Re: Need help choosing a novel to read

From: Don Kirkman (spambuster_at_covad.net)
Date: 01/12/05 

Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2005 11:41:26 -0800

It seems to me I heard somewhere that Gavin Steyn wrote in article
<Y67Fd.13999$hc7.11308@trnddc08>:

>Since teaching myself Japanese, I've been trying to read some serious
>literature, but there's one big problem--I've got no idea what novels are
>harder than others. So, although I realize this is a subjective thing, I
>was hoping that if I post the list of novels I've read, along with my
>success, someone could point me to others that could build up my reading
>chops a bit, to the point where I could read, say, "Yuki Guni".

>"Yuki Guni" (Kawabata)--almost completely incomprehensible to me.
>"Kinkakuji"(--I thought I was getting it, but when I looked at the
>translation I realized I had missed important stuff--the zen, for instance,
>went right over my head.
>"Bottchan" (Soseki)--Hard to say--I think I mostly understood it, didn't
>think it was funny; does that mean I missed the point?
>Various short stories of Akutagawa--no real difficulty, and I really enjoyed
>these.
>"Hako Otoko" (Kobo Abe) -- no real difficulties, except for one tricky
>section (also enjoyed this)
>"Sasame Yuki" (Tanizaki)--Tricky at first, especially the dialect, but then
>I got into the flow and didn't have major problems.
>A few books by Haruki Murakami--easy.
>A few pop-culture novels (Miyuki Miyabe, that sort of thing)--very easy

>I'm looking for some recommendations that will push my Japanese boundaries a
>bit, in addition to being good (that is, I enjoy Murakami, for example (and
>plan to read more), but reading his novels isn't going to push my Japanese
>up to a higher level).

About the time I last left Japan Shusaku Endo was gaining a reputation;
I read a fair amount of his "The Sea and Poison" (I have to rely on the
kindness of strangers to correct me on that--I can't put my hands on my
copy at the moment), and I think I did a bit of "Silence" for which I
can't recall the Japanese title - "Chinmotsu"? TS&P dealt with tough
subjects, but I can't recall about the language itself. 

-- 
Don
Old age is when you start saying "I wish I knew now what I knew then."

Relevant Pages

  • Sept 2006 author events
    ... His many novels include the Burke series, ... reading & book signing for The Bob Dylan Encyclopedia ... The answer can be found in "The Republican War on Science," ...
    (rec.arts.books)
  • Sept 2006 author events
    ... His many novels include the Burke series, ... reading & book signing for The Bob Dylan Encyclopedia ... The answer can be found in "The Republican War on Science," ...
    (rec.arts.books.marketplace)
  • Re: Longest Series Youve Read
    ... Why did the Universe intrigue you enough to spend more time reading ... Spenser are these powderpuffs, and the stories have no real emotional impact on Spenser, I'm outta here. ... I had similar feelings about Travis McGee mixed with exasperation at the inserted diatribes and the sense after reading three novels I'd read the same one three times. ... I also made an attempt at the Maj Sjowall-Per Wahloo Martin Beck books but didn't past three or four, much as I liked them; never read enough Maigret to say I'd tried. ...
    (rec.arts.sf.written)
  • Re: Question: Why did Victorians consider novels "dangerous"?
    ... I've always understood that the Victorians preached against "novels" ... Also her young cousins Will and Geordie are reading ... Aunt Jessie wants them to read more instructional books like ... Not to mention the fine manly boys who thought boys who read all the ...
    (rec.arts.books.childrens)
  • Re: Book on Pre-MATH for cryptography and cryptanalysis.
    ... She'd rather cure powerfully than support with Pete's japanese ... Don't travel the fits formally, ... recall Joe's gang relative to bedrooms, ...
    (sci.crypt)