Of Ghosts and Goblins

Introducing Little Clothbound Classics: irresistible, mini editions of short works by the world's greatest writers, designed by the award-winning Coralie Bickford-Smith

A Penguin Classic Hardcover

In this haunting collection, the phantoms and ghouls of Japanese folklore stalk the page. Lafcadio Hearn, a master storyteller, drew on traditional Japanese folklore, infused with memories of his own haunted childhood in Ireland, to create these chilling tales. They are today regarded in Japan as classics in their own right.Lafcadio Hearn's (1850-1904) colorful life was matced by the range and variety of his output. Born on th eIonian island of Lefkada, he was abandoned by both his parents in succession, and spent his childhood in the guardanship of his great-aunt in Ireland and England. In 1869 he established himself as a journalist in the United States, first in Cincinnati and then in New Orleans, before moving to the French West Indies in 1887. He spent the last fourteen years of his life in Japan, and is now best remembered for his colleciton and translation of traditional Japanese ghost stories.