Whether portraying a ship-borne flight from a lover's curse, murder in the jungle or the remembered East of a repatriate's suburban home, they reveal Maugham as a shrewd and human judge of character and soul.Footprints in the JungleMabelP. & O.The Door of OpportunityThe Buried TalentBefore the PartyMr. Know-AllNeil MacAdamThe End of the FlightThe Force of Circumstance

    With a witty gentleness bordering on the eerie, Hearn describes in these pieces the song of the cricket, the spectral flight of dragon-flies, quotes the entomological haiku of classical Japan, and recalls Buddhist tales in which the souls of insects and men are never far one from the other.Contents"Of Insects and Children" by Anne-Sylvie Homassel"Forward" by Masanobu OtaniI. "Butterflies"II. "Mosquitoes"III. "Ants"IV. "Story of a Fly"V. "Fireflies"VI. "Dragon-flies"VII. "Sémi"VIII. "Insect-Musicians"IX. "Kusa-Hibari"X. "Some Poems about Insects"XI. "Insects and Greek Poetry"XII. "Some French Poetry about Insects"XIII. "Insect Politics"XIV. "Under the Electric Light"XV. "——! ——!! Mosquitoes!!!"XVI. "The Festive"XVII. "The Jewel Insect"XVIII. "Dr. Hava’s Tarantula"XIX. "Gaki"XX. "The Dream of Akinosuké""Acknowledgements"Born on the Greek island of Lefkada, Lafcadio Hearn (1850-1904) was brought up in both Ireland and England. At nineteen he emigrated to the United States where he became a journalist. After a sojourn in the French West Indies, he sailed for Japan in 1890. Hearn wrote extensively about his new homeland, its tales, customs, and religions, acting as a bridge between Japan and the Western world. He died in Tokyo where he is buried under his Japanese name, Koizumi Yakumo.