Lafcadio Hearn 
Kokoro (Barnes & Noble Digital Library) 
Hints and Echoes of Japanese Inner Life

Kokoro, meaning ‘heart, ‘ ‘spirit, ‘ and “way of being” is a fitting title for this 1896 collection, for these fifteen essays focus on the interior life of Japan and its people.  Hearn’s insights into Japan’s soul are unmatched by any Westerner, and his portraits of individual Japanese are as profound as his long essays on the civilization.

A propos de l’auteur

Patrick Lafcadio Hearn (1850-1904), also known as Koizumi Yakumo, was born in Greece, raised in Ireland, spent years in America, and finally became a citizen of Japan.  A journalist and translator, he played a major role in introducing Japanese culture to the West.  His translations of Japanese fairy tales and ghost stories were especially influential.