Lafcadio Hearn's Japan Book

Japan has always been a place short of dreamland for me. Everything about this country has always intrigued me so much. And it's so interesting to see it from a Westerner's eyes. I found out about Lafcadio Hearn through a non-fiction book about Asian stories written by Western writers, and I was quickly interested, because Hearn seems to fall hard for the country. I'd like to know how someone could fall that hard for a place. And so I purchased this book.

In truth, this book is a compilation of Lafcadio Hearn's past works—so technically it was written by him—but edited and prefaced by someone else (Donald Richie). Its publication feels more like a tribute to the late writer than anything else. The book is beautifully segmented into two big parts: the land and the people, in which each focuses only on either aspect of the country. They contain various stories that Hearn has heard or experienced while living in the Country of the Sun, which are quintessentially Japan, in which it contains various supernatural and cultural elements that will only make sense there.

Lafcadio's writing is very eloquent yet elaborate—with side notes to explain more about things that he's brought up—using the prosaic language of his time, which I personally find more beautiful than that of ours. He is very honest in his descriptions and opinions, sometimes being enchanted by the country, sometimes completely disillusioned by it. But it really shows how a Westerner can really see Japan, instead of what they want Japan to be. The only thing I don't particularly like is his spelling of Japanese words, which at times can look quite primitive—but understandable, since not many westerners of his time were probably familiar with the language. Personally, I find his works very interesting, because I've never read a recollection of Japan from the turn-of-the-century through a westerner's point-of-view.

Would highly recommend, if you want a culturally enriching yet significantly light read—especially if you're intrigued by Japan!