Currently Reading Showing 51-100 of 1,285

[Ivana]

Thanks, I thought so...I hope to find it soon and read it....

[[deleted user]]

Michael wrote: "Brad wrote: "I loved "The Master of Go". I was interested in the game and now after reading this book I am definitely going a buy a board. Kawabata was a master as well."

i loved master of go as well- i even tried to learn the game, though did not pursue it. the idea of understanding by intuition that exceeds all calculation, is very beautiful. and why no go computer programs can compete with human masters, as it is magnitudes more complex than chess but easy enough to understand for a child. "

I am going to purchase a board, but I will have some difficulty in finding others to play or learn to play with me. I am not living in the most cosmopolitan of towns at the moment. And yes the intuitive part of playing intrigues me. In that aspect it is similar to martial arts or in my case Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

[Yassemin]

Currently reading Saturday by Ian Mcewan as I didn't have any Japanese stuff to read until yesterday. I've bought Norwegian Wood, will probs read it next.

[Ivana]

I plan to read Saturday sometime. I loved On Chesil Beach and Amsterdam.

[Yassemin]

Well unfortunately I gave up, couldn't get into it but I plan on picking up some more by him, just this one wasn't for me. I'm looking forward to picking Amsterdam and The Comfort of Strangers up in particular!

[Kyokugaisha]

I am about to start Temple of the Golden Pavilion by Yukio Mishima. Could be heavy going but I shall be brave. Wish me luck.

[[deleted user]]

Kyokugaisha wrote: "I am about to start Temple of the Golden Pavilion by Yukio Mishima. Could be heavy going but I shall be brave. Wish me luck."

I really enjoyed that book. I hope you do as well.

[Ivana]

Yas wrote: "Well unfortunately I gave up, couldn't get into it but I plan on picking up some more by him, just this one wasn't for me. I'm looking forward to picking Amsterdam and The Comfort of Strangers up i..."

There is a movie The Comfort of Strangers which I didn't like..Also, I saw Enduring love... But wasn't very interesting... I prefer to read his work.

[Yassemin]

Me too. I heard Enduring Love as a movie wasn't very good. I think his writing is probably better than what a film could portray.

[Ivana]

I agree.. Maybe it is because we imagine and create our own characters while we are reading and then we are disappointed after seeing it on the screen?

[Yassemin]

Yeah I think thats it. Also with the way Mcewan writes, stream of consciousness style in parts (like Saturday), its hard to imagine it being possible to actually translate it onto screen!

[[deleted user]]

I haven't read any of Ian Mcewan's books, but I have seen the movie Enduring Love. The movie was okay, but the opening scene was fantastic.

[Ivana]

I. Mcewan is a writer whose style is clear, simple with sentences just flowing.. Almost poetry. But I must admit, even though I haven't read '' Atonement'' I liked the movie... Fantastic plot and acting...

[[deleted user]]

I will look for one of his books the next time I am at the used book store. Any recommendations?

[Phil]

Brad wrote: "Michael wrote: "Brad wrote: "I loved "The Master of Go". I was interested in the game and now after reading this book I am definitely going a buy a board. Kawabata was a master as well."

i loved m..."
In case you want to check it out there is an excellent site for playing live games of go against others on the web. You can also start by just observing.

http://www.gokgs.com/

[Yassemin]

Ivana wrote: "I. Mcewan is a writer whose style is clear, simple with sentences just flowing.. Almost poetry. But I must admit, even though I haven't read '' Atonement'' I liked the movie... Fantastic plot and..."

Yeah I liked the movie Atonement. It was good!

Brad- Atonements probably your best bet. Most people seem to like that one. I preferred Enduring love but Atonement is his bigger one.

[[deleted user]]

Phil wrote: "In case you want to check it out there is an excellent site for playing live games of go against others on the web. You can also start by just observing.

http://www.gokgs.com/ "

Thank you Phil. I will look into this. I like the fact that you can observe before committing to a game.

Yas- Thank you for your suggestion. I will read Atonement first.

[Praj]

Works of Lafcadio Hearn.

[Xarah]

I just started "The Changeling" by Kenzaburo Oe. It's pretty good - I'm about 50 pages in!

[P.]

Currently reading:

'Amulet' Roberto Bolano
'Retromancer' Robert Rankin
'Madame Bovary' Gustave Flaubert

All very different. All very good so far. No Japanese lit at the moment I'm afraid.

[Praj]

Xarah wrote: "I just started "The Changeling" by Kenzaburo Oe. It's pretty good - I'm about 50 pages in!"

I'm trying to get my hands on it.The reviews are brilliant.

[Raven]

Just finished up Snow Country and Thousand Cranes by Yasunari Kawabata. Now I'm working on Death in Midsummer and The Temple of the Golden Pavilion by Yukio Mishima.

[Ivana]

Raven wrote: "Just finished up Snow Country and Thousand Cranes by Yasunari Kawabata. Now I'm working on Death in Midsummer and The Temple of the Golden Pavilion by Yukio Mishima."

How did you like Snow Country and Thousand Cranes by Yasunari Kawabata?

[Raven]

Ivana wrote: "How did you like Snow Country and Thousand Cranes by Yasunari Kawabata? "

I think I liked Snow Country a bit more, but both were very amazing. I'm really liking the way Kawabata writes relationships and scenery so far. Everything is in kind of simple language, but it has so many layered meanings. Though I was a bit confused by the endings in both. But I'm going to try and get ahold of some more of his books like Beauty and Sadness soon.

[Ivana]

Beauty and Sadness , definitely. It is my favorite...

[[deleted user]]

I started The Samurai by Shusaku Endo. I haven't gotten very far into it, but it is very good so far.

Raven I am curious what you think of The Temple of the Golden Pavilion. I enjoyed that book very much. Also I have not read any Kawabata that I did not think amazing so far.

[Ivana]

Brad wrote: "I started The Samurai by Shusaku Endo. I haven't gotten very far into it, but it is very good so far.

Raven I am curious what you think of The Temple of the Golden Pavilion. I enjoyed that book ve..."

Well, you should give it a try, for Kawabata

[[deleted user]]

Ivana wrote: Well, you should give it a try, for Kawabata "

I have read Beauty and Sadness. It is a very good book, but not my favorite Kawabata novel.

[[deleted user]]

Parrish wrote: "If you're enjoying Samurai, have you tried the Sea & Poison or Glass Stained Elegies, both really good reads."

I saw a copy of Sea & Poison at a used book store today and I passed on it. I should have gotten it, but I do that sometimes. Plus I just started college and it has been twenty years since I was in school so I am trying not to acquire more to read books than I already own. It has been difficult.

[Brian R.]

I read and collect fiction and literature which have scenes of the game of Go. Besides introducing me to many Japanese masterworks, from Kawabata to Soseki to Genji, it has also caused me to discover various popular writers such as the mystery writers Dale Furutani, Sujata Massey and Laura Joh Rowland. I have a shelf of slightly over 200 books in English [including those translated from Japanese, Chinese or Korean] which reference the game, If anyone knows of any obscure references of which I might not be aware, I'd love to hear about them.

[Margarete]

Dale Furutani's Samurai series is the best! He brought in so much of the culture and morals of bushido. I also loved the way he connected with the Japanese camps in the USA during the war.

[Brian R.]

I agree. I don't know why he stopped writing, but I wish he would quit [quit stopping, that is].

[Margarete]

Ivana wrote: "Has anyone read Snow Country?"
It was good. More about someone who has everything and is still very shallow.

[Margarete]

Brian R. wrote: "I agree. I don't know why he stopped writing, but I wish he would quit [quit stopping, that is]."
I totally agree. Maybe he just had this limited number of books in him and then he ran dry.

[4cats]

Henning Mankell's The Dogs of Riga. Was disappointed in my last outing of Japanese fiction which was Taichi Yamada's I haven't Dreamed of Flying for a While, I loved Strangers, but couldn't get away with this read.

[Kamakana]

has anyone read japanese sf that is not manga? i have read of but not read some, only title i remember is japan sinks. i know much japanese work follows the fantastic without usual genre differences in western lit, but what about 'hard' sf?

[4cats]

thegift wrote: "has anyone read japanese sf that is not manga? i have read of but not read some, only title i remember is japan sinks. i know much japanese work follows the fantastic without usual genre differenc..."

you could try Usurper of the Sun by Housuke Nojiri, Issui Ogawa maybe worth a punt as well.

[Praj]

Shadowings - Lafcadio Hearn.I haven't read Murakami for a while. Maybe re-read Sputnik Sweetheart.One of my fav.Murakami.

[Elaine]

Runaway Horses. I meant to read all of The Sea of Fertility this year...don't think I'll make it :)

[4cats]

am thinking of reading norwegian wood, try to spread murakami out so i'll always have something to look forward to reading, man is a genius.

[Brian R.]

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, set in Nagasaki in 1700. Excellent so far. I have somewhat put it aside to finish Shadow of the Wind, but Thousand Autumns seemed more appropriate to list for this group discussion.

[Satria]

I'm about to start Mishima's Forbidden Colors but i just feel confused by the English version, every word seems to be too archaic for me.

I love Murakami's "Wind-up Bird Chronicle", but there is something remains in my mind after i read that book and it is a phrase: "wind-up bird". I'm still guessing what is the meaning of the phrase in that novel actually.

[N.]

I'm reading No Longer Human, and not sure whether I'm enjoying it or not. The occasional phrase piques my interest, but overall I find Donald Keene's translation to make for slow going.

[Raven]

Just finished up The Woman in the Dunes by Kobo Abe. I really liked it, even though it made me feel very claustrophobic at times. Now I'm starting on The Master of Go by Yasunari Kawabata.

[Praj]

Thinking of starting Murakami's "Wind-up Bird Chronicle".It's been on the shelf for a while.

[Ivana]

It may seem strange but I've just bought my first Murakami's book '' After dark''... I am about to read it during Christmas holidays.. I am looking forward to it.......

[Selina]

Ivana wrote: "I've just bought my first Murakami's book '' After dark''.."
After dark was my first Murakami's book too. I did enjoy it. I am hoping to start on Norwegian Woods because a movie based on this novel is coming soon.

[Ivana]

Yes, the movie has just been released in Japan....
Hope to see it soon in Europe....

[Satria]

Oh my, Japanese books are really great!! I'm reading "Grotesque" Natsuo Kirino.

I can't wait, hope i can watch Norwegian Woods' movie.

[4cats]

Selina wrote: "Ivana wrote: "I've just bought my first Murakami's book '' After dark''.."
After dark was my first Murakami's book too. I did enjoy it. I am hoping to start on Norwegian Woods because a movie based..."
loved after dark love murakami