Concerning Lafcadio Hearn; With a Bibliography by Laura Stedman — Edition Insights

A Biographer's Unusual Frankness

Gould's preface declares that there are as many possible biographies of a man as there are biographers—and one more. He then asserts that Hearn's life is of value only because of the literature he created, and that a bibliography is essential. He warns that correcting untrue statements about Hearn would be a thankless labour, and that neither Hearn nor his friends were under any illusion as to his greatness. This directness is unusual for a biographical work of the period and suggests that Gould's purpose is not hagiography but the provision of material for future critical assessment.

Hearn's Prose in the Excerpts

The excerpts include two extended narratives: a parable of Solomon and the Water of Life, and a story of Esther and Rabbi Simon ben Yochai. Both are written in a highly stylized, archaic English with rhythmic phrasing and biblical cadences. For example, the Solomon passage uses phrases like 'the diamond dew of the heart, which is tears' and 'the black fingers of Azrael.' The Esther tale concludes with the Rabbi's benediction: 'May your hearts be welded by love, as gold with gold by the cunning of goldsmiths!' These passages illustrate the ornate, emotionally charged style that Gould elsewhere analyzes in his chapter on Hearn's style.

The Bibliography as a Structural Anchor

Laura Stedman's bibliography, which occupies a substantial portion of the book, is listed in the contents as beginning on page 247. The preface explicitly states that without a bibliography a biography would be useless, indicating that the bibliography is not an appendix but an integral part of the work. The excerpts also mention Hearn's compilation Gombo Zhèbes, a collection of 352 proverbs from the New Orleans period, showing that the bibliography likely documents such works. Readers interested in Hearn's output will find the bibliography a key resource for tracing his publications.

Gould's book is best approached as a source document rather than a conventional biography. Readers may wish to compare the critical preface with the literary excerpts to gauge the tension between Gould's assessment and Hearn's prose. The bibliography by Laura Stedman provides a factual foundation for further study, while the chapters on Hearn's style and periods offer contemporary critical perspectives.

There’s something touching in how Gould’s preface admits Hearn’s flaws while still championing his strange, luminous prose—wistful honesty, the kind that lingers. Reading it made me think of an old catalogue from the same era, the Selected List of Swan Sonnenschein & Co.'s Publications — Story, Setting & Ideas, which feels similarly caught between commerce and quiet aspiration, a shelf of forgotten books waiting for one gentle hand.