Japanese Gothic Tales

Kyaoka Izumi is compared in the introduction to this book with the author Edgar Allen Poe and while the comparison is not an exact fit, it is fair to draw comparisons.
For people new to Japanese gothic writing, be prepared for a cultural shock. The translation of these short stories, while faithful, forces the western reader to constantly redraw the imaginary locations in which the stories are set. Your mind will merrily build an image of a small settlement on a beautiful hillside, to have it torn down psychologically because of some reference to a Japanese building or place that requires you to remember where you are. The tales are generally quite short, very easy to read and the use of 'Japanese' terminology is kept to a minimum, making progress through the stories highly enjoyable for the average Gaijin.
The author, much like Japanese film writers, does not dwell on happy endings or moralistic endings and sometimes I felt the stories ended too soon. A desire to know what happened after the ending is common to all the stories in this book.
Having said that, the book is an excellent glimpse into the Japanese psyche even for today, with a mix of ancient mysticism, folk tales and a glimpse of modern, turn of the last century Japan, all blended wonderfully together.
The stories themselves are of a similar nature. The commentary in the stories is provided by a male character, typically a traveler either through life or in the more physical sense and the central figure is a female, be it a witch, a temptress or a diamond in the rough.
This book comes highly recommended. The hardback edition comes with 3 stories and is in total approximately 200 pages long.

Real Japan, Real Fear, Really Good (2/2 people found this helpful)

Kyoka's tales define Japanese Gothic: masterpieces of Japanese Ghost Stories and, at the same time, short stories about love which exceeds death's boundries. "The Surgery Room" is a vivid tale of a surgeon torn between saving his patient's life or letting her die with her secrets. In "Osen and Sokichi" a boy finds salvation in a prostitute only to learn later the terrible price of sacrifice. "One Day in Spring" chronicles the passion between two loves: one which transcends time and threatens to literally trap others in the flowing lines of their poetry. Finally, in "The Holy Man of Mt. Koya"--the best story--we learn of a mountain seductress who tempts a monk to forsake his vows and, possibly, his humanity. Unlike Banana Yoshimoto and other modern writers who can only write about their boredom with life, Kyoka gives us a compelling description of the Japanese and their culture: what they love to fear.

Japanese Gothic Tales

Izumi Kyoka

Reader Reviews:

wonderful (1/2 people found this helpful)

Real Japan, Real Fear, Really Good (2/2 people found this helpful)

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