Status Updates From Japanese Gothic Tales

the afterword is actually so fire i’m taking notes

i finished all the short stories! very excited to read the afterword of explanation. kyoka’s stories are so sensual and alluring and shrouded in mystery. i was often left curious and a little confused— hope it’ll clear up some of that and provide context from his personal life like the introduction did!

i’m ngl i’m confused

The Holy Man of Mount Kōya is by far my favorite story so far, albeit only the second one. themes of lust, temptation, religion, and devotion!! 10/10. it contains all the elements of what makes me love japanese folktales and horror so much. Kyōka's writing isn't necessarily horrific but conquers themes often explored in horror with elements of horror (ie witches).

the copy i downloaded was corrupted so i had to buy a physical copy from ebay (the first story was just that good). more on that later... gonna reread The Surgery Room to further digest it

this is the perfect intersection of my favorite things: gothic and japanese literature. so far, the introduction is providing very very interesting cultural context for the meiji era and Kyoka's history-- so hyped!!!