Kwaidan (Magill’s Guide to Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature)
At a glance:
- Author: Lafcadio Hearn
- First Published: 1904
- Type of Work: Stories
- Type of Plot: Fantasy—mythological
- Time of Work: Various periods between 1200 and 1900
- Setting: Primarily Japan
- Genres: Short fiction, Fantasy
- Subjects: Mythology or myths, Twentieth century, Ghosts or apparitions, Gods or goddesses, Japan or Japanese people, Thirteenth century
- Locales: Japan
The Plot
Kwaidan translates as weird or horror tales. Lafcadio Hearn attributes most of the twenty stories in Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things to old Japanese books but adds that some were legends he acquired through informants. The entire book embodies his lifelong fascination with the exotic, particularly themes that associate the mysterious with the macabre and the morbid. These stories also suggest a faith in the ancient gods of all parts of the world based on the concept of the collective memory of humankind.
Mythological deities and...
[The entire page is 985 words long]
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