festivals, the household shrine, and other aspects of Japanese daily life.

As a facsimile reprint of a scarce antiquarian work, this edition captures the essence of the original text while acknowledging potential imperfections such as marks and marginalia. The publication emphasizes its cultural significance and reflects a commitment to preserving literary heritage. It aims to provide readers with an accessible, high-quality version that remains faithful to the original, ensuring that important works are preserved for future generations.

The TREDITION CLASSICS series aims to revive public domain literature by making it available in print, ensuring that great works remain accessible to readers. Driven by a passion for literature, the series collaborates with various non-profit projects to enrich its content. A portion of the proceeds from each sale is donated to support these initiatives, allowing readers to contribute to the preservation of significant literary works.

Recognized for its cultural significance, this work contributes to the foundational knowledge of civilization. It has been selected by scholars for its importance, highlighting its role in understanding historical and societal contexts.

Set in Mozambique, this non-fiction article explores themes of deception and the supernatural, marking a pivotal moment in Western literature with its introduction of the zombie concept. Originally published in 1889, it captures the eerie folklore of the region. The republished edition aims to preserve the original text and artwork, making these rare stories accessible to modern readers while highlighting their historical significance.

Exploring the supernatural, this collection delves into Japan's rich ghostly lore through Lafcadio Hearn's captivating prose. It features tales of a pilgrim's climb among skulls, a dying woman's sinister legacy, and a ghostly beauty's visit to her samurai lover. Drawing on ancient legends, Hearn vividly portrays spirits and demons while weaving in Buddhist proverbs, haiku translations, and incense rituals. This work offers a spine-tingling glimpse into the unseen realms of Japanese culture, showcasing Hearn's mastery of the macabre.

The works of Lafcadio Hearn (Koizumi Yakumo) played a critical role in introducing his adopted Japan to a worldwide audience. In Kokoro: Hints and Echoes of Japanese Inner Life, he writes, "The papers composing this volume treat of the inner rather than of the outer life of Japan, - for which reason they have been grouped under the title Kokoro (heart). This word signifies also mind, in the emotional sense; spirit; courage; resolve; sentiment; affection; and inner meaning, - just as we say in English, 'the heart of things.'" After centuries of isolation Meiji-era Japan was forced to adjust its customs and beliefs to Western influences, and Hearn reflects on the value of these traditions of the "heart" as seen in Japanese popular justice, arts, economy, patriotism, and religion. Chapters include: At a Railway Station - The Genius of Japanese Civilization - A Street Singer - From a Traveling Diary - The Nun of the Temple of Amida - After the War - Haru - A Glimpse of Tendencies - By Force of Karma - A Conservative - In the Twilight of the Gods - The Idea of Preëxistence - In Cholera-Time - Some Thoughts About Ancestor-Worship - Kimiko - Three Popular Ballads: The Ballad of Shūntoku-maru - The Ballad of Oguri-Hangwan - The Ballad of O-Shichi, the Daughter of the Yaoya.