Monday, November 6, 2006 9:17:44 AM
Sasameyuki, Tanizaki Junichiro, Nagai Kafu, Bokutokitan
...
T and I went for a walk this afternoon. Well, sun-time, it felt like the afternoon, but by the daylight-saving enhanced clock, it was early evening. Just down the road, so to speak, to what I call Tokyo-Yokocho, a little slice of suburban Japan here in the mid-North Shore of Sydney. A Ramen restaurant, a Sushi restaurant, a Japanese TV Video/DVD movie rental outlet, two small Japanese groceries and Furuhonya, a second-hand Japanese bookshop. I was after Tanizaki Junichiro's
Sasameyuki (The Makioka Sisters), Kafu's
Bokutokitan (A Strange Tale from East of the River)and Miyabe Miyuki's
Kasha (All She was worth).I had read Sasameyuki in English translation, but for next year's research, I wanted to have at least passing familiarity with the original. And lo, it came to pass that the three volumes were on the shelf, tucked behind a front row of paperbacks. They had been around for an age, for which the propriter apologised, noticing the browned pages. At $3.80 a pop for each volume, the price was kindly reduced to just $3.00 each instead.
Kasha was there as well, so I snapped that up too, but sadly no Kafu.
For a purchase on a whim, I was very pleased - the appearance of Tanizaki's three volumes may not be attractive, but it is the content in this case for which the books were bought. Looks like Amazon for Kafu.
Saturday, November 4, 2006 1:45:22 PM
Japanese literature, Mishima Yukio, Yoshimoto Banana
I came across the Opera Community by chance. I had searched on Google for some information on a little-known (in English) writer by the name of Nagai Kafu. One of the results of my search was someone in the Opera Community by the name of Quentin S Crisp. Great blog, and I posted a comment about Nagai Kafu. A few days later Quentin had very kindly given me some quite detailed information. However, in the intervening time, it had become such that one had to be a
member of Opera to leave comments, so, in brief, I joined.
I have had previous blogging experience with bloggers/blogspot and thought I would give Opera some time, too.
Next year I hope to start a transformative experience that will culminate in the awarding of a PhD.In Japanese literature. While reading, researching, I thought I would, in some fashion, contribute to this blog, one that revolves around Japanese literature.
My entree into the world of Japanese literature was Mishima Yukio. I read him when I was just out of high school, in translation. The next milestone was Yoshimoto Banana. She actually
did write some very interesting novels in her early days.
I really like Yoshida Shuichi at the moment, and also Yahagi Toshihiko.
Each visit I make to Japan (which is quite often, as my partner is Japanese), I invariably end up in bookshops, killing an easy hour or two, and the trip to Japan ends with me at Narita lugging back more books in my carry on luggage and suitcase than most normal people would dream of. Well, "they would be impossible to obtain with ease in Australia", is my excuse to myself.
Just how many people out there (outside of Japan, that is), read Japanese literature for pleasure? In the original? In translation?
I am certain we are in the literary minority.
My Opera
