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Sep 06, 2023 05:07PM
Reading Persona: A Biography of Yukio Mishima. Highly recommend this otherwise complete biography of Yukio Mishima to everyone, especially those who would like to learn or understand the author just a little more. I don't know why but I feel like Mishima is heavily misunderstood. Which is why I recommend this biography.
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Currently reading Southern Exposure , poetry and short stories (mostly short stories) from the 20th century. It has a nice introduction to Okinawan history and Okinawan literary history, and gives a one-page bio before each selection.
I am quite impressed with the selections I've read so far, even though most of them are tragic. I've barely reached the point in the book where the USA gives Okinawa back to Japan, so it's hard to say if it will get more upbeat from here, or tragic in other ways.

Having just finished the series so far, I started on The Confessions of Lady Nijō, translated by Karen Brazell. I hope to also read the translation by Wilfred Whitehouse and Eizo Yanagisawa. This is for the Japan Society of Boston book club discussion starting October.

It's a collection of three nearly-romance stories, with a soft art style suited to the stories told. The title story is supernatural, and the other two are more mundane school stories.

Currently, I'm reading Lady Joker, Volume One by Kaoru Takamura (trans. Marie Iida & Allison Markin Powell), a dense Ellroy-esque crime saga revolving around a true-crime kidnapping plot in mid-90s Tokyo. I'm only halfway through the first volume, but I'm absolutely loving its slow-burn narrative.

I’m also reading some middle grade fantasy, Crier's War, and absolutely shredding it. Which is a lot of fun, actually. I don’t think I’d let my child read such bad writing. LOL I need to be more discerning in the books I pick up on recommendation. 😏
And then I’ve started Insurgent Truth: Chelsea Manning and the Politics of Outsider Truth-Telling and the questions of what is Truth? What are Facts? And who decides is fascinating.
And don’t forget…October is Banned Book month! I’m wanting to read Giovanni's Room…was it ever banned? Off to find out!

Ha! Not only that, but his publisher told him to burn it! LOL

Link to my review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The title story is about three men who went mountain climbing together when they were younger, and now that one of them has died the other two, despite family and work obligations and being out of shape, take a memorial climb for the third. Through the sounds in the night deep in the ravine they find themselves outside the mundane world.
The prose is heavy with metaphor, which makes it a slow but satisfying read. It must have been very difficult to translate.

The first two stories have novel uses of metaphors, but have the same serious flaw. The author sets up a plot line, get distracted by something else, and never goes back to finish what he at first offered us.
The last two are less innovative than the first time, and the stories told are rather bland and meaningless.

The first two stories have novel uses of metaphors, but have the same serious flaw. The a..."
Yikes. These seem like the sorts of problems that writing workshops help authors overcome. They shouldn't make it to print in this shape.

Link to my review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Perhaps my opinion of it will solidify in part three. As yet, I don't even know who will narrate it.

I hate to discourage people from reading Lonely Hearts Killer. It's unique. It's dissonant. It's full of murder and chaos. It's flawed. But if you can get past that, read it because it's unique.


Link to my review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

.....
I enjoyed the book which was the inspiration for the film by Studio Ghibli. I especially recommend the audiobook version as narrated by Kim Mai Guest.

It's more peaceful than Bride's Story, with no battles (so far). The art is very good in places, but skimps a fair amount. The story focuses on a doctor-in-training, learning from his father, and there are significant amounts of space dedicated to describing traditional medicine. I have to admit I skimmed or skipped much of that. There are appendices at the end of each volume further describing elements of Tibetan culture mentioned in the story.

I started this from my 2024 reading list early since the library loan also came early.
Here is an article from the Japan Foundation and an interview from the Japan Society of NY:
https://ny.jpf.go.jp/event/prize-winn...
Maybe since I just completed the 10 translated manga volumes of アスペル・カノジョ 1 Asper Kanojo 1 (My Atypical Girl) by Sohachi Hagimoto I had a strong impression that Keiko was on the milder side of Asperger syndrome/autism spectrum disorder.
I don’t know if this has been a previous monthly Japanese Literature Group read and, if so, I will add my thoughts there after completion.


I have to caution that this is an adult story with detailed sex scenes. Not that I would call it porn. I prefer to define porn otherwise as "the thinnest possible veneer of plot surrounding sex scenes that are implausible, coercive, or violent."
The strength of this story are in the emotional sparring between the protagonists and the conflicting ways they express their maturities and immaturities. Much of it has a laid back feeling to it as well.

Link to my review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


Here are some reviews:
https://www.harvardreview.org/book-re...
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/25/bo...
From reading Breast and Eggs, I know that her books are a challenge and almost an assault on the reader but, if one can remain steadfast, the story is probably worth the struggle. It leaves me unbalanced and I have to time out periodically. Some scenes are tough to get through. (completed 3 Jan 2024.)
I think there are two others that have been translated and I hope to read them later in 2024.
All the Lovers in the Night
Ms Ice Sandwich

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Link to review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Just got introduced to Fuyuko Irie, main character in All The Lovers In The Night by Mieko Kawakami, translated by Sam Bett and David Boyd.
It's my first Kawakami novel, and looking forward to reading it!



I am really enjoying this collection of Yoshimoto stories.

The English translation is due out in September.

Link to my review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Link to my review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Link to my review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


In a short interview in Monkey Business: New Writing From Japan vol. 7 which I’m currently reading.

Link to my review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Definitely it's interesting too as a study of alienation, some intriguing thematic overlaps with Mishima and with Dazai although very different in style.


I got stuck before on “Hey, It’s a Love Psychedelic!” But made progress since I put it down. The story seems more like an Acid Trip Rock Movie from the 70s. I got some of the music references but many are way out of my swim lane.
Finally finished it. Yes, I think 70s acid trip describes the overall book. The book is, understandably, frozen in that time loop.
I liked “Trial Witch” the best. I think Bill had the same comments about Terminal Boredom: Stories (translated and published 2021), I would like to know when the short stories were first written/published in Japanese in the late 70s and early 80s when she wrote them.
I will probably read Terminal Boredom: Stories sometime. Most of the stories didn’t resonate with me since I have been out of read sci-fi for a very long time.

I considered reading this one in Japanese but it was hard to find and when I did, rather expensive. So I got the translation instead.

This is for a JSB, Japan Society of Boston, bookclub discussion at the beginning of April.

Link to my review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

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I am continuing with Judgement at Tokyo: World War II on Trial and the Making of Modern Asia as part of a buddy read thread, but it is a slow read.
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