Modern Japanese Literature: From 1868 to the Present DayA collection of plays, essays, poetry, and reportage compiled by “the 20th-century’s premier scholar of Japanese literature” (Slate). Modern Japanese Literature is Donald Keene’s critically acclaimed companion volume to his landmark Anthology of Japanese Literature. Now considered the standard canon of modern Japanese writing translated into English, Modern Japanese Literature includes concise introductions to the writers, as well as a historical introduction by Professor Keene. Includes: “Growing Up” by Higuchi Ichiyō, a lyrical story of pre-adolescence in the nineties; Natsume Sōseki’s story of “Botchan,” an ill-starred and ineffectual Huck Finn; Nagai Kafū’s “The River Sumida;” Yokomitsu Riitchi’s Kafkaesque “Time;” Kawabata Yasunari’s “The Mole;” “The Firefly Hunt;” a glimpse into Tanizaki Junichirō’s masterpiece “Thin Snow;” and the postwar work of such writers as Dazai Osamu and Mishima Yukio. |
Contents
| 13 | |
The Beefeater | 31 |
The Western Peep Show | 34 |
The Thieves | 37 |
Modern Poetry in Chinese | 53 |
The Essence of the Novel | 55 |
The Drifting Cloud | 59 |
Growing | 70 |
Modern Waka | 207 |
The Wild Goose | 232 |
A Tale of Three Who Were Blind | 242 |
Sanctuary | 254 |
Hans Crime | 261 |
At Kinosaki | 272 |
The Madman on the Roof | 278 |
The Tiger | 288 |
Old Gen 122 Modern Haiku I | 122 |
Botchan | 124 |
The Broken Commandment | 134 |
One Soldier | 142 |
The River Sumida | 159 |
I | 201 |
Kesa and Moritō | 300 |
Hell Screen | 307 |
The Cannery Boat | 333 |
Time | 339 |
Earth and Soldiers | 357 |
Common terms and phrases
Asakusa asked beautiful began blossoms boat called child Chokichi cold dark DONALD KEENE door EDWARD SEIDENSTICKER eyes face father feel felt front Fukai gate geisha girl GISUKE haiku hair hand head heard hundred yen Japan Kabuki KICHIJI Kichizo kill kimono Kishu Kiyo knew laughed light live looked Meiji Restoration Midori Modern Japanese Literature mole Mori Ōgai morning mother Namiko Natsume Sōseki never night Nobu novel Oito once Osei Otama Otoyo play poetry PRIESTESS Ragetsu rain river roof samisen Sangoro seemed SENTA shadow Shiga Naoya Shigemoto Shimazaki Tōson SHIMAZO Shimpa Shota shouted sleeve smile stood stopped story strange street suddenly SUEJIRO talk Tamamizu tell thing thought tiger Tokyo tonight took Tsuruishi turned Uhei Ushimatsu voice walked wife wind woman wonder words writing Yoshihide Yoshitaro Yoshiwara young