Sunday, August 21, 2016

Japenese Literature Challenge 10

Dolce Bellezza is hosting the 10th Japanese Literature Challenge, 2016
As regular followers know, this is the one challenge I always do, second to Paris in July of course! I love setting my personal challenges and achieving them - in this challenge - the sky's the limit, but it's up to me to decide how much I can do, and what genres I want to follow. This year, the challenge I set myself is not too onerous, but hopefully achievable in my current life....

I am having some success with reading short stories at the moment, so I've chosen "New Japanese Voices: the best contemporary fiction from Japan" edited by Helen Mitsios. The collection includes works by Haruki Murakami, Masahiko Shimada & Banana Yoshimoto, and the little spiel says 'relfecting the diversity and tensions within one of the worlds most fascinating cultures, and presenting some surprising innovation, this is an indispensable volume for anyone interested in Japan and its writers'. Needless to say, I'm intrigued and ready to go!

Hoping I will get some time to read a novel, I've selected one in a series I have read some of. Malice by Keigo Higashino (reported to be Japan's Stieg Larsson).
My third choice, most likely to be a Christmas break read, is The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa.

I've read others from Yoko and recall enjoying them for her ability to describe the relationships.
Here's a little para about her 
Yoko Ogawa is the author of The Diving Pool, The Housekeeper and the Professor, and Hotel Iris. Her fiction has appeared in The New Yorker, A Public Space, and Zoetrope. Since 1988 she has published more than twenty works of fiction and nonfiction, and has won every major Japanese literary award. Her novel The Housekeeper and the Professor has been adapted into a film, The Professor’s Beloved Equation. She lives in Ashiya, Japan, with her husband and son. [MacMillan]
Here's my review from the Japanese Literature Challenge 8, when I read works from these two authors.

This Challenge is nice and long - open to January 2017. I look forward also to reading the reviews of my fellow challengers.

3 comments:

Ally said...

This is a challenge I love and I always read more than I write about :) Malice seems interesting, I will look into it. As for the other one, I read it and quite enjoyed it :) Happy reading!

Tamara said...

Thanks for dropping by Ally, I noted you had already reviewed the "Guest Cat" for the challenge. I'm tempted to fit that into the TBR pile too. Especially as its a short one, and the topic is appealing also.

Jeanie said...

Hi Tamara,

I've never been able to get into the Japanese literature, try as I may. But that book cover on the last is really gorgeous!

Thanks for your nice comment on the Martha's Vineyard post. The best is really yet to come -- I'll probably have five or six on this wonderful spot. I loved the "Sabrina" movie, too and happened to see it right before we left. Quite the history in this spot!