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A review by blumoonie
Modern Japanese Literature: From 1868 to the Present Day, Volume 2 by Dnald Keene
5.0
it is difficult to find many of these author's works available in english, so this was incredibly refreshing. i read a select few stories:
growing up (higuchi ichiyo)
how higuchi managed to introduce such a varied and interesting cast of characters in such a short period of time is a mystery, especially considering how deeply I grew to care for them. it made the end of this story sadder than I expected- change is never easy, but oh this change was hard.
old gen (kunikida doppo)
prose-like and tragic, this story explores unrequited love from a different perspective- familial. part of me ached as I read it.
botchan (natsume soseki)
as this was only the first chapter of a longer novel (and apparently one of natsume's most famous), it is hard to tell exactly how I feel about the characters. I am intrigued, though, and will probably end up seeking out the full novel to read later.
one soldier (tayama katai)
a tragedy steeped in anti-war sentiment, this story ached and ached and ached.
the wild goose (mori ougai)
domestic scenes with an undercurrent of something slightly amiss, this is another small part of a larger work I should read eventually.
a tale of three who were blind (izumi kyuoka)
eerie, with the vibe of an old horror story. the imagery was beautifully constructed.
kesa and moritou (akutagawa ryunosuke)
the translator for this short story noted that akutagawa holds a "particular genius for the macabre," and this is a perfect example. the change in perspective was refreshing and the ending enough to make me shiver.
the firefly hunt (tanizaki junichiro)
a short snippet from light snow, this outtake is mostalgic and dreamy.
the mother of captain shigemoto (tanizaki junichiro)
another snippet from one of his longer works. this carried with it a strange sort of sadness; one stemming from resignation and hopelessness.
villon's wife (dazai osamu)
this short story maintained the semi-biographical nature of all of dazai's works, though rather than providing his usual perspective, we viewed these characters through the perspective of a wife.
growing up (higuchi ichiyo)
how higuchi managed to introduce such a varied and interesting cast of characters in such a short period of time is a mystery, especially considering how deeply I grew to care for them. it made the end of this story sadder than I expected- change is never easy, but oh this change was hard.
old gen (kunikida doppo)
prose-like and tragic, this story explores unrequited love from a different perspective- familial. part of me ached as I read it.
botchan (natsume soseki)
as this was only the first chapter of a longer novel (and apparently one of natsume's most famous), it is hard to tell exactly how I feel about the characters. I am intrigued, though, and will probably end up seeking out the full novel to read later.
one soldier (tayama katai)
a tragedy steeped in anti-war sentiment, this story ached and ached and ached.
the wild goose (mori ougai)
domestic scenes with an undercurrent of something slightly amiss, this is another small part of a larger work I should read eventually.
a tale of three who were blind (izumi kyuoka)
eerie, with the vibe of an old horror story. the imagery was beautifully constructed.
kesa and moritou (akutagawa ryunosuke)
the translator for this short story noted that akutagawa holds a "particular genius for the macabre," and this is a perfect example. the change in perspective was refreshing and the ending enough to make me shiver.
the firefly hunt (tanizaki junichiro)
a short snippet from light snow, this outtake is mostalgic and dreamy.
the mother of captain shigemoto (tanizaki junichiro)
another snippet from one of his longer works. this carried with it a strange sort of sadness; one stemming from resignation and hopelessness.
villon's wife (dazai osamu)
this short story maintained the semi-biographical nature of all of dazai's works, though rather than providing his usual perspective, we viewed these characters through the perspective of a wife.