The Kwaidan Collection
An Illuminated Edition
This exquisite book collects horrifying and supernatural Japanese folk tales, enhancing them with haunting artwork.
Lafcadio Hearn was an American transplant in Japan. He married there and changed his name to Koizumi Yakumo; he published several books related to its ghost stories. This volume collects stories that he first retold in print over one hundred years ago, here illuminating them with Kent Williams’s tense, unforgettable illustrations.
Featuring Hearn’s explanatory footnotes, as well as essays by filmmaker Darren Aronofsky, professor and translator Kyoko Yoshida, and Bon Koizumi, Hearn’s great-grandson and an academic himself, this volume contains enough background information to satisfy scholars and nonscholars alike. Its main attraction, however, is its stories. Their styles are elegant and unpredictable. Herein, ants live out the dreams of people, and human souls are bound to the fates of willow trees. While there are elements of evil present in some stories, they are often presented as part of the natural order, making them even more mysterious and affecting.
Boasting an attractive, embossed slipcase and dazzling interior art, The Kwaidan Collection is a beautiful compendium of Japanese supernatural tales.
Reviewed by
Peter Dabbene
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
