Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things by Lafcadio Hearn My rating: 4 out of 5 stars For the weekly topic of J-horror, I read two short stories from Lafcadio Hearn's Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things – The Story of Mimi-Hashi-Hoichi and Diplomacy. The Story of Mimi-Hashi-Hoichi follows the tale of Hoichi, a blind struggling musician who is invited to live at the Buddhist temple, Amidaji, by his friend, the Priest. Amidaji was built on the grounds of Akamagaseki, the death place of the Heike who fought against another ruling clan by the name of Genji. The whole clan perished, all the children, women, warriors and even their emperor. The warriors would haunt the shores of Akamagaseki, sinking ships and drowning swimmers. The temple was built as a way to appease the spirits along with the creation of a cemetery that housed tombstones with every warrior's name.
0 Comments
Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars The Vampire Academy follows Rose Hathaway and Lissa Dragomir who are seniors at St. Vladimir's Academy, a boarding school used to educate both Moroi and Dhampirs, who are each segregated into different dorms and classes. Rose must protect Lissa from forces who mean her harm, while also trying to navigate through the drama of high school. Having run away from campus two years prior, Lissa and Rose are captured and returned to St. Vladimir's Academy, to continue their studies. Trying to cautiously fall back into a routine, Lissa continues focusing on mastering her "element" as well as academic studies. Rose goes back to her guardian training as she tries to catch up with the rest of the novices. When I think of horror, I think of something that has the ability to scare me beyond any sense of comfort. When I watch a horror flick or read a horror novel, I expect certain elements. These elements include: gore, suspense, dark and ominous settings, murder, supernatural elements (i.e. ghosts, monsters, demons, vampires, etc.), basement, haunted houses or buildings, atmosphere.
|