Can you recommend japanese Books??

[Himura]

Did you ever read a japanese book?

==> which title can you recommend??

:cool: POST IT!!!

[Himura]

My nomination is:

Yoshikawa Eiji - MUSASHI :clap:

(this novel is really grate and has a true, historical background)

[Maciamo]

What kind of book are you loooking for ? Japanese literature, books on Japan (maybe written by non Japanese), mangas ? Do you want them in English, Japanese, German, bilingual ?

You can have a look at my site (Maciamo Japan), in the literature section (http://maciamo.tripod.com/nihonjapanjapon/id3.html) for literature and books on Japan recommendations.

[Himura]

Any literature!

[Ami]

hmmm... well, I do like this one Japanese Author named Banana Yoshimoto. I read a couple of her books like "Kicten" and "Amrita". They're really good too. Oh and you should check out "Lizard". http://abyss.hubbe.net/banana/bio.html http://hanami-web.com/img/book1.gif

[Maciamo]

No offece intended, but Banana's book are rather simplish and unexceptional. Kitchen is read in an hour and I found that anybody could have written the same. It lacks the intrigue and plot of a Genji monogatari, but it's of course 2 very different kinds of books (ancient vs modern Japan, long and complex story with hundreds of characters vs short and simple story with 3 or 4 characters).

[Himura]

It´s really interesting that we have to different opinions about this book/s... :cool:
===> POST MORE !!!

[tasuki]

Japanese books translated to English or Japanese books in Japanese?

[Ami]

Well, I don't really know how it is in Modern Japan so I enjoyed reading how it was like. But I never read any other books by Japanese Authors so I wouldn't know that much about it. I don't know I enjoyed reading Banana Yoshimoto's books. :D It was my 1st time reading anything from a Japanese author! o-o

[Himura]

Post ANY books form ANY autor :cool:

[Ami]

Any author? Well, I am into Harry Potter and Lord of the Ring books. :smug: If that counts... But didn't you want Japanese Book Authors? :p

[Himura]

The nation of the autor doesn´t matter...
Just wanted to mention: I HATE HARRY POTTER!!!

[Ami]

LOL okay okay :emblaugh: .-. Well, Banana Yoshimoto is the only author i can recommend due to the fact that i don't know any more Japanese Book authors. :p

[Rachel]

Try reading "Haruki Murakami". His books have been translated into english and I have to say the guy is a genius.
He writes surrealist fiction and it's brilliant !
I can recommend his books: - "Sputnick Sweethart" and "The Wind-up Bird Chronicle".

[thomas]

I worship Haruki Murakami too. I'd also recommend to read a few "classic" contemporary authors, such as Yasunari Kawabata, Yukio Mishima, Junichiro Tanizaki, Kenzaburo Oe, Abe Kobo, Shusako Endo (one of my favourites), etc., etc.

[Himura]

Thanxxx! :cool: MORE plz!

[teardrop]

well... i've studied Japanese literature before and these are a few of my favorites...

By Mori Ogai -- Maihime ( "The Dancing Girl" ) Hey, this should interest u as it is set in Germany.
-- Sakai Jiken ( "The incident at Sakai" ) This one includes a vivid description of Seppaku or ritual suicide. Pretty gross but an interesting read.

By Kawabata Yasunari -- Snow Country (by the way, this work was being awarded with Nobel Prize)

By Hayashi Fumiko -- Horoki ( "Diary of the vagabound" )
-- Suisen ( "The Late Chrysanthemum" )

By Higuchi Ichiyo -- Takekurabe ( "Growing Up" )

Check out this book as well : The Oxford book of Japanese short stories / edited by Theodore W. Goossen. It contains many short literature works by Japanese writers, including works by Yoshitomo Banana and Haruki Murakami. Highly recommended reads are "Sansho the steward", "The Accordian and the fish town", "The Izu Dancer" and "Toddler Hunting".

Oh... those i have recommended above have English translations if you don't read Japanese. By the way, are u Japanese or is Himura just a nickname?

Enjoy reading! :)

[remuka]

Ok, here are few of my favourites, all traduced in english (i guess... but i don't know the english titles, sorry).

- Natsume Sôseki, "Kokoro"
Trough the description of the relationship between a "disciple" and a "master" , a very sensitive love story, in the beginning of the 20th century.

- Murakami Ryû, "Coin lockers babies"
Nihilistic vision of young people future, life and hopes. I think this one is his best book, quite pessimistic...

- Kobo Abe, "Sunna no onna"
Enthomogist trapped in a pit in the dunes, and forced to live with a woman he doesn't konw... A kind of "huis-clos" on the beach.

- Akutagawa Ryunosuke, "Rashômon"
The novel which was adapted by Kurosawa Akira for his famous movie. He wrote many short novels, which are getting darker and darker as he felt into his obessions...

[Himura]

MORE MORE!!!

[ShaShing2069]

I reccomend "Battle Royale," by Koushun Takami. It's been translated from Japanese into English. There is also a manga by the same name, it's based on the book.

[Codruta]

Since you first asked about Japanese authors, I'll start from there, too. I liked Sei Shonagon's "Pillow Book", because it showed me a remarkable image of ancient Japan. Her sensibility is similar to that of Murasaki Shikibu ("Genji Monogatari"), whom it has been written before.
From the modern times, I would strongly reccomend you Oe Kenzaburo, whose books are really deep. Personally, I don-t really enjoy Haruki Murakami, because I consider his books a bit comercial.
Other authors...non_Japanese...Try Gabriel Garcia Marquez, "A Hundred Years of Solitude", Patrick Suskind, "The Perfume", Mircea Cartarescu, "Nostalgia".
It would be easier for me to reccomend youa book if you told me a book tou enjoyed very much.:note:

[ben0a4]

Any of u know some books of edogawa rampo? (ENGLISH TRANSLATION) i've read a small book with some of his collected works , small stories and i'd like to read more of him~~

~~100th post ~~;) :clap:

[˜r”’–VŽå]

I like Endo Shusaku a lot. My favorites are ŠC‚Æ“Å–ò (The Sea and Poison) and ’¾–Ù (Silence). He is kind of under rated but is a great author and west quite well known in the west due to his interest in graham greene and the intersection of catholicism and japanese culture. The Sea and Poison is rather intense, about the vivisection of american soldiers by japanese doctors.

Mishima Yukio is really good. There is a film by Paul Schrader about his life and work that is worth seeing if you can find it.
I enjoy Murakami (Haruki and Ryuu) as well as Banana but they are kind of light weight reading. There is a compilation called Monkey Brain Sushi (i think) that has some good short stories.

ill think some more later im tired

˜r”’–VŽå

[hamsun]

first off...anything by tanizaki junichiro (makioka sisters, quicksand, naomi, diary of a mad old man)....also check out "the sailor who fell from grace with the sea" by mishima yukio...

[hamsun]

Originally posted by Ami
hmmm... well, I do like this one Japanese Author named Banana Yoshimoto. I read a couple of her books like "Kicten" and "Amrita". They're really good too. Oh and you should check out "Lizard". http://abyss.hubbe.net/banana/bio.html http://hanami-web.com/img/book1.gif


...but i tried to like her work but it seemed like it was for 14 year old girls...like the brittany spears of writers

try tanizaki, mishima, dazai, akutagawa etc.

[Himura]

Yukio Mishima is esspecial...true :cool:

[samuraitora]

excellent recommendations...looks like I have a lot of reading to do.

[madp]

Originally posted by teardrop
well... i've studied Japanese literature before and these are a few of my favorites...

By Kawabata Yasunari -- Snow Country (by the way, this work was being awarded with Nobel Prize)

Thousand Cranes - by Kawabata Yasunari is pretty amazing too. Easier to understand than Snow Country;)

[zembuwakaru]

I highly recommend the following books on Japan.
1. "Welcome to the Puppet Show" by Robb McMullan. This book is really quite extraordinary and it's actually my all-time favorite book about Japan. Very intelligent and balanced illustration and analysis of society and business practises in Japan. Unfortunately, it's really hard to find as it's out of print now.
2. "Bushido, The Spirit of the Samurai" by Inazo Nitobe. This is the classic book about samurai warriors, written by someone who lived during their time
3. "Inventing Japan: 1853-1964" by Ian Buruma. This is a good historical survey of modern japanese history. It explains a lot about why Japan is so powerful today.