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nadir's review against another edition
informative
mysterious
reflective
a surprisingly pleasant read! definitely enjoyed chambers' translation more than a couple others, and the introduction n footnotes helped put the stories (and the collection as a whole) in a new light without detracting or distracting from the stories themselves.
ps to anyone (read: my jp lit professor) going on about how these stories "aren't really horror or scary" - yeah they were never meant to be? x
ps to anyone (read: my jp lit professor) going on about how these stories "aren't really horror or scary" - yeah they were never meant to be? x
erickabdz's review against another edition
3.0
Long ago you may have dwelt, my lord, in jeweled splendor, but what good is that to you now?
Ah! This was a very demanding read. For me, I mean, I'm definitely not qualified enough to enjoy these stories; you learn a lot of Japanese history, and quite a bit of everything behind the translation, which is rather good if you're looking for that. Personally, I was only looking for creepy folk tales, and it became tedious to read all the annotations -which is a shame because they were good, just not for me. I'm actually rounding up because I really liked the translations and saw the effort behind them.
My favourite stories were The Chrysanthemum Vow and A Serpent's Lust. Some of them had a lot of history within them and took more time to go through, but overall they're a nice collection and especially interesting if you're into history or translation.
honnari_hannya's review against another edition
5.0
I love everything about this, including all the introductions that provided context for each story and what each element means. Particularly loved "A Serpent's Lust" and "The Reed-Choked House" out of all the stories.
chrysanthi_kiku's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
theesotericcamel's review against another edition
5.0
I’m guessing that this was an academic endeavour for Anthony H. Chambers, as each story was very thoroughly researched and annotated... As such, this is not your average collection of translated Japanese ghost stories. Although it does deliver on that account too. To be more precise, this book is a collection of stories written by Ueda Akinari, a popular Edo period writer. (This particular collection was originally published in 1776 to give you a perspective of age.) He would go on to influence almost all of the modern Japanese writers to follow, including the likes of Mishima, Tanazaki, and Kyouka...
It was also the inspiration for Mizoguchi’s masterpeice movie “Ugestu.” Being traditional Japanese ghost stories, you should know not expect jump scares or excessive gore. These are elegant and atmospheric. Very much poetry in prose form. And there is a deliberate reason behind this... As the translator, Anthony H. Chambers explains.
It is clear that it was a labour of love for the translator, Anthony H. Chambers. He begins the edition with a lengthy introduction explaining Akinari’s historical importance and subsequent influence. He then explains how the collection came about. You can skip this if you just want to get to the stories, but it does help to contextualise the work at hand. What becomes clear is that Akinari was also heavily influenced by Chinese and Japanese classical literature, and flaunts his literary knowledge throughout the stories. Each story is also introduced with a break down of the setting, characters, background, and affinities, that is other literary works that directly influenced the particular story. Each story is also annotated throughout with cultural explanations and modern place names. As well as information that would have been known to the reader of the time, but not by current ones. This may all sound daunting and dry, but I assure you, it is discreetly done as rather than getting in the way of the story, they serve to enhance understanding and appreciation of it! As someone who has lived in Japan for the past 11 years, I really appreciated all the cultural notes. And I could see echoes of Chamber’s observations throughout my subsequent travels in Japan! The translation of the stories themselves is elegant and engaging, making the stories easy to get into. There are definitely spooky moments to be had here!
I get the sense that this was some sort of academic project for Chamber’s university, and also a project he deeply cared about. So much work went into making Akinari accessible to western audiences. I think he was successful in his endeavour! I will definitele be hanging on to my copy for years to come!
It was also the inspiration for Mizoguchi’s masterpeice movie “Ugestu.” Being traditional Japanese ghost stories, you should know not expect jump scares or excessive gore. These are elegant and atmospheric. Very much poetry in prose form. And there is a deliberate reason behind this... As the translator, Anthony H. Chambers explains.
It is clear that it was a labour of love for the translator, Anthony H. Chambers. He begins the edition with a lengthy introduction explaining Akinari’s historical importance and subsequent influence. He then explains how the collection came about. You can skip this if you just want to get to the stories, but it does help to contextualise the work at hand. What becomes clear is that Akinari was also heavily influenced by Chinese and Japanese classical literature, and flaunts his literary knowledge throughout the stories. Each story is also introduced with a break down of the setting, characters, background, and affinities, that is other literary works that directly influenced the particular story. Each story is also annotated throughout with cultural explanations and modern place names. As well as information that would have been known to the reader of the time, but not by current ones. This may all sound daunting and dry, but I assure you, it is discreetly done as rather than getting in the way of the story, they serve to enhance understanding and appreciation of it! As someone who has lived in Japan for the past 11 years, I really appreciated all the cultural notes. And I could see echoes of Chamber’s observations throughout my subsequent travels in Japan! The translation of the stories themselves is elegant and engaging, making the stories easy to get into. There are definitely spooky moments to be had here!
I get the sense that this was some sort of academic project for Chamber’s university, and also a project he deeply cared about. So much work went into making Akinari accessible to western audiences. I think he was successful in his endeavour! I will definitele be hanging on to my copy for years to come!
stevenyenzer's review against another edition
3.0
There were a couple here I found interesting, but mostly these were kind of meh. I wish I had enjoyed them more.
scarletohhara's review against another edition
3.0
The stories in this book are all spooky, but with a folk background. The notes for each story make it easier to understand the context, the setting and background?
fantastiskfiktion's review against another edition
3.0
http://fantastiskfiktion.wordpress.com/2014/07/27/tales-of-moonlight-and-rain/