Reading: Kwaidan

I read the Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things for this week assignment.

I choose this book because I prefer the short story than the novel. I can read a lot different type of story in this book. Each story has their own concept statement. In the story of O-Tei, I see the couple finally stay with each other after a long journey. I understand the A blessing in disguise in the story Hoichi the Earless. There are many different kinds of story in this book. They are short but full of meaning and things we can learn from.

I didn't read a lot horror novel before this class. But I feel some different from this book and the last week reading. I don't have a lot of horrors or creepy feeling when I read these story. In the story of O-Tei, I feel it's a romantic story. The husband finds his true love after many difficulties. And in the Hoichi the Earless, It has some spirit elements in there, but still won't make me feel it's a horror story.

I can feel the difference between the western horror story and this book. The western horror story is more based on the dark, strange atmosphere. But I feel the story in this book is based on culture or what can people learn from these stories. I feel love, humanity in these stories, they just play by spirit or nonhuman characters. And I also feel the Japanese culture in these stories.

Some of the stories remind me of the fables. These stories teach people to be kind. Some of the character in the story they pay for what they did. Like the story "Jikininki" and the " rokurokubi ".

Because the stories are translated from old Japanese story. And some stories are told to him by someone else. These stories may be told to different people for several years. This is why these stories have a lot of Japanese culture element in there. And I think I've read some of the stories in this book. They've been told by several generations. Most of them have several version. These stories are not only present by text. They also present in artwork, musical or movie. Some of the characters in the story even appeared in many different stories. I think this is why I can feel a lot of Japanese culture in this book.

I like this book in general. Sometimes the short story or the short film inspired me more than that novel and movie. Although I've read some of the stories before, It still interesting read it again. Especially read it in English.