Strange Tales
Tags
Summary
Editor's review
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Literary readers who enjoy tales of the strange and folk legend
- Those interested in Japanese culture, folklore, and classical literature
- Readers who prefer short pieces and slow reading in spare moments
- Writers who want to understand the aesthetics of Eastern narrative
Not a good fit for
- Readers seeking intense horror thrills and bloody plots
- Those hoping for rigorous historical scholarship or academic annotation
- Readers who prefer long continuous plots and dislike the rhythm of short pieces
Reading tips
- Read two or three tales at a time and leave room to savor them; there is no need to finish in one sitting.
- Note the differences among the old source texts and observe how the retelling and adaptation vary in style.
- Read alongside background material on Japanese folklore to better understand the beliefs and ideas in the tales.
About the publisher
Tianjin People's Publishing House publishes across such fields as classic works, foreign literature, architecture, social culture and social sciences, with 749 relevant titles in the collection. In the areas of classics and scholarship, works such as Wang Guowei's Renjian Cihua and Fei Xiaotong's From the Soil and Fertility and Reproduction reflect a sustained attention to social culture and classic texts of thought. Architectural books are represented by Liang Sicheng's Annotated Yingzao Fashi and A History of Chinese Architecture, showing an emphasis on architectural heritage and building traditions. In foreign literature, translations of Sholokhov's And Quiet Flows the Don and Tolstoy's War and Peace and The Death of Ivan Ilyich, through the work of translators such as Li Gang and Yu Dawei, form a substantial series of translated works. Overall, the press combines classic texts, scholarly works and fine translations, with a publishing character oriented toward humanistic depth and the dissemination of knowledge.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 第一章 怪谈之旅
- 磨小豆桥
- 买麦芽糖稀的女子
- 弃子的故事
- 鸟取棉被的故事
- 亡魂归来
- 幽灵瀑布的传说
- 菊花之约
- 第二章 仙境中的妖精
- 不老泉
- 穿武士服的小人
- 丢失饭团的老奶奶
- 画猫少年
- 蜘蛛精
- 第三章 轮回的故事
- 阿贞的故事
- 十六樱
- 乳母樱
- 苍蝇的故事
- 雉鸡的故事
- 阿龟的故事
- 傻儿阿力
- 梅津忠兵卫的故事
- 胜五郎的轮回故事
- 镜与钟
- 僧人兴义的故事
- 安艺之介的梦
- 第四章 妖怪和鬼魂
- 貉
- 茶碗之中
- 常识
- 生灵
- 死灵
- 辘轳首
- 果心居士的故事
- 无耳芳一
- 第五章 女人和男人的恐怖故事
- 鸳鸯
- 雪女
- 青柳的故事
- 和解
- 因果故事
- 毁约
- 长袖和服的传说
- 屏风少女
- 镜之少女
- 忠五郎的故事
- 第六章 妖怪之歌
- 一 狐火
- 二 离魂症
- 三 大蟾蜍
- 四 海市蜃楼
- 五 辘轳首
- 六 雪女
- 七 船幽灵
- 八 平家蟹
- 九 家鸣
- 十 逆柱
- 十一 地藏菩萨精
- 十二 海坊主
- 十三 揭符幽灵
- 十四 山茶老怪
- 后记 梦里不知身是客怪论奇谈入梦来
FAQ
Are these stories original or adapted from old texts?
Is it very frightening to read?
Can I understand it without knowing classical Japanese literature?
Comments
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About the author
Koizumi Yakumo (1850–1904), born Lafcadio Hearn on the Greek island of Lefkada to an Irish family, became a naturalized Japanese citizen in 1895. He taught English literature at the Imperial University of Tokyo and devoted himself to introducing Japanese culture and folklore to the West, and is regarded as the founder of modern Japanese ghost-story literature. Drawing on Japanese folk tales and religious culture, his writing combines an outsider's curiosity with delicate literary imagination. His Kwaidan series remains a central text of the genre, while essays such as Japan: An Attempt at Interpretation offer his observations on Japanese society and belief.
Public information about Chang Xiaohong is currently limited: his nationality, dates of birth and death, and educational background are not clearly documented. Based on the available bibliographic data, he can be confirmed as a Chinese-language book author with one title in the catalog, Guaitan (Strange Tales). Classified under foreign literature, the book suggests an engagement with the compilation, translation, or adaptation of foreign tales of the strange and supernatural. Judging from the existing information, Chang's writing appears to focus on the genre of the weird and the eerie, which typically presents short, interconnected stories that build suspense, uncanny atmospheres, and supernatural elements, and which enjoys a steady readership in popular literature. Because biographical and self-authored materials about the author are scarce, a full assessment of his overall style and literary influence remains difficult; readers may turn to Guaitan to grasp his taste in subject matter and narrative orientation. Further public information would help fill in his life and creative trajectory.
