Books and Habits, from the Lectures of Lafcadio Hearn

Gathered from Hearn’s lectures at the University of Tokyo at the turn of the twentieth century, this volume offers a rare window into a Western mind trying to make sense of the East. He does more than catalogue Western literature; he turns the familiar into the foreign, inviting Japanese students—and now listeners—to see their own traditions through an outsider’s eyes.

With characteristic wit, Hearn unpacks the puzzling aspects of Western civilization, especially the way love between spouses is prized above parental bonds. His observations on gender, etiquette and everyday customs are presented as vivid anecdotes that make the ordinary feel strangely exotic, prompting a fresh awareness of habits we usually take for granted.

Three chapters appear here for the first time, drawn directly from his student notes, and they showcase his talent for turning simple observations into profound cultural commentary. As you listen, you’ll be encouraged to look at your own world with the same alert curiosity that Hearn inspired in his Tokyo audience.