Coincidentally, two newspapers printed stories about Japanese authors yesterday. One gives direct access to the thoughts of Haruki Murakami [edit: sadly, the Mainichi has removed this interview from their website], the other features a Donald Richie review of a book that promises insight into the mind of Natsume Soseki. I have read a number of books by both gentlemen, which added to my enjoyment of the articles.
If you have never read Murakami, I would recommend starting with Dance, Dance, Dance because it showcases his strengths as a writer who combines humour with appeals to the heart and the head. While The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle remains my favourite for its fearless look at Japanese society, Dance, Dance, Dance will help familiarize you with his style. I'm looking forward to the English translation of 1Q84 since it promises to be more ambitious than After Dark.
Natsume Soseki is best known in the west for Botchan, I Am a Cat, and Kokoro. I have read all three, and recommend Botchan as the best starting point. It is a comic portrayal of a reluctant teacher who has left his beloved Tokyo to take a position in what he sees as a backwater on the isle of Shikoku. Another interesting read is 10 Nights of Dreams. Japanese students can read the bilingual text in Giles Murray’s Breaking into Japanese Literature, and hopefully gain the courage to tackle the rest of the book in Japanese. I am only an intermediate student myself, but found the stories manageable.
If you have never read Murakami, I would recommend starting with Dance, Dance, Dance because it showcases his strengths as a writer who combines humour with appeals to the heart and the head. While The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle remains my favourite for its fearless look at Japanese society, Dance, Dance, Dance will help familiarize you with his style. I'm looking forward to the English translation of 1Q84 since it promises to be more ambitious than After Dark.
Natsume Soseki is best known in the west for Botchan, I Am a Cat, and Kokoro. I have read all three, and recommend Botchan as the best starting point. It is a comic portrayal of a reluctant teacher who has left his beloved Tokyo to take a position in what he sees as a backwater on the isle of Shikoku. Another interesting read is 10 Nights of Dreams. Japanese students can read the bilingual text in Giles Murray’s Breaking into Japanese Literature, and hopefully gain the courage to tackle the rest of the book in Japanese. I am only an intermediate student myself, but found the stories manageable.
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