Tales of Moonlight and Rain

Tales of Moonlight and Rain alludes to the belief that mysterious beings appear on cloudy, rainy nights and in mornings with the lingering moon. In "Shiramine," the vengeful ghost of the former emperor Sutoku reassumes the role of king; in "The Chrysanthemum Vow," a faithful revenant fulfills a promise; "The Kibitsu Cauldron" tells a tale of spirit possession; and in "The Carp of My Dreams," a man straddles the boundaries between the waking world and dream. Akinari's masterful combination of phrases from Japanese classics with creatures from Chinese and Japanese fiction and lore lend the collection its eerie beauty. This translation skillfully maintains the allure and complexity of Akinari's original prose.