saroz162 's review for:

Night on the Galactic Railroad & Other Stories from Ihatov by Kenji Miyazawa

2.0

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...And here we have something which is probably very beautiful and lyrical in its original language, only to suffer from (what I assume to be) a basic and literal translation. These simply don't read easily, and while I can appreciate the imagery Miyazawa has provided, a somewhat more sympathetic translation is probably necessary to convey the full symbolism and artistry that Japanese readers have enjoyed for a century. Most of my previous knowledge of Miyazawa comes from the disconcerting anime adaptation of the title story, Night on the Galactic Railroad, and the adoption of the "Afterlife Express" trope throughout Japanese - and later Western - culture surely points to his influence. Were I ignorant of these facts, however, the writing in this slim volume could only come over as stilted and awkward. I suspect there are better translations available.