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mearord's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I liked it, and it had some stories by my pookie bears.
katiezack's review against another edition
4.0
Spent a full month slowly working through these stories and am so happy I took the time. February is always dreary but this book brought a lot of warmth and comfort.
It’s hard to summarize or review 35 very different stories but as a collection they were whimsical, odd, heartbreaking, unsettling, and made me feel nostalgic for things I can’t put my finger on. They just have a quality about them that is hard to define and so refreshing.
Highlights:
The Story of Tomoda and Matsunaga - Tanizaki Jun’ichirō
In the Box - Kōno Taeko
Unforgettable People - Kunikida Doppo
Hell Screen - Akutagawa Ryūnosuke
Filling Up With Sugar - Sawanishi Yūten
Pink - Hoshino Tomoyuki
It’s hard to summarize or review 35 very different stories but as a collection they were whimsical, odd, heartbreaking, unsettling, and made me feel nostalgic for things I can’t put my finger on. They just have a quality about them that is hard to define and so refreshing.
Highlights:
The Story of Tomoda and Matsunaga - Tanizaki Jun’ichirō
In the Box - Kōno Taeko
Unforgettable People - Kunikida Doppo
Hell Screen - Akutagawa Ryūnosuke
Filling Up With Sugar - Sawanishi Yūten
Pink - Hoshino Tomoyuki
kate_cunningham's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
dylankakoulli's review against another edition
4.0
Wonderful and varied collection of well written short stories.
Surprisingly I’d say it’s a 70:30 split (good v bad -or not so good) as well -so that’s a bonus !
4 stars
Surprisingly I’d say it’s a 70:30 split (good v bad -or not so good) as well -so that’s a bonus !
4 stars
bluehairedraven's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
arfserra's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
"Leftover" 2022 read. Like any short stories collection, I had some favorites and some not-so-good.
I'm a fan of Japanese art, anime, and games but haven't read a lot of literature beyond Murakami and Kawakami, so it was fun to try and identify the common cultural threads. I found the atomic bombing-related stories incredibly hard to read, proof of how powerful narratives can be.
I'm a fan of Japanese art, anime, and games but haven't read a lot of literature beyond Murakami and Kawakami, so it was fun to try and identify the common cultural threads. I found the atomic bombing-related stories incredibly hard to read, proof of how powerful narratives can be.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
athoughtfulrecord's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
mandkips's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Ableism, and Child abuse
Moderate: Sexual content and Murder
ben_smitty's review against another edition
4.0
I decided to pick up this anthology after realizing I knew next to nothing about Japanese literature even though I did my thesis on Shusaku Endo.
The Penguin Book of Japanese Short Stories is a thematic anthology of mostly modern Japanese short stories. Themes include "Japan and the West", "Loyal Warriors", "Men and Women", "Nature and Memory", "Modern Life and Other Nonsense", "Dread", and "Disasters, Natural and Man-made," which are all important themes in Japanese literature. A couple of the stories stuck out as impressionable, but most were hit or miss. Still, I could clearly see how these important themes found themselves in Endo's works, especially the stories written post-WWII.
The Penguin Book of Japanese Short Stories is a thematic anthology of mostly modern Japanese short stories. Themes include "Japan and the West", "Loyal Warriors", "Men and Women", "Nature and Memory", "Modern Life and Other Nonsense", "Dread", and "Disasters, Natural and Man-made," which are all important themes in Japanese literature. A couple of the stories stuck out as impressionable, but most were hit or miss. Still, I could clearly see how these important themes found themselves in Endo's works, especially the stories written post-WWII.
undine1046's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5