PLZ reccomend a book.

[Duo]

Hi everyone,

Is there a book you love, one that you think is just incredible and would be a good read, then please reccomend one to your fellow memebers :-)

I'll start things off with a couple of books I really like.

Firstly, for all of you Japan interested and captivated people, if you want to know more about Japan through the eyes of a Westerner, then I reccomend that you read the book Hokaido Highway Blues by Will Ferguson.

Another book, non related to Japan, but such an awesome piece of creation, a work of fiction that hits to the core of human society and what drives the world with so much philosophy inside to make you ponder at every sentence, is Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

[Raven]

Well staying on with the Japanese theme of things I find Memoirs of a Geisha to be good reads.

It痴 the amazing story about a girl named Sayuri who痴 own father sold her into 壮lavery� and she痴 forced to become something she痴 not (a geisha). She has so many heart rendering struggles and trials, you get emotional. Definitely worth a look.

[TwistedMac]

I keep confusing that title with the (apparently) lesser known Geisha of Gion

the story of a geisha, not as tortured as the one in Memoirs of a Geisha but still stories of extremely hard work and overcoming things.

The difference is Mineko Iwasaki (author of Geisho of Gion) was a Geisha of the highest order. at her peak the most desired Geisha in Gion, and said by some to be second to none in modern time Japan, Geisha of Gion are her memoirs, while Memoirs of a Geisha are not that =P Memoirs of a Geisha is a fictional story by Arthur Golden.

just saying ;)

(and yeah, Geisha of Gion is very interesting to read... I picked it up on Heathrow airport (England) for the flight home to Sweden, I wasn't dissapointed)

[Raven]

Oooh a nonfiction, even better, I'll have to look into Geisha of Gion if it's as interesting as you say.

Another bookr, that are not Japan oriented are, well, all of Alexandre Dumas books. Among my favorites are The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musteteers. I have a thing for classical lit

[sl0815]

These are my favorites:

Vom Mikrokosmos zum Universum - Isaac Asimov
A Brief History of Time - Stephen Hawking
Trainspotting - Irvine Welsh
Algebra - Michael Artin
Computernetworks - ??? Tanenbaum
The Universe in a Nutshell - Stephen Hawking
Methoden wissensbasierter Systeme - Beierle / Kern-Isberner
Groundwork of Evangelion (新世紀エヴァンゲリオン原画集) - not much to read


Jan

[TwistedMac]

Oooh a nonfiction, even better, I'll have to look into Geisha of Gion if it's as interesting as you say.

Another bookr, that are not Japan oriented are, well, all of Alexandre Dumas books. Among my favorites are The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musteteers. I have a thing for classical lit

hehe, take note: as interesting as it is from an onlookers view of an otherwise closed off world to us, the book never climaxes... it just sort of hovers on the same level through the entire thing.

even though it is her personal stories of happyness and sadness, it tends to feel alot like just reading facts more than stories.

despite of this i had a hard time putting the book down though ;)

(a side note: on duo's recommendation i'm gonna pick up hokaido highway blues and just keep it until i really need a good book. it's not all that often you find a book someone tells you is good and you immediatelly think "you know.. i think he's right".. better keep it for a flight when you pick up a book at the book store and 10 minutes and 13 pages into the flight you go "uhm.. this is crap" now what do you do the rest of the flight?)

[kirei_na_me]

One of my favorite books of all time:

Scandal (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0396093205/qid=1097279229/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/103-8174100-1800634?v=glance&s=books) by Shusaku Endo

A friend of mine sent it to me. One of the best gifts I've ever gotten, really.

[thomas]

Rachel, Shusako Endo is my all-time favourite Japanese author as well! :-)

Btw, we have listed a lot of interesting literature in the JREF Shop (http://www.jref.com/shop/showcat.php/cat/11). Just discovered that Shusako Endo isn't listed yet.

[Nothingness]

The Buzzing - Jim Knipfel
Slackjaw

Musashi - Eiji Yoshikawa
Taiko

Master Assassin: tales of murder of the Shogun's city - Shotaro Ikenami
Bridge of darkness : the return of the master assassin

Black Lotus - Laura Joh Rowland
The Concubine's Tattoo
The Dragon King's Palace
The Perfumed Sleeve
The Samurai's Wife
Shinju
Pillow Book of lady Wistera
Bundori

[TwistedMac]

The Buzzing - Jim Knipfel
Slackjaw

Musashi - Eiji Yoshikawa
Taiko

Master Assassin: tales of murder of the Shogun's city - Shotaro Ikenami
Bridge of darkness : the return of the master assassin

Black Lotus - Laura Joh Rowland
The Concubine's Tattoo
The Dragon King's Palace
The Perfumed Sleeve
The Samurai's Wife
Shinju
Pillow Book of lady Wistera
Bundori


I see a pattern.... __________________________

[michi]

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Lasher by Anne Rice
The Hot Zone by Richard Preston
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
Nostradamus: The New Revelations by John Hogue
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
if you were deprived as a child, anything by Roald Dahl!

others will come to my mind, so etc...

[DoctorP]

Oh man...And Then There Were None is a great book! I read that in high school!

[Timsan]

A Confederacy of Dunces by John kennedy toole

[Duo]

Some of my old favorites

A Farewell to Arms == a classic of Hemingway

The Chronicles of Tao === now this will blow your mind

The teachings of Don Juan = first in the Carlos Castanada series, amazing stuff

All Men are Brothers === great old chinese novel

The adventures of Monkey == great old chinese novel, a mystical monkey wrecks havoc in heaven making budda and the jade emperor extremely mad :p

The Judge Dee series === detective novels based on old chinese short stories set in old china written by the Dutch diplomat and China connasseur Robert Van Gulik


That's all, if you ever see one of these names for a bargain, I reccomd u pik them up

Keep em comin plz ;)

[mad pierrot]

A book recommendation thread! This could go on forever....

Well, I read a buttload of books, and usually I like to read a book twice, so....
Here are two books I've read many times and enjoyed.

1. Dune - by Frank Herbert.

Simply awesome. Personally, I think his first trilogy make Lord of the Rings look like a bedtime story.


2. Grendel -by John Gardner

A funny, witty, and sad novel about philosophy. Narrated by the son of Cain.



Recently I read
Slaughter House 5 by K. Vonnegut and was duly impressed.

[Apollo]

Fiction:

My all-time favourite author is Paul Auster:

-Oracle Night by Paul Auster, click here (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0805073205/qid=1097782532/sr=1-3/ref=sr_1_3/104-9250372-1598321?v=glance&s=books)
-Moon Palace by Paul Auster, click here (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0140115854/qid=1097782532/sr=1-8/ref=sr_1_8/104-9250372-1598321?v=glance&s=books)

I read a lot of novels, and I have many good recommendations, but to mention some few....

-Life of Pi by Yann Martel, click here (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0156027321/qid=1097782806/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-9250372-1598321?v=glance&s=books)
-Baudolino by Umberto Eco,click here (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1413222730/qid=1097782860/sr=1-3/ref=sr_1_3/104-9250372-1598321?v=glance&s=books)
-The Devil and Miss Prym by Paulo Coelho,click here (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/9562581144/qid=1097782707/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-9250372-1598321?v=glance&s=books)
-When we were orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro, click here (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0375724400/qid=1097782943/sr=1-3/ref=sr_1_3/104-9250372-1598321?v=glance&s=books)

Of Japan-related books, there are too many to mention, but will post here in due course on the best books.... :balloon:

[Lina Inverse]

Pratchett's "The thief of time" is quite an entertaining read, very recommendable. "The Science of Discworld" (which I'm currently reading in English, too - I'm just that 1337! :D ) isn't as entertaining, but it's quite informative.

For non-fictional literature, I can also recommend some very good books:
Hans-Joachim Zillmer, "Darwin's Error" - good proof against Darwin's theory of evolution, without resorting to any non-existant god(s)
Bryan Sykes, "The seven daughters of Eve" - The origin of mankind traced back
J. R. Gott, "Time travelling in Einsteins universe" - Pondering the possibilities of time travel

[sadakoyamamura]

This is a nice topic. I have been looking forward to owning books that feature Japanese way of life and culture.

I have a small collection of books and I could recommend lots of books I hold to be interesting but they might be boring to you...

However here are my choice pick and my all time favorites:
Shogun by James Clavell. It's a novel about medieval Japanese way of life. It has action, drama, different expressions of love etc.
Voltaire's Candide, Lewis Caroll's Alice in Wonderland and it's sequel Through the Looking Glass because they are full of humour yet they make you reflect.
I have reread :cute: Carl Sagan's Contact for 4 times already and my brother enjoyed it so much so that he made the a miniature of the machine which the scientists in the story built just so he could picture it out.

I would also like to recommend the short stories of Edgar Allan Poe and Arthur Conan Doyle.

:-)

[michi]

too add on to my list

1984 by George Orwell
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

Speaking of The Da Vinci Code, it's being made into a movie. I hoped not, but I guess it was inevitable.

[jovial_jon]

Anything by my 2 favourite authors, Will Self or Hubert Selby Jr, gets my recommendation.

I read a really great book not too long ago by Tom Robbins, but I can't think of the name. Great Potatoes, or something along those lines...

And I quite like George P. Pelecanos for a bit of crime fiction. And Roald Dahl if you're in a silly mood. :D

[Apollo]

too add on to my list

1984 by George Orwell
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

Speaking of The Da Vinci Code, it's being made into a movie. I hoped not, but I guess it was inevitable.

I like Dan Brown's book too. If you like him, you can try reading some of Umberto Eco's books, which are great too (maybe better for some). :bravo:

[michi]

I like Dan Brown's book too. If you like him, you can try reading some of Umberto Eco's books, which are great too (maybe better for some). :bravo:

Oh yeah? Which of his novels do you recommend?

[sadakoyamamura]

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

Speaking of The Da Vinci Code, it's being made into a movie. I hoped not, but I guess it was inevitable.

Hey I read that too... Well I didn't like the development of the plot because it came to a point where I became unconvinced but the wealth of information the author used overwhelmed me. :-)

I also recommend these:
Clowns of the Gods and The Devil's Advocate all by Morris West - that is if you like reading stuff which tackles questions on faith and morality.

[Apollo]

Oh yeah? Which of his novels do you recommend?

I would definately recommend Umberto Eco's Foucaults Pendulum as the first book to read!
Click HERE (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0345368754/104-9250372-1598321?v=glance) for summary of the book.

[SajberJohan]

The Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy (sp?) by Douglas Adams, Go! Read! Now!

[Anyuni_Nakashima]

Another book, non related to Japan, but such an awesome piece of creation, a work of fiction that hits to the core of human society and what drives the world with so much philosophy inside to make you ponder at every sentence, is Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

I really agree with you there Duo. Definitely a good read!!! I'm glad you decided to do this.

I like the Art of War by Sun Tzu...no not the one by Machiavelli I haven't read that one.

My list of books that were part of my highschool cirriculum!!
The Hobbit, To kill a Mockingbird, Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, Twelth Night, Taming of the Shru, King Lear, Cesear, The Crucible, One Flew over the Cookoo's nest, A Seperate piece, 1984, Death of a Salesman, Animal Farm, Brave New World, A Hand Maids Tale, Fahrenheit 451, Catcher in the Rye...i can't remember the rest. Plus, other's that I read for fun that have already been mentioned. It's like i'm back in highschool again due to the books mentioned in this thread.

I love the fantasy/science fiction genre's anyone have any good reads. Please, no Harry Potter, LOTR, or any books by David Edding's, because I've already read all those books {smiles}

[Duo]

I really agree with you there Duo. Definitely a good read!!! I'm glad you decided to do this.

I like the Art of War by Sun Tzu...no not the one by Machiavelli I haven't read that one.



Thanks, :wave:

Yeah, it's pretty interesting, with all those radical social theories and hot passions between teh characters :blush: :blush:, maybe more ppl wil read it now :p

I always wanted to read the Art of War. Maybe soon I'll get my hands on it, but right now damm school :okashii: is stressing me, and I'm busy reading also some Nietzsche, who I also recomend.
:-)

[sadakoyamamura]

Thanks, :wave:

I always wanted to read the Art of War. Maybe soon I'll get my hands on it, but right now damm school :okashii: is stressing me, and I'm busy reading also some Nietzsche, who I also recomend.
:-)

If I can find my ebook on the Art of War by Sun Tzu, would you like me to send it to you? :-) - Some people like the smell and feel of a book...

Hmmm, Nietzsche... Are you some kind of a Philosophy student or it's just part of the curriculum? My philopher friend told me he's good but I've never really gotten around to reading him.

[Duo]

If I can find my ebook on the Art of War by Sun Tzu, would you like me to send it to you? :-) - Some people like the smell and feel of a book...

Hmmm, Nietzsche... Are you some kind of a Philosophy student or it's just part of the curriculum? My philopher friend told me he's good but I've never really gotten around to reading him.


If you could send me it would be great :wave:
Thanks :haihai:

I'm not a philosophy major, just that I enjoy it from time to time. Next on my list is existentialism :-)

[bossel]

If you're looking for e-books of classics (no copyright anymore), gutenberg.org is a good source!

Here is the Art of War (http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/132).



My favourite authors are Terry Pratchett & Tom Holt. L. Neil Smith wrote some good books, too. But I suppose, you have to have a certain Libertarian bias to really appreciate them.

[Apollo]

I'm not a philosophy major, just that I enjoy it from time to time. Next on my list is existentialism :-)

Then I can recommend you read Albert Camus, The Stranger. Click here for summary (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0679720200/qid=1098445687/sr=2-1/ref=pd_ka_b_2_1/104-8614537-1148758) GREAT STUFF!!

[Duo]

Thx, Miss Apollo :-)

I'm going to read this in french for my french course in any case, original is always better, and i hope my french gets good by then :worried:

in any case thank you for ur effort, I don't know what I could reccomd you in return though :?

You are way higher than me academics wise, the only really good book that I think you would enjoy and appreciate at your level would probaply be Atlas Shrugged, I first mentionted it above, and I think I did a thread about it before, but nobody said anything :(

Sometimes i go overboard :( :( :okashii:

[Apollo]

Thx, Miss Apollo :-)

I'm going to read this in french for my french course in any case, original is always better, and i hope my french gets good by then :worried:

in any case thank you for ur effort, I don't know what I could reccomd you in return though :?

You are way higher than me academics wise, the only really good book that I think you would enjoy and appreciate at your level would probaply be Atlas Shrugged, I first mentionted it above, and I think I did a thread about it before, but nobody said anything :(

Sometimes i go overboard :( :( :okashii:

Hiya Duo!!

THanks for your nice words....:-) :-)
I haven't read Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged, but will do because of your recommendation! I am currently reading a book, and once I am finished with it, I will look up Atlas Shrugged.
Have you read anything by Bertrand Russell? I really like his book, Why I am Not a Christian. He offers a better critique of religion than Ayn Rand.

However, Ayn Rand has a really good discussion of epistemology in her Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology, which is what I would recommend if you want to read something else by her. In her book The Virtue of Selfishness, she discusses her view of ethics, but her ethics is really one-sided.

[jt_]

I'm surprised that there haven't been more recommendations for Japanese authors, so I thought I'd introduce some of the works and authors that really got me interested in Japanese literature, as well as some that I've discovered more recently, but also enjoy.

When I first read Kokoro (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0895267152/qid=1098460843/sr=8-1/ref=pd_csp_1/102-5270905-9186512?v=glance&s=books&n=507846), by Natsume Soseki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natsume_Soseki), I was amazed that I could feel such a strong connection to a novel that had been written over a hundred years ago by an author coming from a completely different culture than my own. Soseki writes with a very profound insight into the human mind and emotions, and the themes he addresses in this novel are so universal to the human existence that I would find it difficult to imagine that anyone could read it and not be powerfully moved.

For something a little more contemporary, I've also always enjoyed the works of Haruki Murakami (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haruki_Murakami), who has a very unique world view. Both his novels -- like his epic The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0679775439/qid=1098461302/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/102-5270905-9186512?v=glance&s=books), or Norwegian Wood (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0375704027/qid=1098461219/sr=2-1/ref=pd_ka_b_2_1/102-5270905-9186512), a tragic love story that is more 'realistic' than his typical works -- and his short stories (of which this (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0679750533/qid=1098461373/sr=2-1/ref=pd_ka_b_2_1/102-5270905-9186512) is an excellent collection -- "On Meeting My 100% Perfect Girl One Fine April Morning" might be my favorite short story ever) I would highly recommend highly.

For anyone interested in science-fiction or dark humor, I'd also recommend Yasutaka Tsutsui, but I don't think that his works have been widely translated. I especially love his short stories -- Ore ni kansuru uwasa (http://www.amazon.co.jp/exec/obidos/ASIN/410117105X/qid=1098461594/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2_2/249-9760903-2311520) ("A Rumor About Me") is a wonderful collection.

If you like mysteries, you may want to check out Miyuki Miyabe, whose works (like this one (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0395966582/qid=1098461899/sr=8-1/ref=pd_csp_1/102-5270905-9186512?v=glance&s=books&n=507846)) are just beginning to make their way into English translations. I've never read the translations, though, so I can't speak as to their quality. (Though I believe the translator is Alfred Birnbaum, who did a pretty good job with some translations of Murakami short stories that I read a while back, so I imagine these would be of similarly high quality.)

[Faustianideals]

Read Frankenstein by Mary Shelley!

[sadakoyamamura]

Read Frankenstein by Mary Shelley!

Yeah, I absolutely love this book! :cute: I was so touched by both the book version and the movie version (Francis Ford Copula - I think) that it inspired me to write a poem...

To Duo : I see that the Art of War has been taken care of by Bossel... :cool:

To Bossel : I agree that Gutenberg is a good place to get good reads. Especially books that are really hard to find in my place but I still like the feel of a real book plus I can take it to bed with me since I don't have a handheld... :)

Getting back to the topic. I have a thing for classical literature so I recommend Dracula by Bram Stoker. It isn't really as scary as in the movies. I kinda had the feeling of drama unfolding... or maybe it's just me...

[Faustianideals]

I haven't read Dracula yet, is it any good?

[sadakoyamamura]

Yup! Classic Gothic Literature. It makes you wonder why the author wrote in such a way. Was it a social commentary disguised in a novel? Or did he just intend to scare...

Another author I like reading is Stephen King. My personal favorite among his books would be Salem's Lot which is also 'bout blood sucking... I dunno but I've read somewhere that this was Stephen's sort of homage to Bram's Dracula.

[Faustianideals]

I liked Salem's Lot, it was a good book. I really enjoyed the ending.

[Apollo]

Of Japan-related books:

Japanese occupation history (social/cultural):
John Dower, Embracing Defeat. John Dower is a great authority on this subject and has written many interesting books, among them also War without Mercy.

Japanese occupation: (critical books):
M. Gayn, Japan diary.
R. Textor, Failure in Japan.

Other history books: (an overview of Japanese history since 1945):

Mikiso Hane, Eastern Phoenix - Japan Since 1945.

WW2:
The best introduction to the origins of the war, based on documents in many languages:
Akira Iriye, The Origins of the Second World War in Asia and the Pacific.

:nihonjin:

I happen to know a lot of Japanese history books, (WW2 and occupation) so just ask if in doubt.

[sadakoyamamura]

Humor everyone?

I just finished reading: Sein Language by Jerry Seinfeld. You know that comedian. He even had a show named after him. The book has really funny comments/observations/thoughts about airlines, airplanes, dating etc... What really caught my attention before reading this books was what was written on the back cover, "This is my book... but you can read it." :cool:

[babar-san]

well, heres my list, didnt read all the posts so im sure that one or more have already been listed. these are of course non-japanese, aside from kurosawa stuff, ive never read a book by a japanese author except the writings of dr.masaki hatsumi, and physics books by machio kaku < incredible stuff btw:)
oh, and musashi's the book of five rings a long long time ago

1.dune - frank hurbert (my bible)
2.the silmarillian - jr tolkien
3.the book of five rings - Miyamoto Musashi
4.fear and loathing in las vegas - hunter s. thompson
5.the dunwitch horror - hp lovecraft :cool:

[SkippyDaStudent85]

Breaking into Japanese Literature, translated by Giles Murray, published by Kondansha International (publisher of several popular Japanese language books)

It is a must have/must read for anyone who considers themselves a student of Japanese. It contains parallel text (in Japanese on the left, English on the right) of 7 modern classics by Natsume Soseki and Akutagawa Ryonusuke.

Stories by Natsume Soseki - The First Night, The Third Night, The Fifth Night, The Seventh Night (all of them from Ten Nights of Dreams)

Stories by Akutagawa Ryunosuke - In a Grove, The Nose, Rashomon

Within the book are several links to MP3 files of the stories themself... for FREE (so you can listen to the Japanese while reading the stories)!

I haven't read Dracula yet, is it any good?

It is SOOOOOOOO good!

[Duo]

Breaking into Japanese Literature, translated by Giles Murray, published by Kondansha International (publisher of several popular Japanese language books)

It is a must have/must read for anyone who considers themselves a student of Japanese. It contains parallel text (in Japanese on the left, English on the right) of 7 modern classics by Natsume Soseki and Akutagawa Ryonusuke.

Stories by Natsume Soseki - The First Night, The Third Night, The Fifth Night, The Seventh Night (all of them from Ten Nights of Dreams)

Stories by Akutagawa Ryunosuke - In a Grove, The Nose, Rashomon

Within the book are several links to MP3 files of the stories themself... for FREE (so you can listen to the Japanese while reading the stories)!



It is SOOOOOOOO good!

A friend lent me that book, I read it, the stories were very good, of course I know no Japanese so I only stuck to the english part :p

[SkippyDaStudent85]

A friend lent me that book, I read it, the stories were very good, of course I know no Japanese so I only stuck to the english part :p

Its definately a good book for studying grammar and kana/kanji... and don't worry, I can only read the English too... :blush:

[sadakoyamamura]

Breaking into Japanese Literature, translated by Giles Murray, published by Kondansha International (publisher of several popular Japanese language books)

It is a must have/must read for anyone who considers themselves a student of Japanese. It contains parallel text (in Japanese on the left, English on the right) of 7 modern classics by Natsume Soseki and Akutagawa Ryonusuke.

Stories by Natsume Soseki - The First Night, The Third Night, The Fifth Night, The Seventh Night (all of them from Ten Nights of Dreams)

Stories by Akutagawa Ryunosuke - In a Grove, The Nose, Rashomon

Within the book are several links to MP3 files of the stories themself... for FREE (so you can listen to the Japanese while reading the stories)!



It is SOOOOOOOO good!


You've definitely sparked my interest! "sigh" Unfortunately books like that are rare in my place... I so envy you.

[miu]

N.P. by Banana Yoshimoto
Tsurezuregusa by Yoshida Kenk�

I absolutely loved Tsurezuregusa :3 It's by far the best books you can ever read. I haven't read the English translation of it, just looked it a little bit but it seemed to be a really dull one... I read both books in Finnish and both were translated really well, Tsurezuregusa espescially.

From the non-Japanese books I could recommend Lewis Carroll's Alice books (Through the Looking Glass is a bit trippy but still good ;).

[SkippyDaStudent85]

You've definitely sparked my interest! "sigh" Unfortunately books like that are rare in my place... I so envy you.

I was lucky enough to happen across it at the local Barnes & Noble... Im pretty sure they can order books for you if you ask

[Apollo]

Gunther Grass- Crabwalk

Crabwalk is about Germany’s past and the dangers posed by repressed memory.
It is about the Wilhelm Gustloff, a German cruise ship which was torpedoed in the Baltic Sea on the night of 30th January, 1945, carrying 10,500 passengers, most of them refugees fleeing the Red Army’s advance into the German enclave around Danzig (now Gdansk, Poland).

The novel was seen as a taboo breaker when it came out a couple of years ago, because it claims that the time has come to acknowledge that some Germans were also victims of World War II.

[myrrhine]

for umberto eco, name of the rose is good stuff... and concerning the eco/brown connection, eco has refered to dan brown as his (literary) "bastard son". i was pretty amused.

that aside, books!
Enders Game
by Orson Scott Card. So Very Good. Yes. I don't think I've ever talked to anyone who's read it and not loved it.

Dune
Frank Herbert. it's quite simply amazing.

Hitchhikers guide
Douglas Adams - for some more lighthearted scifi

the His Dark Materials Trilogy (Golden Compass, Subtle Knife, Amber Spyglass)
Philip Pullman - true, you'll find it under young adult, but the levels go way deeper than that.

just finished The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon and it was great. i was impressed.

ooh! just one more... actually a comic, but deserves to be on a list like this - the Sandman series by Neil Gaiman. Amazing. actually this should be up there at the top of the list. all the story and philosophy and character of great literature... plus great art.

[senseiman]

I read that "breaking into Japanese literature" when it first came out a couple years back. It was a real help, now just about all the books I read are in Japanese. I can get just about any book for 100 yen at the used book store. WAY cheaper than buying English books.

[Duo]

I have a couple of books that are really good to understand more about Europe.

1- Homage to Catalonia, by the great Orwell, when he fought in the spanish civil war, so funny and dramatic

2- and if u want to know more about Eastern Europe then here is a very good book, Cafe Europa, by Slavenka Drakulic, a very good short book, the both of them actually

[Ma Cherie]

How about

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

The Blackwood Farm by Anne Rice

The Vampire Armand also by Anne Rice

Red Azalea by Anchee Min

and the Beauty series by Anne Rice just to name a few. But only if you are interested in erotica :bluush: . Can anyone recommend any fictional books about Asia?

[Ed-E]

"Goodbye Tsugumi" by Banana Yoshimoto.

Still my favourite book of all time. Captivating, drenched in nostalgia, evocative, heartbreaking. It's made me yearn to visit the Japanese seaside, anyway...

[goofy2feet]

I would definately recommend Umberto Eco's Foucaults Pendulum as the first book to read!

Here!Here! - That book was my favourite for years...

Other big favs are 'The Master and Margarita' by Mikhail Bulgakov, 'The Brothers Karamazov' by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (long...) and for non-fiction (kind of anyway) 'Opening the Hand of Thought' by Kosho Uchiyama (available from Wisdom Publications (http://www.wisdompublications.org).

Actually the Bulgakov book was supposed to be being made in to a movie - not sure who by, but they'll probably ruin it ... i'd still go and see though just in case it was as great as the novel...


http://www.bdbtjapan.com/sitedecor/eigojapanbanner.gif (http://www.bdbtjapan.com)

[Alek]

I'd like to racommend Murakami's DANCE DANCE DANCE and for the italian guys who want to know more about how the japanese girls and women live in the japanese environment, Nel Giappone delle Donne by Antonietta Pastore edited by Einaudi, is a very useful tool to get more and more about Japan.

[Timsan]

1984 - George Orwell
A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole (the best book ever written, my bible)

[ToySoldier]

I'm reading now Ryu Murakami's book Coin Locker Babies, and it seems promising.
And must-read-books are Robin Hobb's
The Farseer Trilogy:
Assassin's Apprentice,
Royal Assassin,
Assassin's Quest
and The Tawny Man Trilogy:
Fool's Errand
The Golden Fool
Fool's Fate

[tanpopo]

One of the most important authors is Wolfgang Borchert for me. His complete works are not much to read, as he died very young, but really great.
Did anybody once read him?

Well, I do also like: Hermann Hesse, Murakami Haruki, Natsume S�seki, Jon Fosse.

:wave: And hereｴs a little poem for you:

三好達治

雪　

太郎を眠らせ、太郎の屋根に雪降り積む
次郎を眠らせ、次郎の屋根に雪降り積む

[Apollo]

Murakami's Norwegian Wood

Dan Brown: Angels and Demons. (I guess most people have read it already).

Ishiguro's The Unconsoled

[Mycernius]

One of the best books I've ever read was 'Imajica' by Clive Barker. One of my favourites is 'The Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy' by Douglas Adams

[Alma]

One of my favourites is 'The Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy' by Douglas Adams

mine too. i love this book. everyone should read it!

:haihai:

[sadakoyamamura]

1.dune - frank hurbert ...


Loved the movie version. I used to see this book lying around the house when I was still in elementary. I still couldn't find it anywhere in the house and its not even a mansion.

Last book I read was a collection of classic American short stories written by the likes of Hawthorne, Melville, Twain etc.

Currently I'm reading a book by Carson McCullers called The Heart is a Lonely Hunter. This one was recommended by Oprah in her book club. I was instrigued because she is O. She didn't disappoint me. The book tackles race, physical/emotional disability and more. It's riveting and so human and to think that the author wrote it when she was only 23!

[King_Ghidorah]

Happy to see some other Murakami readers. My favorite is Hard boiled wonderland and the end of the world. Osamu Dazai is also one of my favs. If you run accross a copy of "Blue Bamboo, Japanese tales of fantasy", published by Kodansha, pick it up. Great storytelling.

[Apollo]

Happy to see some other Murakami readers. My favorite is Hard boiled wonderland and the end of the world. Osamu Dazai is also one of my favs. If you run accross a copy of "Blue Bamboo, Japanese tales of fantasy", published by Kodansha, pick it up. Great storytelling.

I love Murakami's Norwegian Wood...what other good book written by him can you recommend??

[King_Ghidorah]

Hard-boiled Wonderland would be #1. A Wild Sheep Chase was the first Murakami I read. would say it's best for a first read or second.

[Kinsao]

Not Japanese or related in any way to Japan, but...
I really recommend anything by Jorge Luis Borges, and 'le petit prince' (Antoine de St-Exupery) but in the original French *not* translation! :p

[stalky]

my book is not related to japan in any way too but i think it's still worth to read it - "the glass bead game" and also "narcissus and goldmouth" both by herman hesse

and like kinsao i like borges (just started to read labyrinths and some selected poems and i'm really impressed)

[Tim33]

I think you should ignore japanese books and read the Dark Tower series by Steven King

[Dutch Baka]

the diary of ANNE FRANK!!!!!

its a great diary, and really touching!!!! she was a really nice girl, and its really amzing to read how they needed to live in such a small place...

i have been to the house last winter with my girl, and she just cried all the time, just such a sad story, with a big meaning, for peace, and freedom in the world!!!!!!
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/fi/thumb/c/c7/250px-Dagboek_anne_frank.jpg
http://www.todayinliterature.com/assets/photos/f/anne-frank-200x305.jpg

[Alma]

ok, i guess not, but i have to ask, did anybody heard about Miljenko Jergovic... hmmm i guess hard to read or remember name for you... anyway, he is bosnian writer, most popular around these couple of countries around, but also well know in Europe. i would recomend to read whatever you can find from him.

http://www.wordswithoutborders.org/bio.php?author=Miljenko+Jergovic (http://) here you can find some writings

:haihai:

[Dutch Baka]

i liked the diary of Zlata Filipovic , alma!! but even that was a long time ago when i read that!!!

have you read it?

[Alma]

no i havent... it seems it is well known everywhere else, but here... i wonder why :? i never had chance to read it, but hopefully i will

and if you can find 'sarajevo marlboro' - read it (everybody should)

:wave:

[phantasmagoria]

Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
The Tales Of The Otori (Lian Hearn. Teenage fiction.)
Stravaganza (Mary Hoffman. Teenage fiction)
Fleshmarket (Nicola Morgan. Teenage fiction)
The Witching Hour (Anne Rice. Need I say more?)
Nineteen Eighty Four (George Orwell. Classic)
The Wire in The Blood (Val McDermid. I reccommend any of her books. About solving crimes through making psychological profiles. Fiction)
Mort (Terry Pratchett.)
Hide & Seek (Ian Rankin. Crime)
Funeral In Berlin (Len Deighton. Spy)

[Libby]

I'm suprised 'Snow Country' by Kawabata Yasunari or 'Some Prefer Nettles' by Tanizaki Junichiro haven't been mentioned yet as I've always regarded them as 'classics' of Jap. Lit and are definitely my favourites! :p

[nicklar]

Not out yet, but soon!

"My Mother is a Tractor"

Samples at http://www.klarbooks.com/mmiat

A rollicking ride through rural Japan

[smoke]

I'm a big fan of Chuck Palahniuk (dude who wrote Fight Club). I own a lot of his books but haven't read most of them (i'm pretty crap like that). But i recommend 'Lullaby'. It was the first of his books that i read. 'Diary' is also good.
What i have read of Survivor and Invisible Monsters is also good but i haven't finished them. I've bought his new book. 'Haunted' but haven't even looked at it yet!

[Libby]

I'm a big fan of Chuck Palahniuk (dude who wrote Fight Club). I own a lot of his books but haven't read most of them (i'm pretty crap like that). But i recommend 'Lullaby'. It was the first of his books that i read. 'Diary' is also good.
What i have read of Survivor and Invisible Monsters is also good but i haven't finished them. I've bought his new book. 'Haunted' but haven't even looked at it yet!


OH MI GOSH I totally agree his books are fantastic - albeit very wierd though!! You really should finish them - it's worth it! 'Survivor' is my favourite, but I prefer 'Fight Club' as a movie!

[valeriaqt]

I suggest, Across the Nightingale Floor by Lean Hearn - trilogy (love that book, about Japanese clans and wars between them), and as beautiful as Memoirs of a Geisha was, it was a fiction, and if you want something from a woman who was actually a geisha in Japan, I suggest reading Autobiography of a Geisha - easy to read, but breath-taking!!

[Shibuyaexpat]

Yukio Mishima's Sound of Waves and Death in Midsummer and Other Stories
Paolo Coehlo's Alchemist
Andre Dubus III's House of Sand and Fog

[Kara_Nari]

Ryu Murakami: Coin locker babies
Haruki Murakami: Wind up bird chronicle
Haruki Murakami: Kafka on the shore
Actually any book by either of the Murakamis is guaranteed to be a good read.
Also there is an old book I read when I was young maybe 1000 pages long or so called 'Paint the Wind' so beautiful, but I cant for the life of me remember the name of the author.
Howard Marks: Mr Nice (an autobiography of a super intelligent international drug trafficker) Just read this as I was travelling around south east asia.

[Kara_Nari]

Oooh I forgot! 1421 the year China discovered the world. By Gavin Menzes (Im not sure of the authors name exactly but the name of the book is right)
This is the most amazing book of non fiction that I have read, blows your mind away.
Super long, but you can do it in random sections, skipping bits that perhaps dont interest you so much. 5/5

Note: Since posting this I have seen the controversy over this book... in spite of this I will still keep this here, because I did enjoy the book, having not read any negativity over it before writing this previous recommendation. Im from New Zealand, and I hadnt heard anything of Mr Kings review... that was until I went to the site listed on one of the posts in regards to this book.

[Apollo]

Yukio Mishima's Sound of Waves and Death in Midsummer and Other Stories
Paolo Coehlo's Alchemist
Andre Dubus III's House of Sand and Fog

I totally agree that Paulo Coelho is a great author! I have 5 of his books:
- Eleven Minutes
- The Devil and Miss Prym
- Veronika decides to die
- By the River Piedra I sat down and wept
- The Alchemist

[Shibuyaexpat]

I totally agree that Paulo Coelho is a great author! I have 5 of his books:
- Eleven Minutes
- The Devil and Miss Prym
- Veronika decides to die
- By the River Piedra I sat down and wept
- The Alchemist
Yeah, isn't he great?! I haven't read Devil and Miss Prym yet. I felt that Eleven Minutes was a stark departure from his previous novels--sad story but strangely uplifting. If you have a chance I'd recommend Fifth Mountain. It's somewhat similar to Alchemist in storyline; however, it touches more on the theme of compassion towards those around you.

[lonesoullost3]

I'd have to say Banana Yoshimoto "Kitchen". I absolutely love the two novellas. If you're interested in a fascinating historical read, check out "Women of Okinawa" by Ruth Ann Keyso. She talks to nine Okinawan women of three different generations and what they feel about the American presence and the battle of Okinawa (for the generation which remembered it). Getting away from Japan now, "Sophie's World" by Jostein Gaarder is an excellent read. Hmm...thinking back to some books I read in high school: "Catcher In The Rye" by JD Salinger and "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

[ralian]

I like Shinichi Hoshi. I recommend any book written by him.
His style is simple, and very easy to read.

[Apollo]

Yeah, isn't he great?! I haven't read Devil and Miss Prym yet. I felt that Eleven Minutes was a stark departure from his previous novels--sad story but strangely uplifting. If you have a chance I'd recommend Fifth Mountain. It's somewhat similar to Alchemist in storyline; however, it touches more on the theme of compassion towards those around you.

I haven't read fifth Mountain yet, but I want to of course!
I'd definately recommend Devil and Miss Prym!
Happy reading! :cool:

[Des Phrase]

Umineko Shukusha
Hebi ni Piasu

[Mizuiro]

Books About Japan~

In Praise of Shadows - Jun'Ichiro

Geisha - Liza Dalby

[Aria28]

"The Prophet" -Kahlil Gibran
"The Name of the Rose" -Umberto Ecco
"Absalom, Absalom!" and "The Sound and the Fury" -William Faulkner
"Les Noces Barbares" -Yann Queffelec (there's an english translation, but I don't find it too good compared to the original french text)
"La Commedia" (The Divine Comedy) -Dante Alighieri

and my alltime favorites:

"The Silmarillion" and "The Lord of the Rings" -J.R.R. Tolkien

[PopCulturePooka]

About Japan:

Sushi Daze (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0006392474/qid=1124637187/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-6186544-2541620?v=glance&s=books&n=507846) by Rob Payne. Just awesome. Thinly veiled rip on Nova.

Mr Foreigner (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0753813068/qid=1124637276/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/002-6186544-2541620?v=glance&s=books&n=507846) by Matthew Kneale.

Dogs and Demons (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0809039435/qid=1124637308/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-6186544-2541620?v=glance&s=books&n=507846)

[Apollo]

Has anyone read Banana Yoshimoto's "NP" ??? I saw it on sale at a bookstore....

[yaschan]

I recommend Banana Yoshimoto's (http://hanami.ath.cx/banana.html) books.

[yaschan]

Yes I did read N.P. Its great book like the others.

[Apollo]

Yes I did read N.P. Its great book like the others.

Have already bought it...looking forward to reading it when I am done with Paul Auster's Leviathan... :wave:

[yaschan]

I recommend Kafka on the Shore, "Umi be no Kafuka"
By Murakami Haruki

[Unjapanese]

I hadn’t read a single Japanese book in the last 4 decades until I somehow came across Ryu Murakami’s most recent novel titled "Hanto-wo Ideyo" (my tentative translation: "Leaving the Peninsula behind".)

With a pleasant surprise I was overwhelmed by his exceptional analytical/inductive ability that gives him a good insight into who we really are, and unparalleled imaginative/intuitive ability that gives him a good foresight of where we are heading.

And what a painstaking research work he did! He is particular about minute details because details are where the two different abilities meet.

Judging from customer reviews on the Amazon.co.jp's website, there are very few readers who have understood the real message Murakami wanted to convey. Even those who give this book a 5-star rating sounded just like some of those loyal fans of this extremely popular and prolific writer.

Fortunately or unfortunately this novel (923-pages long) is practically untranslatable, not only because of thousands of proper nouns for North Korean and Japanese names, places and weaponry, but because of the fact Murakami apparently did not intend to have this book translated into foreign languages.

Traditionally Japanese fiction writers have been enthusiastic about being understood by Western critics and general population, and to that end, letting them share the "profound" literary assets they are creating.

In response to this burning desire for being understood abroad, a bunch of Japanophiles in the West, who claim to be able to appreciate esoteric, exotic and mysterious Japanese literature, have applauded the likes of Yukio Mishima, Junichiro Tanizaki, Yasunari Kawabata, etc.

As a result most of these "great" Japanese writers ended up depicting typical, or sometimes atypical, Japanese figures just as they look in the mirror held up against them by American or European "japonistes." They have always asked the question of "What our 'unique' mirror images are like", instead of "What we really are, unique or not."

These characters created by Japanese "great" writers are, thus, quite predictable and boring, if not stereotypical, just like the rest of us Japanese are.

In December 8, 1941 (JST) the world's most predictable people all of a sudden turned the world's most unpredictable people. (Remember the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor?)

Today the Japanese people are, once again, at a loss over where to be heading in the face of an uncertain world. Nobody can tell for sure where we are heading.

Against this backdrop Ryu Murakami took out his own crystal ball, instead of looking at our mirror images, to foretell our next destination. That's why I say his horrible, but plausible, scenario is almost untranslatable.

On May 30 LATimes Online carried a report titled “Japan Focuses on One Enemy at a Time” in which the staff writer cited this book to prove his shallow view that the Japanese have a tendency to overestimate the threat from N-Korea as Japan's public enemy No. 1, while underestimating that from China. Obviously he hadn’t (been able to) read this book himself.

Murakami doesn’t think Pyongyang is an imminent threat. Neither does he think Beijing is posing a greater threat on us.

The real message he wanted to convey is: Our public enemy No.1 is inside ourselves.

If you have a certain amount of Japanese literacy and read a chapter titled "Zombi-no mure" (Herd of Zombies), you will be overwhelmed. In this chapter, Murakami depicts how a small North Korean commando unit (of only 9) successfully seizes the Yahoo Dome packed with a capacity crowd of 30,000 spectators attending the season-opening ballgame. The commandos are not suicide bombers carrying nuclear weapons or sarin gas. And yet the 30,000 people turn into a herd of zombies in a matter of minutes.

It will be great if some of you give me their feedback on this groundbreaking novel.

Sorry for my lengthy recommendation.

UnjapaneseYY

[xerxes99]

Anything by Jim Thompson, especially The Killer Inside Me (possibly the best portrait of a disturbed mind ever) and Population 1280.
Another book I love is Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis.
:souka:

[Kara_Nari]

I wish I could read Kanji... I would love to read that Murakami Ryu book, I absolutely love his writings. Maybe in another lifetime. I very much appreciated your lengthy synopsis of it though. Thankyou very much.

[Unjapanese]

I wish I could read Kanji... I would love to read that Murakami Ryu book, I absolutely love his writings. Maybe in another lifetime. I very much appreciated your lengthy synopsis of it though. Thankyou very much. :sorry: Another lifetime would be too late because in Murakami's scenario the ballpark seizure by the North Korean commandos will take place in April 2011. :cool: Maybe you can get some additional information about the book, if you bother to check out a book review I wrote for my blog: http://www.tokyofreepress.com/article.php?story=20050510064428709

[sadakoyamamura]

... "La Commedia" (The Divine Comedy) -Dante Alighieri


Yup Dante is a good read.

A Rose for Emily - William Faulkner
The Hunchback of Notra Dame - Victor Hugo

[Ma Cherie]

Wow, this thread is kind of old. :p :relief:
Anyways, if anyone's interested I just finished reading a book entitled "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by an author named Zora Neale Hurston. I love the use of langauge, she switches between the narrative and how the way the characters speak. Black English or what is now known as African American Vernacular English is spoken by the characters, but Hurston writes the narrative in Standard English. It's a really interesting novel. :-)

I'll shut up now, but I recommend this novel. :p

[Kinsao]

lol, I visited this thread because I looked at the thread about "how many books do you buy a year?" and realised that I hardly do any reading any more. :( Thanks for the recommendation Ma Cherie! :cool: It sounds interesting especially the use of the different "voices"...

[Mycernius]

Kinsao, as a musician you might want to read "I Hate Myself and Want to Die" by Tom Reynolds. It is about the 52 most depressing songs you've ever heard. I found it very amusing, especially the image of him and a friend performing "The Shortest Story" at a Lutheran church. In fact I was in stitches and had to put the book down for a couple of minutes while I composed myself.

[Kinsao]

Thanks Mycernius! That sounds really good. I love funny books! :-)

[Kinsao]

Oh, and I want to recommend already a book that I accidentally bought today (boring train journey)! I haven't read it, only a part of the first chapter, but I think it is very interesting so far, I don't know yet what the author will put forward, but... "Watching the English: The Hidden Rules of English Behaviour", by Kate Fox. It's an anthropological study written for the layman. :-)

[Sukotto]

"THE CAPE And Other Stories From The Japanese Ghetto"
by Kenji Nakagamil; Tr. by Eve Zimmerman
The author was born into the burakumin class.
There are 3 stories in this book.
Writing style was chyotto muzukashii, kedo omoshiroi.

If your library doesn't have it, "Cheng & Tsui" online does.



or

by non-Japanese

"The Crying of Lot 49"
by Thomas Pynchon

& "If on a Winter's Night a Wanderer..."
by Italo Calvino
This book: every other chapter is numbered, every other chapter is titled.
The main character in #ed is You, and You buy a book and begin to read
it - first titled chapter, its not the book You thought You bought, thus return it. Something like this keeps happening and the #ed chapters You seeks to find out what is going on. omoshiroi da yo.

[Kinsao]

I just read "Kafka on the Shore" by Haruki Murakami, and enjoyed it - I'd definitely recommend it! :cool:

[Index]

The Futurological Congress, by Stanisław Lem.

[Apollo]

I am currently reading: Harlan Coben's "The Innocent"....it is very exciting!

[danfaz]

I just finished a book called Snow Wolf (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312962118/sr=1-1/qid=1135988704/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-6764443-3195815?%5Fencoding=UTF8) Very good Cold War espionage book!

Now I'm just starting Angels & Demons after reading the Da Vinci Code...

[Apollo]

I just finished a book called Snow Wolf (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312962118/sr=1-1/qid=1135988704/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-6764443-3195815?%5Fencoding=UTF8) Very good Cold War espionage book!

Now I'm just starting Angels & Demons after reading the Da Vinci Code...

The Angels and Demons is worth a read I agree....I actually liked it better than the Da Vinci Code..Have you read this bestseller?

[danfaz]

...Have you read this bestseller?

Sorry, which book are you asking about?

[sadakoyamamura]

The Angels and Demons is worth a read I agree....I actually liked it better than the Da Vinci Code..Have you read this bestseller?

I've read that and I agree with you but I'm still looking forward to the movie version of the Da Vinci Code.

What I like about Dan Brown is the energy that you feel when you're reading his work. So let me recommend another of his work, Deception Point. :-)

[Apollo]

Sorry, which book are you asking about?

Da Vinci Code

[Apollo]

I've read that and I agree with you but I'm still looking forward to the movie version of the Da Vinci Code.

What I like about Dan Brown is the energy that you feel when you're reading his work. So let me recommend another of his work, Deception Point. :-)

I am also looking forward to seeing Tom Hanks in the upcoming film!!!:-)

[danfaz]

Da Vinci Code

Yes, I've read that. I liked it alot! So, I decided to read Angels & Demons. So far, the beginning is very similar to Da Vinci Code.

[Mycernius]

I've just finished readin the Da Vinci code. I can see why it upset a few people. Prefered Digital Fortress. Currently reading the Emperor Series by Conn Iggulden. All about the early life of Julius Caeser set in a fictional way instead of historically accurate. He has taken a few liberties, but does apologise at the back of each book.

[bureto]

My favorite Japanese-related books (that I can think of right now) are:

Shogunby James Clavell
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa

I just started reading the Dalai Lama's book The Universe in a Single Atom. Has anyone read this? Any thoughts?

Also, I'm starting my second year of Japanese next semester. Does anyone know of some beginning books, without too much kanji, that would be good practice?

[bureto]

Yes, I've read that. I liked it alot! So, I decided to read Angels & Demons. So far, the beginning is very similar to Da Vinci Code.
I liked Angels & Demons better.

[senseiman]

I watched an interesting documentary on Dan Brown's Da Vinci code the other day.

It turns out that a lot of the stuff he presents as historical fact is just garbage. The Priory of Scion, which he states in the foreword is an actual historical body formed in 1191 whose leaders have included Da Vinci and Isaac Newton, was actually a hoax created in the 1950s in France by someone trying to prove he was descended from French Royalty. It was exposed years ago as such but he presents it as uncontested fact.

The stuff about the hidden messages in Da Vinci's "Last Supper" is also complete BS. So is the stuff about the Knights Templars tunneling under the Temple mount in Jerusalem, the stuff about the Cathars, some of the stuff about Mary Magdalane....its all made up.

It was an interesting show, hosted by the guy who played Baldrich on Blackadder. Kind of ruined the book for me though.

[bureto]

I watched an interesting documentary on Dan Brown's Da Vinci code the other day.
It turns out that a lot of the stuff he presents as historical fact is just garbage. The Priory of Scion, which he states in the foreword is an actual historical body formed in 1191 whose leaders have included Da Vinci and Isaac Newton, was actually a hoax created in the 1950s in France by someone trying to prove he was descended from French Royalty. It was exposed years ago as such but he presents it as uncontested fact.
The stuff about the hidden messages in Da Vinci's "Last Supper" is also complete BS. So is the stuff about the Knights Templars tunneling under the Temple mount in Jerusalem, the stuff about the Cathars, some of the stuff about Mary Magdalane....its all made up.
It was an interesting show, hosted by the guy who played Baldrich on Blackadder. Kind of ruined the book for me though.

Who produced the show?

[senseiman]

It was produced by Channel 4 in Britain and aired on the History Channel in Canada. Here is a review of it:

http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/04/16/181541.php

It was a lot of fun to watch actually, I really recommend it.

[danfaz]

Also, I'm starting my second year of Japanese next semester. Does anyone know of some beginning books, without too much kanji, that would be good practice?
Well, I kinda like A Japanese Reader (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0804816476/sr=1-1/qid=1137024328/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-3990764-9231129?%5Fencoding=UTF8)
As you'll see from the reviews, it's a bit dated. But it builds you up from simple hiragana to very complex text.

[sadakoyamamura]

I watched an interesting documentary on Dan Brown's Da Vinci code the other day.
It turns out that a lot of the stuff he presents as historical fact is just garbage. The Priory of Scion, which he states in the foreword is an actual historical body formed in 1191 whose leaders have included Da Vinci and Isaac Newton, was actually a hoax created in the 1950s in France by someone trying to prove he was descended from French Royalty. It was exposed years ago as such but he presents it as uncontested fact.
The stuff about the hidden messages in Da Vinci's "Last Supper" is also complete BS. So is the stuff about the Knights Templars tunneling under the Temple mount in Jerusalem, the stuff about the Cathars, some of the stuff about Mary Magdalane....its all made up.
It was an interesting show, hosted by the guy who played Baldrich on Blackadder. Kind of ruined the book for me though.
I've watched and read some commentaries about Da Vinci after reading it. As far as I'm concerned it was only novel in which he tried to inject historical facts(?). :-)
Now another book I'd like to recommend is: Sybil by Flora Rheta Schreiber. It is a story of a woman with a multiple personality, the trauma she suffered as a child which caused her dissociation and her road to becoming whole. As I was reading the book, I was awed by how the mind works (she had 16 distinct personalities). You see, Sybil's other selves were a defence against the cruel environment she grew in. Sybil only knew of the "other selves" at the course of her therapy, but since the beginning, those "other selves" were aware of her. Her road to recovery was long and hard but she survived.

[bureto]

I've watched and read some commentaries about Da Vinci after reading it. As far as I'm concerned it was only novel in which he tried to inject historical facts(?). :-)
Now another book I'd like to recommend is: Sybil by Flora Rheta Schreiber. It is a story of a woman with a multiple personality, the trauma she suffered as a child which caused her dissociation and her road to becoming whole. As I was reading the book, I was awed by how the mind works (she had 16 distinct personalities). You see, Sybil's other selves were a defence against the cruel environment she grew in. Sybil only knew of the "other selves" at the course of her therapy, but since the beginning, those "other selves" were aware of her. Her road to recovery was long and hard but she survived.

That sounds pretty familiar. We studied a case like that in my philosophy 101 class. The name was different though.

We had to write a paper on whether or not each of her personalities could be considered to have a personal identity - if each personality was valid. I stated that they were not, since each one stood to represent a specific aspect of herself. The personalities also only served one function or another.

Was hypnosis part of her therapy?

[yaschan]

I recommend Haruki Murakami's novels.

[If time can talk...]

1.Ulysses
2.A la recherche du temps perdu
3.Die Leiden des jungen Werthers
4.A Review of Robert Kagan's Of Paradise and Power: America and Europe in the New World Order
... ...

[Flashjeff]

Well, I just finished "Memoirs of a Geisha" (spurred on to buy the book after seeing the movie) and found it to have been a very enjoyable read. It was quite fascinating, poignant and entertaining.
:cool:

[Yokan]

Battle Royale novel, and the Memoirs of a Geisha! ^^

[mintuna]

i like Taiko (Shinsho taikoki) by Eiji Yoshikawa.:-) i fell in love with Oda Nobunaga back then,,:blush:

[Sukotto]

"OKINAWA: COLD WAR ISLAND"

and

"Multicultural Japan : Palaeolithic to Postmodern"

omoshiroi hon ni-satsu.

[Sukotto]

"Little Boy : The Arts of Japan's Exploding Subculture"
by Takashi Murakami (Editor)

Here's a art/sociology? book for anybody who's an anime freak.
(much less in recent years for me. Ever since Pokemon...
It might have been the first for many, but....)
:smoke:

Kono hon wa (This book is)
Nihongo & English de,

I've only read a couple essays so far, including one on "otaku".
I wasn't aware of a Japanese serial killer that stalked young girls
some years ago that was way far gone into an imaginary world of anime.
Likewise the Aum cult that gassed Tokyo was reportedly really
into a movie released State-side as "Harmegeddon".

It is these events that evidently wound up giving the word "otaku" a bad
connotation. (There could be more....?)
Sure movies can have messages, but come on folks...


Before studying Japanese at college I was not aware of any such
bad connotation at all. And in fact, many of us were under the impression
that comics and animated movies/shows in Japan were not "only for kids".
And we as Americans had it backwards in shunning the medium.

So far I can't really tell what to book is saying beyond the obvious
from the title. The essays thus far are extremely intriguing.
But for anyone into anime :cool:

[Ma Cherie]

There's a book out by a Chinese author named Annie Wang. She wrote a book entitled "The People's Republic of Desire" which is like a Chinese version of Sex and The City. And it's also a window into how China has changed since it became a member of the WTO.

:cool:

[dangdaga]

A Confederacy of Dunces by John kennedy toole
http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/2250/60158873350585tu.jpg

[sadakoyamamura]

That sounds pretty familiar. We studied a case like that in my philosophy 101 class. The name was different though.
We had to write a paper on whether or not each of her personalities could be considered to have a personal identity - if each personality was valid. I stated that they were not, since each one stood to represent a specific aspect of herself. The personalities also only served one function or another.
Was hypnosis part of her therapy?
Yes it was but this story turned out to become controversial because it caught the attention of Hollywood and the mental health world as well. Who Sybil really was only became known after she died. There were claims that her 16 personalities were created during the therapy sessions especially during the time of her hypnosis. We could never really know for sure what happened as both the doctor and patient are already deceased. But I know that someone out there owns the recording of the therapy sessions. :-)

[Sadakogfx]

Ring by koji Suzuki