Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
A biographical and critical study of the great American interpreter of Japanese literature, life and culture. ... Read more

Product Description
Originally published in 1918.This volume from the Cornell University Library's print collections was scanned on an APT BookScan and converted to JPG 2000 format by Kirtas Technologies.All titles scanned cover to cover and pages may include marks notations and other marginalia present in the original volume. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
Originally published in 1890.This volume from the Cornell University Library's print collections was scanned on an APT BookScan and converted to JPG 2000 format by Kirtas Technologies.All titles scanned cover to cover and pages may include marks notations and other marginalia present in the original volume. ... Read more

Product Description
Foreword years ago. But the attempt was premature, for, despite his letters and his wifes conscientious reminiscences, the picture of his Japanese home life would not come clear until his eldest son chose to speak. Seven years ago, after Kafcuo Koizumis Father and I had supplied this last large segment of needed information without a definitive biography sub sequently appearing, I again set to work. Four drafts were required to reduce the manuscript to an appropriate length and yet include all relevant material. The third revision was completed before the epoch of Pearl Harbor, and though the manuscript received its final polishing while we were at war with Japan, that coincidence resulted in no shifted accents in my treatment of Hearns Japanese period. A few newly pertinent phrases were added, but otherwise the material re mains as it was in the previous drafts. Concerning my treat ment of the entire body of material, I should like to say that this book is offered as biography in its fundamental sense the history of a life and I have therefore confined myself as closely as possible to an objective recital. Original research and investigation have enabled me to correct a number of errors and to make, I trust, certain specific contributions toward a better knowledge of Hearn and his history. The greater part of my material, however, has been drawn from Hearns own words his letters, journalistic and periodical writings, and his books. Yet I should be most remiss if I did not acknowledge my in debtedness to the earlier work of those who rescued and pub lished valuable material without which this book could not have been written. I have obtained most of my information concerning Hearns paternal family, his mother, and his schooling from Lafcadio Hearn by Nina H. Kennard, his early English biographer, whose diligence also resulted in the preservation of his journalistic writings while in Japan. Elisabeth Bisland, Hearns staunch friend and first biographer, collected and edited three volumes of his finest and most informative let ters, and in the biographical section of The Life and Letters viii Foreword of Lafcadio Hearn she included autobiographical sketches which throw a revealing light on Hearns childhood. In 4 Letters from the Raven Milton Bronner presented a number of notes and letters Hearn wrote during his Cincinnati period and Oscar Lewis, in his Hearn and His Biographers as sembled the recorded evidence of Hearns Cincinnati relation ship with Alethea Foley. Albert Mordell, collecting Hearns American journalistic and periodical writings, likewise pre sented valuable Cincinnati data in the introductions to his 4 An American Miscellany and Occidental Gleanings In 4 Lafcadio Hearns American Days Edward Larocque Tinker furnished important facts dealing with Hearns life in New Orleans and his later winter in New York. Setsuko Koizumi s 4 Reminiscences of Lafcadio Hearn and Kazuo Koizumis Father and I gave me most of the information Hearns let ters did not supply concerning his Japanese home life and family. During the past forty years, in America and abroad, many others have collected Hearns fragmentary writings and have published letters and reminiscences. I have also examined a mass of periodical and journalistic material built up through the years and I have been grateful for any bits of information I used from these sources. While biographical treatment of Lafcadio Hearn has been, to repeat, necessarily slow and dif ficult, it has been effected by the labours of many faithful participants. As to the personal assistance I have received during the course of my work, it is a deeply felt honour to acknowledge my greatest indebtedness in the dedication of this book... ... Read more

Product Description
Lafcadio Hearn was a prolific 19th-century writer with diverse experiences. He was born in Greece; educated in Ireland, France, and England; and thereafter resided in the United States, the French West Indies, and Japan. He is best known for his nonfiction, primarily his essays and newspaper columns, though he also wrote numerous stories that drew on the lore of different cultures. But he will always be remembered as the American writer who first wrote extensively about Japan and made Asiatic culture accessible to British and American readers. This reference is a comprehensive guide to Hearn's life and career. The volume includes several hundred alphabetically arranged entries for his writings, family members, and colleagues. Many of the entries cite works for further reading, and the volume also includes a bibliography. ... Read more

Product Description
Publisher: New York Brentano'sPublication date: 1900Notes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be numerous typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. ... Read more

Product Description
One of Hearn's last books, this substantial volume is a highly readable history of Shinto in Japan, and its interaction with Buddhism and Christianity; highly recommended for outsiders who want to understand the Japanese sprit and culture. (Quote from sacred-texts.com)

About the Author

Patrick Lafcadio Hearn (1850 - 1904)
Lafcadio Hearn was born in Lefkas, Greece. He was a son of an army doctor Charles Hearn from Ireland and a Greek woman Rosa Cassimati.

After making remarkable works in America as a journalist, he went to Japan in 1890 as a journey report writer of a magazine. But as soon as he arrived in Yokohama, he quit the job because of a dissatisfaction with the contract.

After that, he moved to Matsué as an English teacher of Shimané Prefectural Middle School. In Matsué, he got acquainted with his lifelong friend Nishida Sentarô, a colleague teacher, and married Koizumi Setsu, a daughter of a samurai.

In 1891, he moved to Kumamoto and had taught at the Fifth High School for 3 years. Kanô Jigorô, the president of the School of that time, is known as the man who spread judo to the world.

In 1896, when he lived in Kôbé after he worked as a journalist there, he got Japanese citizenship and a new name, Koizumi Yakumo. This name was taken from "Kojiki", a Japanese ancient myth.

On that year, he moved to Tôkyô and began to teach at the Imperial University of Tôkyô. There he got respect of students and many of them made a remarkable literary career.

In addition, he wrote much reports of Japan and published in America. His works was read by so many people as an introduction of Japan.

He quit the Imperial University in 1903 and began to teach at Waseda Univ ... Read more

Product Description
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Dragonflies, Samurai ghosts and Buddhist rituals
Like all of Lafcadio Hearn's writings, "A Japanese Miscellany" is full of wandering musings, thoughts and observations of Japan freshly under the Meiji Restoration, when hints of old Japan could still be seen in the life of the people.All of the stories are fairly short, and reflect Hearn's love of folk magic, ghosts and moonlight themes.

The book is broken into three section.Strange Stories are all short fiction ghost tales.Folklore Gleanings is made up of scientific observations and reports, and Studies Here and There collects some interesting non-fiction tales of death and Buddhist rites.

Strange Stories - "Of a Promise Kept" is a honest, honorable Samurai ghost story."Of a Promise Broken" is the opposite, an eerie tale of Samurai dishonor."Before the Supreme Court," "The Story of Kogi the Priest" and "The Story of Kwashin Koji" are Buddhist folk tales full or morality and magic."The Story of Umetsu Chubei" is a Samurai tale of heritage and strength.

Folklore Gleanings - "Dragon Flies" is an in-depth article on Dragon Flies, including drawings, myths and a collection of translated haikus.It is one of the longer pieces in the book."Buddhist Names of Plants and Animals" is just that, showing the Buddhist origins of the names of several species."Songs of Japanese Children" is also self-explanatory and is the longest article.

Studies Here and There - "On a Bridge" is a short bit of non-fiction about Samurai and peasants."The Case of O-Dai" is a sad tale of early Christian missionaries, and their lack of respect for the native culture leading to one woman's destruction."Beside the Sea" tells of a Buddhist ocean ritual for drowned sailors."Drifting" is the story of a typhoon, and a brush with death."Otokichi's Daruma" talks about the Daruma, a tiny Buddhist god of luck. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

Japan through an old window.
I must admit that this review is tainted with bias.I read this book after staying in Izumo and Matsue on a week long trip to visit a good friend.In Matsue, Lafcadio is probably the most honored celebrity to have ever resided in the city.Statues, posters, honorary names of places abound with his image.I toured the house he lived in and describes in the book, and I became curious about this man I knew only in name.

So a week later I bought this book.It is a collection of his writings from 1891 and his first days in Japan to when he left Matsue just a few years later.The stories range from his personal favorite of telling ghost stories and fables of old, to his traveling adventures, which usually involve temples and festivals.Some stories are really edifying (especially when I had been to places he described), but I must admit that many times my attention was stretched thin and I grew bored.

Many moments in the book are enlightening and offer a glimpse of Japan and offer insights into the culture, but now after spending over a year here, I have to admit that most of these insights are a part of the past.Most of what is written is no longer around.Maybe it is because@I spend my time in Tokyo, but I feel somehow disconnected to the tales of festivals and people that filled Lafcadio's life over a hundred years ago.

But that is to be expected I guess.The true complaint I have is that after a few temples and shrines, every place seems the same in its confusing description, and it gets, if not redundant, old.The use of the Japanese language will prove confusing for people who have not studied the language.Even I, who is still slowly but surely learning, was stopped occasionally at a word thrown here and there.Also Lafcadio really does have a love for Japan.Sometimes it is easy to see why.Yet even though he never brings himself to admit it, he will often defend Japan at the expense of all things western.(The most foreboding was where he praises the loyalty of the common Japanese for their Emperor and how wonderful it is.Something that just 50 years later would be exploited and manipulated to horrific degrees.)

This is what half of the book is like.Other times there will be captivating stories that transcend time and bias and are completely absorbing.Lafcadio's prose are fluid and natural and I must admit make me jealous that I lack any such writing skill.It is captivating for exactly what the title says.It offers a glimpse into Japan that frankly does not exist anymore, at least that I know of. ... Read more

Product Description
Notes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be numerous typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an OCR edition without illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from GeneralBooksClub.com. You can also preview excerpts from the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Original Published by: Little, Brown, and company in 1905 in 301 pages; Subjects: Cicada (Genus); Names, Personal; Japanese poetry; Cicada; Ghost stories, Japanese; English poetry; Cicada; Names, Personal/ Japanese; Japanese poetry/ Translations into English; Japanese; Translations into English; Philosophy / Eastern; Science / Life Sciences / Zoology / Entomology; Language Arts & Disciplines / Etymology; Fiction / Short Stories; Poetry / Asian; Family & Relationships / Baby Names; Fiction / Short Stories; Language Arts & Disciplines / Etymology; Literary Criticism / Asian / General; Philosophy / Eastern; Poetry / Asian; ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Japanese mythology and culture
Florid fin-de-siecle Nipponophile rhapsodizes on Japanese mythology and culture. From ghost tales to cicadas' song ("semi no koe") to an exploration of the 'yobina' (Japanese women's names), Hearn gives an empassioned, lyrical perspective on it all.Originally published in 1898.Lots of fun to read. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
Lafcadio Hearn was a writer particularly gifted at translating a foreign aesthetic for a Western audience. Hearn's writing is always lyrical and passionate, and in this collection of essays and tales-not all of which are on subjects Japanese, unlike his most popular works-we see also his most refined workmanship and most intellectual discourse. Whether an extrapolation on Goblin Poetry, a discussion of the existential question, a passionate retelling of a mythic tale, or an illustration of Japan's social philosophy, the pieces herein form a portrait of a man who is taking us somewhere fantastic, but making us feel at home all the way.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). ... Read more

Product Description
This is an OCR edition without illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from GeneralBooksClub.com. You can also preview excerpts from the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Original Published by: Dodd, Mead and Company in 1920 in 282 pages; Subjects: Language Arts & Disciplines / Authorship; Literary Criticism / European / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh; ... Read more

Product Description
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

cooking cajun
I gave this book to my boyfriend who loves to cook cajun foods.He loves the descriptions with all the recipes and said it is like reading history and reliving it through food. ... Read more

Product Description
Perhaps no westerner has been held in greater esteem by the Japanese than Lafcadio Hearn who, in 1890, penniless and half-blind came to Matsue, a remote town on the northwest coast of Honshu. There, in the fading twilight of feudal Japan, he was able to interpret for the Western world - from a Japanese point of view and as no one had done before - the forces that had moulded the soul of this unknown people. In his "Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan" and in the dozen or so books that followed, he recorded the minutiae of life in the ancient Izumo province. This selection by Francis King gathers together the finest essays on the customs, lore and scenes of Japanese life from the individually uneven, and now largely neglected, published works of Hearn. ... Read more

Product Description
A young boy's obsession with drawing cats changes his life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great Asian Fairy Tale
We enjoyed the story and the pictures.Inspired some of the best pictures my daughter ever drew. ... Read more