Book Suggestions for The Japanese Literature 3 Challenge

June 1, 2009 by Bellezza

A Pale View of Hills by Ishiguro
A Personal Matter by Oe
A Quiet Life by Oe
After Dark by Murakami
All She Was Worth by Miyabe
Asleep by Yoshimoto
Be With You by Ichikawa
Beauty and Sadness by Kawabata
Beyond the Blossoming Field by Jun’ichi Watanabe
Dreaming Pachinko by Adamson
First Snow on Fuji by Kawabata
I am A Cat by Natsume
In The Miso Soup by Ryu Murakami
Kafka On The Shore by Murakami
Kitchen by Yoshimoto
Kokoro by Soseki
Kusamakura by Soseki
Nip the Buds, Shoot the Kids by Oe
Never Let Me Go by Ishiguro
Norwegian Wood by Murakami
Now You’re One Of Us by Nonami
Paprika by Yasutaka Tsutsu
Rashomon by Akutagawa
Remains of The Day by Ishiguro
Real World by Kirino
Rouse Up O Young Men of The New Age by Oe
Silence by Endo
Singing Shijimi Clams by Kojima
Singular Rebellion by Maruya
Snow Country by Kawabata
Some Prefer Nettles by Tanizaki
Supermarket by Azuchi
The Sound of Waves by Mishima
The Housekeeper and The Professor by Ogawa
Shipwrecks by Yoshimura
Strangers by Yamada
Tales of Moonlight and Rain by Ueda
Ten Nights’ Dreams by Soseki
The Bells of Nagasaki by Nagai
The Dancing Girl of Izu by Kawabata
The Diving Pool: Three Novellas by Ogawa
The Elephant Vanishes by Murakami
The Fox Woman by Johnson
The Old Capital by Kawabata
The Ocean In The Closet by Taniguchi
The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Basho
The Pillow Book by Shonagon
The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With The Sea by Mishima
The Setting Sun by Dazai
The Stationmaster by Asada
The Tale of Genji by Shikibu
The Tale of The Bamboo Cutter by Kawabata
The Temple of The Golden Pavilion by Mishima
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Murakami
The Woman In The Dunes by Abe
Thousand Cranes by Kawabata
Thirst for Love by Mishima
Totto-Chan: The Little Girl By The Window by Kuroyanagi
Underground: The Tokyo Gas Attack and the Japanese Psyche by Murakami
When The Emporer Was Divine by Otsuka
Yakuza Moon by Tendo

Posted in Japanese Literature Challenge 3 | 19 Comments

19 Responses

on July 9, 2009 at 12:48 am | Reply Mark David

Norwegian Wood and After Dark were my favorites from last year. Murakami is a genius
on July 9, 2009 at 7:14 am | Reply Bellezza

Mark, I haven’t read Norwegian Wood yet, but After Dark is practically a Must Read for everyone, isn’t it? It’s classic Murakami, but not so long that it becomes overwhelming for someone new to him. I have to say that Murakami is my new favorite author of the decade.
on July 24, 2009 at 6:07 am | Reply Mark David

Norwegian Wood, for me, is breathtaking. It’s my favorite Murakami and I really loved it. I guess it would be my very definition of a bittersweet love story. It’s different from Murakami’s other signature works in the sense that it hardly contains any surreal elements. I think its flavor is a bit similar to his other novel South of The Border West of the Sun, which they say is rather good too (perhaps I should read that for the challenge). As for After Dark, I really enjoyed its unique narrative style. It’s a masterpiece
- on July 26, 2009 at 5:06 pm | Reply Bellezza
  
  I would like to read Norwegian Wood, especially to see what Murakami does without the magical fantasy. What a gifted writer he is, to be able to write fiction as well as nonfiction. I can’t get enough of him; thank goodness I’ve just started!
on July 26, 2009 at 4:35 pm | Reply Michelle

Hi Bellezza,

I got your link from Mark David, and I’m loving the idea of this challenge! I’ve only read one book by Murakami (Dance Dance Dance), but I’m looking forward to reading more of his books this year, and it looks like there are a few more Japanese authors I can indulge in!

I’ll be coming back here in a couple of days definitely, to see what it’s going to take to join this challenge!
- on July 26, 2009 at 5:06 pm | Reply Bellezza
  
  Michelle, I’m so glad you stopped by! I left you a comment on your blog, but I really hope you’ll join in the challenge. You have so many books I want to read on your own list!
on July 26, 2009 at 5:15 pm | Reply Mel

I will for sure be dropping by at the end of the month to join the Japanese challenge. I already have After Dark on my TBR shelve and if I like it I will read his larger master works.
on July 31, 2009 at 9:33 am | Reply The Chic Geek

Wow, I appreciate the work it must have taken to put this list together with the links!

Thank you!
- on July 31, 2009 at 10:04 am | Reply Bellezza
  
  You are so welcome! I needed it myself.
on August 4, 2009 at 1:48 am | Reply Rebecca

I. Love. This. List. I am saving it to go through on Goodreads.
on August 4, 2009 at 7:58 am | Reply Bellezza

I love this list, too, and I can’t take credit for it. It’s gleaned from comments other participants have left on the Japanese challenges, with only a few suggestions of my own thrown in. Of course, that’s one of the main reasons we blog: to get new recommended titles, right? Besides the friendships, of course.
on August 9, 2009 at 1:49 pm | Reply Robyn

Just discovered your blog, I love Murakami’s writing, and have delved into Ishiguro, so think this challenge is an interesting one. Think I may partake in it…
on August 21, 2009 at 8:09 am | Reply madeleine

Hi Meredith

Thank-you so very much for the book mark.

I was able to buy a few Japanese novels through amazon market place

SUPERMARKET: A NOVEL
THE HOUSEKEEPER AND THE PROFESSOR: A NOVEL
COIN LOCKER BABIES
IN THE MISO SOUP
on August 22, 2009 at 6:06 pm | Reply Bellezza

Madeleine, I bought Supermarket at Amazon as well, although I haven’t read it yet. I just finished The Housekeeper and The Professer, and I loved it!!! Coin Locker Babies was very touching to my heart, as it deals with abandoned children: always a painful subject to me. I’ve not read In The Miso Soup yet. I’m looking forward to your thoughts when you finish what you’ve bought.
on August 30, 2009 at 8:31 am | Reply shoreacres

Bellezza,

I can be so slow sometimes ~ I’ve been trying to figure out how to do this challenge properly.

I’ve chosen a book – Yakuza Moon – but am uncertain… Do I post my choice, then read and review, or are we to choose and then add our name to the list when we’ve read and written the review? I think the latter’s the case, but just wanted to check.

I’ll actually be reading two books. Before reading Yakuza Moon I’ll be reading Yakuza by David Kaplan and Alec Dubro, which apparently has quite a reputation as a definitive work on the Yakuza.

I’ve smiled at the comments I’ve seen sprnkled through from folks who say “I don’t read non-fiction”. I’m the other end of the spectrum – I rarely read fiction (unless you count certain newspapers and op-ed pages). So, I’m backing my way into the literature challenge, and may give Murakami or Ishiguro a try after that.

I was glad to see Yakuza Moon on the list!
on August 30, 2009 at 11:08 am | Reply Bellezza

Shoreacres, you’re not slow one bit! As to a proper way, I don’t suppose there is one. I’m glad you’ve chosen Yakuza Moon; what a fascinating book! When you’ve finished it, and written your review, please leave a link to it on the Review Site (www.japlit3challenge.blogspot.com) so we can all read your thoughts.

I love how many different kinds of readers there are. You prefer nonfiction, I far prefer fiction. Together we make a world, encouraging and teaching one another.

It would be great if you tried Murakami, but be prepared: he’s REALLY fiction…like, into magical realism/fantasy sometimes.

Yakuza Moon will be one of the prizes, so I’m sure participants will be really excited to read your review.
on September 16, 2009 at 4:35 pm | Reply Amateur Reader

Bellezza, I would like to participate. I have found the perfect book for my blog, Ukigumo or Drifting Clouds (1887) by Futabatei Shimei. It’s considered the “first modern Japanese novel,” whatever that means. The authort translated Turgenev into Japanese, which, for me, is a good sign.

I haven’t the slightest idea if it’s actually any good, but I’ll give it a try and report back.
on September 20, 2009 at 9:31 am | Reply Bellezza

Amateur Reader, if Turgenev translated it, it’s bound to be good as you said. (I love Russian literature! I think I’ll host a Russian Literature reading challenge some year.) I thought The Tale of Genji was considered the first Japanese novel, but who knows. It certainly can’t be considered modern as you say Drifiting Clouds would be. I love what you bring to the challenge with all your interests and knowledge.
on September 20, 2009 at 9:49 am | Reply Amateur Reader

You’re right – The Tale of Genji is the first Japanese novel, and, perhaps, the first novel ever.

Drifting Clouds is the first modern Japanese novel. I’ve started the book and now see what that means – it’s the first Japanese novel to incorporate up-to-date Western ideas of novelistic structure and psychological realism. But it still feels Japanese, so it’s not just imitative.

It’s pretty good so far.