ROMANCE

Lafcadio Hearn's The Faceless Ghost: And Other Macabre Tales from Japan

by Sean Michael Wilson
Michiru Morikawa (illus.). Shambhala. 2015. 140p. ISBN 9781611801972. $16.95. MYS
COPY ISBN
Townsfolk anxiously awaiting the appearance of an executed criminal's vengeful ghost, a luminous and deadly white woman who swears a young man to secrecy, and the angry spirit of a samurai are but a few of the apparitions that appear in this collection of ancient and traditional Japanese ghost and mystery stories. Some pieces are creepily bizarre, others feel more like parables with lessons that lay just out of reach. Author Wilson presents the material with a mix of narration and immediate action, keeping a seemingly authentic tone that's let down a little by Morikawa's sketchy illustrations that, while easy to follow, fail to create any sort of mood or atmosphere to match the unfolding events.
VERDICT The stories are compelling for both their odd content and historical value, but readers looking for real chills will ultimately be disappointed by a volume that often comes off as sadly haphazard.
Reviewed by Thomas L. Batten, Grafton, VA , Jan 29, 2016
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