Out of the East - Lafcadio Hearn

. .

Résumé :
In 1889 Westerner PATRICK LAFCADIO HEARN (1850-1904)-bohemian, newspaper writer, restless traveler-arrived in Japan on a journalistic assignment, and he fell so in love with the nation and its people that he never left. This 1910 collection of essays Hearn, in his inimitable warmly intimate style, shares languid Japanese fairy tales, introduces us to his university students and their delightful writings on childhood, explores the Asian delicacy toward love and romance even in literature, and much more. Elegant and fascinating, Hearn's outsider's look at what was then and remains in many ways today a culture alien to Western minds is a classic of travel journalism and cultural study. _____________________________ ALSO FROM COSIMO Hearn's Kokoro: Hints and Echoes of Japanese Inner Life, Japan: An Attempt at Interpretation, and Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan

Biographie:
Lafcadio Hearn was born in the Greek Ionian Islands on June 27, 1850. When he was 6 years old, he moved from the Island of Leucos to Ireland and was raised by his Irish great-aunt until the age of 16. He was then sent to the US and began working as a journalist, first in Cincinnati and then in New Orleans. He also spent time translating French literature into English and soon developed his own writing style as well as his own interests in storytelling.In 1890, Hearn found his place in life when he traveled to Japan and became enchanted with Japanese culture, history, language, and folklore. His upbringing had been a lonely one, but he soon found his family when he fell in love with Setzu Koizumi and married her in 1891. Hearn became a Japanese citizen, took the name Yakumo Koizumi, and taught at the Imperial University for many years. He and his wife had four children, and it has been recorded that he was a loving father and family man.Lafcadio Hearn's works demonstrate sincere love and devotion for Japan. Most entertaining are his Japanese ghost stories, which give rich insight into the history, culture, and traditions of the Japanese people. These stories were not only widely translated but also adapted into film with the movie Kwaidan in 1964. He remained devoted to Japan until his passing in 1904 at the age of 54....

Sommaire:
After years of living in Greece, Ireland, France, England, the United States, and the French West Indies, 41-year-old Lafcadio Hearn (1850-1904) found a home in Meiji Japan, where he married, became a citizen, and took the name Koizumi Yakumo. As a teacher, writer, and correspondent, he was among the first to introduce the culture and literature of Japan to the West....