Book excerpt: A haunting collection of Japanese folktales, translated and interpreted by the acclaimed Irish-Greek author and Japanophile. In 1904, Lafcadio Hearn introduced Western readers to the world of Japanese folklore with his collection of ghost stories, Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things. His hauntingly lyrical and complex translations, in which he often put his own twist on the traditional tale, are now regarded as preeminent classics in Japan. This volume presents seventeen of Hearn’s unforgettable stories. A blind performer plays for an audience of ghosts. A maiden reincarnates to search for her beloved. A nurse offers the ultimate sacrifice for her young charge. And a group of rokurokubi plot to end the life of a noble samurai. Whether you’re in the mood for phantoms, demons, ghouls, or ghosts, these otherworldly tales will haunt you long after you’ve finished reading.