What are you reading in 2024?

I have finished two books from Japan this year so far.

The Village of Eight Graves - Seishi Yokomizo. 5 stars. That's three of Yokomizo's books read now and have thoroughly enjoyed all of them. The Devil's Flute Murders and Death on Gokumon Island sit on my TBR pile.

A Personal Matter - Kenzaburo Oe. 3 stars. After not enjoying The Silent Cry at all it was with some trepidation I read A Personal Matter. Oe is not really my cup of tea but A Personal Matter is a much better book in my opinion. Oe's style is very rich, as though he has given a lot of thought to almost every sentence. It lacks the simplicity and beauty I find in the works of other Japanese authors. A Personal Matter is not a particularly enjoyable read and it can be distasteful in places but he makes you think all the time. If you haven't read Oe and want to try him out I would choose A Personal Matter of these two to get started.

I've started reading this year with a couple of soccer manga Blue Lock and Sayonara, Football. Blue Lock doesn't reflect the ethos of soccer I enjoy and follow, but I think Sayonara while more juvenile is a much more enjoyable series for my taste. Still feeling out the world of manga, so I think that might appear on my list a bit more this year again.

Still making progress with Seventeen which is really good so far even if I get distracted with other books and work.

>1 Pendrainllwyn:
The Village of Eight Graves is my personal favorite of Yokomizo and I'm so happy that his works have been made readily available to the English speaking world.

I love Oe in general but what I particularly love is his tackling of so many different subject matters so while I hated and even abandoned The Silent Cry, I loved and raved about A Personal Matter and many of his works I have also highly recommended over the years.

>2 stretch:
I have read many soccer manga series (although most haven't been translated into English yet) as that is my favorite genre of manga! In fact, I actually collect soccer manga. I haven't started Blue Lock yet but I do own the first 3 volumes. I know it's not pure soccer -- in fact it turns into a battle manga -- but I like the absurd soccer manga series as much as I like the more realistic ones so I'm looking forward to starting it. For now though I have a few already completed series I would like to read first.

In terms of Japanese literature reading I have nothing lined up for the beginning of the year as I'm taking a bit of a break. If I can I'll try to finish Hunchback as I'd like to have it read before it gets announced for translation (there is no way it doesn't get picked up for translation) but other than that I'll wait till I have a natural desire to read Jpn lit again.

I'm reading an anthology named Fuyugomori, short stories connected by being set in wintertime in the Edo period. I got it based on the title alone for Japanese reading practice. The authors included are Shotaro Ikenami, Miyuki Miyabe, Seicho Matsumoto, Mikio Nanbara, Mari Ueza and Ichiriki Yamamoto.

Miyabe's mystery story (titled 鬼子母火 / きしぼび and I have no idea how to parse that) was delightful enough that Apparitions: Ghosts of Old Edo went right to the top of my to-buy list.

>3 lilisin: I can defintely see how Blue Lock will transition into a battle manga. And it defintely has a certain appeal, I might even return to the series later once I've got a better handle on the world of manga.

Just read The Cape and other stories from the Japanese Ghetto - Kenji Nakagami

A copy and paste from the 75 Book Challenge ...

The author was born into a burakumin (outcaste) community in Japan. The burakumin lived in small alleyways at the edge of town and many of the men worked as labourers in construction and women raised families and some were sold to work in the red light district. The characters of "The Cape" belong to an extended family. The protagonist's mother has married twice but he was born to a third man she didn't marry. The story is characterised by every day dialogue between these characters. The protagonist lives with half-brothers and sisters and his mother's new husband. He has no contact with his father yet he looms large. The story can be hard to follow as the characters are often referenced by their relationship to one another rather than their names. The family tree provided at the beginning was very valuable.

There are two other stories. "House on Fire" involves the same protagonist at a later stage in his life with his own family now but still drawing on his relationship with his father and his father's other children as well. From being admirably restrained in much of The Cape, here he increasingly shows behaviours, drunkenness and violence, he witnessed in his extended family. Even with the family tree at times I found it hard to follow who was who. "Red Hair" is very sexually explicit, repeatedly. I think many people wouldn't like it at all.

These stories are very different from anything else I have read from a Japanese author. The word discrimination doesn't appear in any of the stories but they all seem to be about identity, the identity of the burakumin community or the protagonist's personal search for identity within an extended family of half-brothers and sisters and a father who he sees around but has no relationship with. Nakagami won the prestigious Akutagawa Prize for The Cape.

I am not sure why I have written so much about this particular book. I guess I found the author and his work interesting. I hope my next book is more enjoyable/uplifting.

Greetings. I was quite thrilled to find this group pop up as a suggestion. Always pressed for time but savor reading.

I would share with lilisin that Shotaro Ikenami is an absolute favorite of mine. I have read him in translation but have since lost my two volumes. I may try to read him in the original but time will tell. If you do enjoy the Baian stories, there is an old series from Japan when Watanabe Ken was young in the lead role. The series is called Baian the Assassin: Collector's Box and truly enjoyable. The dark aspect is played down and the character is far more likable than in the stories.

I will share my 2024 reading goal in another post.

Best.

>7 SRB5729:

Thanks for the recommendation and feel free to post in many of the threads around here.
It's great to get some activity around here.

I quite enjoyed The Inugami Curse many years ago. I may go to read through the Detective Kindaichi Mysteries over a bit of time. I have many demands but really want to work a few items into rotation.

I am thinking of starting Kawabata's The Sound of the Mountain soon. I read The Master of Go some time ago and plan to reread that as well.

I recently lived in Tokyo for 3 years and having lived there for even that short period it really changed my perception of the country and made me, I believe, more sensitive to additional nuance or layers in some stories.

I loved The Inugami Curse and have liked all three Kindaichi books I have read.

Snow Country is the only Kawabata I have read. I am keen to try another and both Master of Go and The Sound of the Mountain sound like they are worth a try.

i am happy to time reading Kawabata as a discussion thread here. i would happily read Master of Go again.

>11 SRB5729: Good suggestion. As lilisin mentioned it's great to have some life on here. Don't wait for me but I am up for that. I don't have the book and live in a county where there's not much choice of literature written in English so I order from overseas in bulk. I have just bought a whole bunch of books so won't be ordering again soon but when I have the book I will see if you are still up for it.

I lived in Tokyo for 6 1/2 years. Loved it.

I started The Sound of the Mountain and it already has be seeing parts of Japan again mentally. I am enjoying Kawabata's sparse writing style. Somehow it conveys very vividly. Once I get farther along, I will post a new thread. Best.

Hi, I have only just got into reading Japanese books. My first Japanese book in the raw Japanese was called, Yureru, by Japanese rockstar, TK from Ling tosite sigure. It was splendid! I wish he had talked more about himself. LoL.

Since that I have gotten interested in reading more and more Japanese books. My latest is a novel. Idol, Burning by Rin Usami. I just posted a review for the book on my blog:
https://thehugeanifan.wordpress.com/2024/03/23/idol-burning-by-rin-usami-japanes...

I am glad I am able to change my blog focus to doing Japanese book reviews on my blog since Japanese literature does not get much attention. Can't wait to change that!

>14 BookLoverC:

Welcome to Japanese literature. Hope you stay a long time! :)

>14 BookLoverC: Welcome. It can be a touch quiet here.

Since my last post I have read.

The Miracles of the Namiya General Store - Keigo Higashino An enjoyable read. I preferred it to Malice. In case it's not your thing there is a lot of going back and forth in time.

The Thief - Fuminori Nakamura. I didn't like My Annihilation at all so I was pleasantly surprised to really enjoy this story of a pick-pocket getting caught up with more dangerous people. I don't finish many books in a day but I raced through this.

Taken Captive: A Japanese POW's Story - Ooka Shohei. Some of this autobiographical account was really interesting. Some of it mundane. I read The Great Escape by Paul Brickhill earlier this year. Many will be familiar with the movie. Both tales of a prisoner of war in the second world war. The books are very different on many levels. As one example, Brickhill found positives in most of his fellow prisoners, Ooka the reverse. I am doubtful I will read Fires on the Plain now even though it seems to have better reviews.

Recently I've read The Lonely Castle In The Mirror, by Mizuki Tsujimura. I really like the book! I've also read Fox Tales, by Tomihiko Morimi. A good book of Japanese tales, which I also loved! The final book i've read was Temple Alley Summer, by Sachiko Kashiwaba. I actually did not like this book as much as the others I mentioned, but still a decent book.

>16 Pendrainllwyn:

I didn't really enjoy the one Fuminori Nakamura book I read and am in no rush to read another at this moment.

Taken Captive is a great comparison read to My Hitch in Hell as you can compare the different experience of a Japanese POW to the American army, and an American POW to the Japanese army. The shocking comparison between Ooka's and Tenney's experience really add to the reading experience.

On that note I would not not read Fires on the Plain. It's a masterpiece of writing and a harrowing, terrifying read.

>16 Pendrainllwyn: I haven’t read Ooka’s POW account, but I will second Lillisn endorsement of not not reading Fires on the Plain. It’s a disturbing and harrowing accounting of the terrible toll of war on an individual. A classic in themes on anti war works. It’s one of those books that have stuck with me in every detail long after the last page.

>18 lilisin: "It's a masterpiece of writing and a harrowing, terrifying read." Oh. Well that kind of work appeals to me. You have changed my mind! Maybe Ooka is more liberated in Fires on the Plain than in Taken Captive where he seemed compelled to cover daily routines and describe all his immediate inmates no matter how how much he disliked them.

My Hitch in Hell sounds very interesting. I have added it to my wish-list. Thank you very much for the suggestion.

>19 stretch: Oh. A second recommendation against. I will seek out My Hitch in Hell first. Thanks.

"It’s one of those books that have stuck with me in every detail long after the last page." On second thoughts that sounds like a good reason to read the book !

Hi, everyone! I read different genres, including Japanese fiction and manga. It's nice to find a group dedicated to Japanese literature on LT.

When it comes to Japanese fiction, so far this year, I have read The Great Passage.

Some thoughts:

“A dictionary is a ship that crosses a sea of words.”

Here is a book about people who are in love with words, here is a book about the making of a dictionary. It’s heart-warming, geeky, poignant, funny. There are lots and lots of cool details about Japanese language, meanings of various words, and the process of editing and publishing a dictionary. My inner geeks and nerds were very happy.

When Aroki the editor has to retire and needs a successor, he knows that “my task is to find someone who loves dictionaries as much as I do – no, more.” Enter Majime, a walking definition of nerdiness and geekiness. Here he is, at a welcome dinner with his new colleagues:

“What’s your hobby, Majime?" Nishioka boldly asked, searching for a friendly ouverture.
“If I had to pick something, I guess it would be watching people get on the escalator.”

Silence descended on the table.

(There is an excellent explanation for this fascination with escalators, don’t you worry.)

For Majime, this is a story of finding his calling, his agency, a life he loves. Watching it happen is a pleasure. The romance is understated and cute. When it turns out that there is a potential love interest for Majime (Kaguya – she is a chef, and she is not letting anyone “interfere with her world”), the editorial team has to go and check her out. What if she doesn’t understand the lifestyle of dedication that lexicography needs? I really don’t know what this says about these people… ahem. By the way, Majime, when a girl you adore asks you out, you don’t start thinking about the deeper meanings of two similar verbs so that you forget to answer. Just a thought.

I like it when an annoying and obnoxious character becomes someone you can root for, just because the author switches POV.

“Majime was incapable of flattery. Since Majime had said it, Nishioka could believe it: he was needed. He wasn’t a deadweight after all. He felt a burst of joy and pride.
Majime had turned back to his desk with an unconcerned look on his face, little suspecting that he had been Nishioka’s salvation.”

Of course, there are deeper things at play here than just the process of dictionary-making. Words and language define us, connect us, define the world around us, and influence how we see the world. In the end there is sadness and joy, tragedy and a sense of accomplishment, and work that has neither a beginning nor an end.

“Words gave things form so they could rise out of the dark sea.”

5 stars!

After that, I decided to read Kokoro, because characters in The Great Passage talked about it.

Some thoughts:

The writing is like looking at the sea, seeing the waves come and go. The rhythm lulls you and you follow along, almost despite yourself. It feels both light and heavy, simple and very intricate.

This short novel has 110 chapters. The reader can take a breath in between, reading slower, reflecting, letting thoughts settle for a moment. I liked that.

There are three stories here:

📖 The unnamed young narrator who meets and comes to admire an older man he calls Sensei. “Admire” is the wrong word, though, it is more of an intellectual obsession born out of loneliness and an undefined youthful longing for “something else”. A very strange, yet compelling, friendship dance follows, with the narrator always wanting more, and with Sensei always drawing back.

“...whenever some unexpected terseness of his shook me, my impulse was to press forward with the friendship. It seemed to me that if I did so, my yearning for the possibilities of all he had to offer would someday be fulfilled.”

There are hints of tragedy and dark secrets in Sensei’s past, and his marriage is a melancholy thing. Sensei seems to fear the young man’s admiration.

“The memory of having sat at someone’s feet will later make you want to trample him underfoot. I am trying to fend off your admiration for me, you see, in order to avoid your future contempt.”

📖 The narrator coming to his parents’ home to be with his dying father. These are harrowing chapters. Young man’s time with Sensei has corrupted him somehow, I feel, made him less of who he should be. The decision he makes at the end of Part 2 is impulsive and rash. We never see its aftermath, making it all the more tragic.

📖 The third story is Sensei’s letter, his confession. The love story has a lovely beginning. “Whenever I saw her face, I felt that I myself had become beautiful.” I found the portrayal of romantic love in a misogynic society interesting. How does a clever, sensitive man reconcile romantic love with his contempt for women in general? (He tries. He doesn’t, not really.)
With the love triangle in place, the story turns ugly. It is about people unable to express their feelings and talk to each other about them. This evolves into an emotional impotence and an inability to act when you need to (it gets tedious for the reader, though).Words said and words unsaid destroy everyone involved.

“Words are not just vibrations in the air, they work more powerfully than that, on more powerful objects.”

Sensei does a vile, dishonourable thing. After that, his life is but an imitation of one.

It’s interesting how things authors don’t show you can still be powerful – we never see the young man’s reaction to the letter, but just thinking about it hits you hard.

I feel melancholy after finishing, but I liked the experience of reading this classic.

4.5 stars

it's been a busy year, so far:

Japanese Children's Favorite Stories , Florence Sakade
"The Boy in the Earth", Fuminori Nakamura, Allison Markin Powell (Translator)
Cult X, Fuminori Nakamura, Kalau Almony (Translator)
The Rope Artist, Fuminori Nakamura, Sam Bett, (Translator)
Renegade Edo and Paris: Japanese Prints and Toulouse-Lautrec, Xiaojin Wu
The Flowers of Buffoonery, Osamu Dazai, Sam Bett, (Translator)

and have on order:

Haruki Murakami's new novel, The City and Its Uncertain Walls

On Kokoro, by Natsume Soseki---this is one my favorite books, and I've been re-reading it annually for the past twenty-five years or so. It works on so many different levels. Spend months afterwards thinking about it.

On Fuminori Nakamura---I've read him since "The Thief" (2009), also called "Suri" ("Pickpocket"), Fuminori Nakamura, Satoko Izumo (Translator), and have found him challenging, much in the same way Natsuo Kirino and Ryū Murakami are.

I finished Silent Parade, another mystery in Detective Galileo series by Keigo Higashino.

Some thoughts:

First things first: it was nice to meet the familiar characters again. Yukawa, Kusanagi, Utsumi. As the series progresses, the detectives are getting better and better at their jobs. This is shown very well. Kusanagi certainly knows how to interrogate a suspect! Yukawa is still the smartest person in any room, though.

I really liked the police procedural parts, and conversations between Yukawa and Kusanagi, Yukawa and Utsumi.

“What’s all this about? Come on, tell me.”
“It’s so blindingly obvious, I really shouldn’t need to.”

“You shouldn’t be the one to decide if your idea is stupid or not. And you certainly don’t want to rush to judgment about something being impossible. Buried inside a crazy idea, you can often find useful hints for solving problems. You should come out and say it, and see what a third party has to say.”

As for the mystery itself, there are two missing person cases that seem to be connected. There is grief, trauma, perseverance in the face of grief and dreams of revenge. The investigation proceeds, and the case becomes more and more convoluted. Reader: I understand what happened! Author: No, you don’t. Reader: Well, I understand now. Author: Trust me, you don’t. Reader: Oh. Now I know what happened. Author: You don’t, I told you!”

Putting the puzzle together is very interesting, but gets too convoluted. I lost track of all the characters who were not the detectives and wasn’t emotionally involved, except in the end – unlike other books by this author I had read. The story is very dark, but I was more interested in the solving of the mystery than in feeling things.

I think I am left with 3.7 stars rounded up to 4. Flawed Keigo Higashino is still better than many other things out there.

P.S. I am still planning to read everything by Keigo Higashino that had been published/will be published in English.

Japanese Women Poets: an Anthology edited by Hiroaki Sato. A very enlightening read - I was mostly familiar with the earlier eras but not the Meiji-Shōwa period and found quite a few writers to look closer into if I ever find the time.