This collection of short stories, including many new translations, is the first to span the whole of Japan's modern era from the end of the nineteenth century to the present day. Beginning with the first writings to assimilate and rework Western literary traditions, through the flourishing of the short story genre in the cosmopolitan atmosphere of the Taisho era, to the new breed of writers produced under the constraints of literary censorship, and the current writings reflecting the pitfalls and paradoxes of modern life, this anthology offers a stimulating survey of the development of the Japanese short story. Various indigenous traditions, in addition to those drawn from the West, recur throughout the stories: stories of the self, of the Water Trade (Tokyo's nightlife of geishas and prostitutes), of social comment, love and obsession, legends and fairytales. This collection includes the work of two Nobel prize-winners: Kawabata and Oe, the talented women writers Hirabayashi, Euchi, Okamoto, and Hayashi, together with the acclaimed Tanizaki, Mishima, and Murakami. The introduction by Theodore Goossen gives insight into these exotic and enigmatic, sometimes disturbing stories, derived from the lyrical roots of Japanese literature with its distinctive stress on atmosphere and beauty.
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About the Author
Theodore Goossen is Professor of Japanese at York University, Ontario. A talented translator, he is well-acquainted with the contemporary Japanese literary scene, and editor of Descant, a Japanese literary journal.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By Boston
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Good book, I have read the first dozen or so stories and must say that if you are not used to Japanese fiction you may find, the early stories at least, are quite differently written than western ones. It will be an alternate way to view themes from Japanese history.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By J. Cooper
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Paperback
Japanese literature, it's not something I would ever have dreamed of reading. Yet a couple of weeks ago, I happened to walk past this book in Waterstones, it caught my eye, I decided to buy it and have never looked back since.
I am a complete novice to this genre and was totally unsure of what to expect. The book, which is in fact an anthology, contains dozens of short stories written by some of Japan's leading authors from the latter part of the nineteenth century up to and including the twentieth century. A period (according to the book) in which Japanese literature evolved completely.
The stories within the book cover almost every aspect of human (and in one case - non-human!) life. Some you will love more than others. Certain stories will grab your attention and their shortness is a curse, whereas others may repulse and their shortness is a blessing. The stories are varied and give a fabulous insight into the often mysterious and bizarre Japanese culture and psyche.
The book is compellingly fascinating and will have you turning the pages late into the night. As the book is an anthology, you have the added option of skipping to the next story if the one you are reading is not for you. Japanese literature is beautifully written and relies heavily on description and the bodily sensations. The stories are wonderfully constructed and narrated in ways that are in complete contrast to Western literature. Even when translated, these stories ooze all things Japanese!
If you are a complete beginner to Japanese literature, then I thoroughly recommend this book. It gave me countless hours of literary pleasure and a list of authors whose works I intend to purchase.
A break from the norm but completely enjoyable.
I am a complete novice to this genre and was totally unsure of what to expect. The book, which is in fact an anthology, contains dozens of short stories written by some of Japan's leading authors from the latter part of the nineteenth century up to and including the twentieth century. A period (according to the book) in which Japanese literature evolved completely.
The stories within the book cover almost every aspect of human (and in one case - non-human!) life. Some you will love more than others. Certain stories will grab your attention and their shortness is a curse, whereas others may repulse and their shortness is a blessing. The stories are varied and give a fabulous insight into the often mysterious and bizarre Japanese culture and psyche.
The book is compellingly fascinating and will have you turning the pages late into the night. As the book is an anthology, you have the added option of skipping to the next story if the one you are reading is not for you. Japanese literature is beautifully written and relies heavily on description and the bodily sensations. The stories are wonderfully constructed and narrated in ways that are in complete contrast to Western literature. Even when translated, these stories ooze all things Japanese!
If you are a complete beginner to Japanese literature, then I thoroughly recommend this book. It gave me countless hours of literary pleasure and a list of authors whose works I intend to purchase.
A break from the norm but completely enjoyable.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By El Stevo
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I was searching for a short while for some Japanese stories and instead of going for a single work of fiction I instead decided to have a read of this collection of short stories in order to encounter short tales written in different styles. It was also good that these tales are all from different time periods, starting from the end of the 19th century up to the present day. I discovered there were beautiful, vivid stories that invoked such glorious imagery, whether the character be in the bustling city or trudging along the misty mountain ridges. The descriptive quality was outstanding in many of these tales. I thought the style might take a while to get used to but after a couple of pages I was truly entranced and found it difficult to take this book slowly as I was always eager to move on to a fresh story! There are also some very bizarre tales in this book that reflect a different side of Japanese culture, that of the truly weird and wonderful. There are stories that you will love, others that you will like and others that are almost too odd for words! It is a refreshing and delightful book, one that I look forward to delving into again to discover any enchanting parts I may have missed the first time around.
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