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Any suggestion for Japanese Literature?


rhapsodysiscaa

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I'm interested in Japanese literature lately. I've been reading Murakami the whole time but now I want to explore more on other Japanese writers, in any era. Any suggestion for Japanese literature books/novels that are already translated to English? So far I know that Natsume Soseki and Akutagawa Ryuunosuke are well-known Japanese writers.

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There's tons of good stuff. If you're stuck for reading, you can't go wrong with these:

 

Sound of Waves by Yukio Mishima

Black Rain by Masuji Ibuse

Thousand Cranes by Yasunari Kawubata

Wild Geese by Ogai Mori

A Dark Night's Passing by Naoya Shiga

The Confessions of Lady Nijo (by Nijo)

The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu

Edited by Blackcurrant
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It's wonderful -- a contemporary account of early Japanese court life (11th C) and the art of seduction, from the hand of a lady-in-waiting.

There are several translations, each giving a very different feel, and in some cases a very different interpretation.However, many prefer the more lyrical Waley translation, which takes some liberties but is a beautiful read.  If you like your books, Everyman (Hbk) has nice creamy pages and binding. The translation is by Seidensticker, who is in some ways more accurate than Waley but less lyrical.

Note: It's over a thousand pages and therefore has considerable heft -- roughly 2x Murakami's Wind Up Bird 

 :) Happy reading!

Genji.jpg

Edited by Blackcurrant
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