Japanese Lit in Translation

I have a book called "Japanese Tales of Mystery & Imagination" by Edogawa Rampo, a kind of Japenese version of Egdar Allen Poe, seriously. His story the "Hauman Chair" is very creppy, and er, more than slightly kinky.

I've read Kawabata's 'Snow Country' but didn't care all that much for it. How do those other works compare, stylistically?

For mysteries, any of Matsumoto Seicho's books are great. Takagi Akimitsu is also highly recommended, especially 'Honeymoon to Nowhere'.

My favorite Japanese author is undoubtebly Natsume Soseki. Actually, he's my favorite author in general.

Tanizaki Junichiro's 'Naomi' is good.

Oe, Kawabata, and Mishima have never done much for me, but they're certainly well regarded.

I've been going through Vertical Press's (they do Kitakata) catalog and picking out the ones that I found most interesting. I just read Koji Suzuki's 'Paradise' (he does the 'Ring' books, which I haven't read), and Taichi Yamada's 'Strangers'. I went through both of them quickly, though I think Strangers feels a bit dated.

The Japanese Literature Publishing Project is a good resource:
http://www.jlpp.jp/e_published.html

I assume so. What do you mean?

I have a book called "Japanese Tales of Mystery & Imagination" by Edogawa Rampo, a kind of Japenese version of Egdar Allen Poe, seriously.

edogawa rampo is literally the japanese version of edgar allen poe, that being the japanization of the name. i still haven't read that book but my wife loved it.

everything i've read by kobo abe has been great.

Reading, "The Old Capital" by Kawabata, it's pretty enjoyable - all kimonos and sadness, not at all turgid like "Snow Country".

Also bought "No Longer Human" by Osamu Dazai.

Tell me some Japanese books to read. I blazed through Mishima and Oe ten years ago but haven't investigated further.

Love: Mishima "After The Banquet", "The Sound Of Waves", "Temple", "Sailor", short stories; Oe "A Personal Matter", "Nip The Buds", "Teach Us To Outgrow", "The Silent Cry"; Kawabata "The Master of Go", "Snow Country".
Hate: Shusako Endo, Murakami, Ishiguro etc.

I haven't read any Junichiro or Soseki but I've ordered "The Makioka Sisters" and "Kokoro". Tell me more.

http://blogcritics.org/book-review-diary-of-a-mad/

i've not read makioka but the ichikawa film is on bluray and worth seeing, it is a 'modern classic' in japan and frequently adapted aiui

clouds knows this area better than i do, he should be able to recommend some more

I think I've read all Mishima available in English apart from the plays: I'd recommend "Sun and Steel" the Tetralogy next which I'm sure I'll find bits of it iffy whenever I get round to a re-read but I really like it a lot.

Kawabata: "Beauty and Sadness". I also want to read "The Scarlet Gang of Asakusa".

Never really got into "I am a Cat". Not sure I'll ever get round to "Makioka Sisters".

late xp: i really don't! part of an apprehension to read japanese things in translation but currently and for the foreseeable future, not skillful enough to read in the original

Really enjoyed Arthur Waley's translation (I think it was him anyway) of a play called Atsumori, got my hands on a Penguin Classics collection of Noh Dramas too. Difficult to visualise the stage sets and symbolic positioning and fan-waving but the concision of the plots is amazing

"The Sound of the Mountain" was my fave Kawabata, prob due for a reread tbh.
Akutagawa's gr8, as is Abe ("Woman in the Dunes", "The Ark Sakura"). Does yr Murakami hate encompass Ryu as well as Haruki? If not, "Almost Transparent Blue" might be worth yr time.

Finished Kokoro by Soseki and that is amazing.

Has anyone read his unfinished novel Light and Darkness?

Feeling the need to track down No Longer Human by Dazai.

i've been reading kawabata at the rate of one book every two months

favorite so far is sound of the mountain

'no longer human' is great!

kokoro is one of my all-time favorites, but have only read the english translation. can't wait to be able to read sōseki in the original.

clouds - it was you listing this on another thread that got me thinking I should give Soseki another go (I didn't like I am a Cat)

i got abt halfway through that one before giving up, too "funny"

I sadly finished it because I'm too dumb to give up on books.

https://www.tcj.com/natsume-soseki-and-manga/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=natsume-soseki-and-manga#easy-footnote-bottom-2-165782

This is a very nice essay about a mother-daughter team (from the daughter) on their collaboration when translating quite a few Japanese novels to Swedish.

https://swedishbookreview.org/joy-translating-gone

Ok piece on Kawabata, his feud with Dazai, etc.

https://libertiesjournal.com/articles/the-high-art-of-distance/