Japanese short stories introduction
July 31, 2019Today’s lunchtime reading is a Japanese short stories collection curated by Jay Rubin and introduced by Haruki Murakami.
My situation is a bit twisted; this book was originally published in English and I am reading the original texts of those short stories which had been translated to English in the original edition of this book.
Anyway, it is a very good collection covering the various aspects of modern Japanese literature of old masters to young genius; as Murakami expressed; “as if iPod and SP record player are on the same shelf“.
Murakami wrote a personal memoir with Mrs Tanizaki (wife of the great master) when he received Tanizaki Award in his mid-30s. He felt so honoured when she said to him that she really enjoyed reading Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World.
The “original” English edition is here.