Exploring Japanese Literature

Yasunari Kawabata, Yukio Mishima and Jun'ichiro Tanizaki are all giants of world literature. Naturally enough, students want to experience their works in the original Japanese, but even tracking down a story of the right length and difficulty level can prove a major hurdle. Exploring Japanese Literature presents one each of these writers' best-known stories - plus all the linguistic support you need to read them with fluency and enjoyment.
The poignancy of romance between a wealthy Tokyoite and a provincial geisha in Kawabata's "Snow Country Miniature"; the ecstatic frenzy of a couple committing ritual suicide in Mishima's "Patriotism"; the amoral antics of a playboy aesthete trying to fire up his flagging zest for life in Tanizaki's "The Secret" - Exploring Japanese Literature is your entrée to the uniquely rich and exotic world of modern Japanese fiction.

The book features a page layout designed for maximum accessibility. On each two-page spread, the original Japanese is printed in large type on the left-hand page, with the corresponding English translation on the right and a custom dictionary - covering nearly every word - running along the bottom of both.

To further enrich your experience, Exploring Japanese Literature includes biographies of the three novelists, mini-prefaces that set the scene for the individual stories, and evocative illustrations. Three of Japan's greatest writers are just waiting to be discovered. Enjoy the ride!

Titre original : Exploring Japanese Literature (2007)