HEARN, Lafcadio "Shadowings" [Little, Brown, and Company, 1900]

HEARN, Lafcadio. Shadowings.

Boston: Little, Brown, and Company, 1900. First edition. 7.75” x 5.25”, 268pp + 4 ads, with 5 illustrated plates of insects. Publisher’s decorative blue cloth, stamped in gilt and dark blue with a lotus design to front board and spine. Light rubbing and wear to extremities. Front hinge starting to form a one inch crack. Text block clean and sound. Very Good.

A later collection by Hearn blending supernatural tales, essays, and reflections drawn from his years in Japan, including “Stories from Strange Books,” “Japanese Studies,” and a series of fantastical sketches. The inclusion of five insect plates reflects Hearn’s close attention to the natural world and its symbolic resonance within Japanese culture, particularly in pieces such as “Mimi-Nashi-Hōichi” and other atmospheric writings where sound, seasonality, and ephemeral life are central themes.