Japanese Fiction
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Bel Canto would be a good read for individuals interested in compassionate yet thrilling storytelling. The distinctive feature lies in the ability to bring together individuals from different walks of life and create bonds amidst chaos, while portraying the beauty of human relationships.
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After Dark by Haruki Murakami is a surreal and dreamlike tale, perfect for those who enjoy a blend of realistic and fantastical elements. The book follows a group of characters who experience strange happenings in the middle of the night, all while exploring themes of love, isolation, and the mysteries of consciousness. Murakami's writing is atmospheric and haunting, making this a great read for fans of magical realism and otherworldly stories.
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Helen Dunmore, Katherine Mansfield, John Cheever |
Vintage
Classics
Stories to Get You Through the Night
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Goodreads rating: 3.49
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Stories To Get You Through The Night is a perfect read for anyone seeking an escape from the stresses and strains of everyday life. Featuring a collection of classic and contemporary stories, each tale is a whole journey that transports readers away from reality. With some of the most celebrated authors such as Haruki Murakami, Virginia Woolf, and Julian Barnes, this anthology soon becomes a classic.
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Hiromi Kawakami, Allison Markin Powell |
Europa
Editions
The Nakano Thrift Shop
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Goodreads rating: 3.42
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The Nakano Thrift Shop is a beautiful and gentle novel that explores the intricacies of human relationships through the unique world of second-hand items and the people who buy and sell them. Hitomi's story of yearning for a coworker and seeking advice from Masayo, the employer's sister, is charmingly told through a series of vignettes, each revealing a secret or mystery tied to the objects in their thrift shop. The book captures the untranslatable Japanese mood and spirit, and is perfect for fans of gentle romance and slice-of-life stories.
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The Buried Giant is a tale of love and memory. It takes the readers through a journey of a couple who seek their long lost son. Though they encounter many difficulties, their love for one another prevails. Recommended for those who enjoy intense and emotional journeys.
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Edwin McClellan, Natsume Sōseki |
Regnery
Gateway
Kokoro a Novel
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Goodreads rating: 4.05
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Kokoro is a gripping tale of a man's search for meaning in modern Japan. The novel captures the essence of modernity and its impact on traditional Japanese culture. It offers a unique perspective on personal growth and the need for emotional connection amidst the isolation of modern society. Highly recommended for readers interested in exploring the complexities of human emotions and societal change.
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Haruki Murakami, Jay Rubin |
Vintage
U.k.
Random
House
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
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Goodreads rating: 4.15
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The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami draws you into a surreal, mystical journey that combines folktales, war memories, and a young man's coming of age story. The book's unique and distinctive feature is the way it takes the reader through several levels of experiences, dreams, and memories in a way that is both mysterious and fascinating. With its complex characters and subplots, this book is a must-read for anyone looking for something outside the ordinary.
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Yukio Mishima
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Random
House
The Sailor who Fell from Grace with the Sea
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Goodreads rating: 3.86
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Recommended for those interested in challenging coming-of-age stories. The book explores themes of disillusionment, brutality, and betrayal through the eyes of adolescent boys who reject societal norms and ideologies. The unique feature of this book is how it delves into the mindsets of these young characters and portrays their dark, twisted perspective on life. If you enjoy psychological thrillers and unconventional coming-of-age tales, this book is for you.
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Philip Gabriel, Haruki Murakami |
Knopf
Doubleday
Publishing
Group
Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage
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Goodreads rating: 3.87
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This book is a captivating story of a young man who is trying to overcome the pain of losing his friends and deals with his own insecurities. The book has a unique blend of reality and dreams that touches the reader's emotions. It is recommended for readers who enjoy reading thought-provoking books that deal with life struggles and self-discovery. The book's most distinctive feature is the beautiful writing style of the author, Haruki Murakami, which makes it an enjoyable read for anybody who loves literary fiction.
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John Bester, Fumiko Enchi |
Kodansha
Usa
Waiting Years, The: A Novel
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Goodreads rating: 3.95
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The Waiting Years is a beautifully written and nuanced exploration of the lives of women in Japan during the early 20th century. Enchi's characters are vivid and complex, and her portrayal of the shifting power dynamics within the Shirakawa family is both subtle and poignant. This book is recommended for readers who enjoy character-driven novels and stories that delve deeply into the psychology of the human experience.
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This book is a must-read for those who enjoy novels with a poignant portrayal of friendship and a unique twist on the coming-of-age story. The author's writing style beautifully captures the haunting atmosphere of the exclusive boarding school, and the characters' experiences will leave readers contemplating the ethical questions raised in the story long after they finish it. Readers will appreciate the author's ability to create a world that is both familiar and unsettling, as well as the novel's exploration of the human condition.
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Natsume Sōseki, Edwin McClellan |
Tuttle
Publishing
Heart (English version) - Kokoro (Tuttle Classics)
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Goodreads rating: 4.05
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Нацумэ Сосэки заслуженно считают одним из наиболее ярких авторов Японии, ключевой фигурой литературы нового времени. Его ранние работы обрели популярность благодаря яркому стилю и тематике, а две трилогии, написанные уже зрелым мастером, являются точным портретом японской интеллигенции на стыке эпох Мэйдзи и Тайсё. Центральные темы поздних романов автора — внутренний надлом, изоляция личности, кризис окружающего мира и катастрофа внутреннего. Нацумэ Сосэки известен не только художественной прозой, но также эссеистикой и поэзией. Его работы переведены на многие языки мира. Роман «Кокоро» Нацумэ Сосэки впервые увидел свет в 1914 году на страницах газеты «Асахи Симбун». Произведение состоит из трёх частей и включает в себя сто десять глав. Центральная тема романа, обозначенная в самом заглавии, — внутренний мир человека, его «кокоро» в эпоху драматичных событий, которые переживала Япония на рубеже веков и формаций. На родине автора роман является настоящим бестселлером и не раз был экранизирован. «Кокоро» — одно из первых, знаковых произведений современной японской литературы, переведённых на русский язык. В 1935 году вышел перевод академика Н. И. Конрада, а в 1943 году — перевод С. Шахматова и Х. Хираи. И в том и в другом случае название романа было переведено как «Сердце». Данное издание представляет собой третий перевод романа на русский язык.
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"The Remains of the Day" is like a quiet conversation that stays with you long after it's over. Through Stevens' meticulously detailed life as a butler and his quest for self-assurance, Ishiguro weaves a narrative that not only delves into the complexities of duty and service but also exposes the deep undercurrents of personal sacrifice and regret. The subtlety in its exploration of a life lived in the shadows of greatness makes it a profoundly moving read for anyone who appreciates nuanced character studies and the bittersweet beauty of introspection.
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Edwin McClellan, Natsume Sōseki |
Digireads.com
Kokoro
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Goodreads rating: 4.04
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"Kokoro" isn't just a novel; it's an experience that delves into the profound shifts within Japanese culture and the introspective journey of its characters. As you navigate through the narrative's richly layered exploration of guilt, societal changes, and existential loneliness, you'll find the pages resonating with the struggles of modernity versus tradition. Soseki's storytelling might just change the way you perceive the 'heart' of human experience.
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In Osaka in the years immediately before World War II, four aristocratic women try to preserve a way of life that is vanishing. As told by Junichiro Tanizaki, the story of the Makioka sisters forms what is arguably the greatest Japanese novel of the twentieth century, a poignant yet unsparing portrait of a family–and an entire society–sliding into the abyss of modernity.Tsuruko, the eldest sister, clings obstinately to the prestige of her family name even as her husband prepares to move their household to Tokyo, where that name means nothing. Sachiko compromises valiantly to secure the future of her younger sisters. The unmarried Yukiko is a hostage to her family’s exacting standards, while the spirited Taeko rebels by flinging herself into scandalous romantic alliances. Filled with vignettes of upper-class Japanese life and capturing both the decorum and the heartache of its protagonist, The Makioka Sisters is a classic of international literature.From the Hardcover edition.
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Polly Barton, Kikuko Tsumura |
Bloomsbury
Publishing
There's No Such Thing as an Easy Job
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Goodreads rating: 3.61
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If you're feeling disillusioned with the relentless grind of your 9-to-5 or seeking a story that plunges into the sheer oddness of modern labor, "There's No Such Thing as an Easy Job" could be just the quirky companion you need. It's a peculiar, yet relatable journey that encapsulates our collective quest for significance beyond the paycheck, wrapped in a package of dark, sharp wit. It might just alter how you view your daily toils or at least give you a laugh about them.
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"A sense of unease permeates this disturbing and exceptional collection of stories centered on unhappy women in postwar Japan...," wrote Publishers Weekly. World Literature Today proclaimed: "Reminiscent of Flannery O’Connor’s works, Kono’s stories explore the dark, terrifying side of human nature that manifests itself in antisocial behavior." Toddler-Hunting Other Stories introduces to American readers a startlingly original voice. Winner of most of Japan’s top literary prizes for fiction, Kono Taeko writes with a disquieting and strange beauty, always foregrounding what Choice called "the great power of serious, indeed shocking events." In the title story, the protagonist loathes young girls, but she compulsively buys expensive clothes for little boys so that she can watch them dress and undress. The impersonal gaze Kono Taeko turns on this behavior transfixes the reader with a fatal question: What are we hunting for? And why? Now available in paperback for the first time, Toddler-Hunting Other Stories should fascinate any reader interested in Japanese literature––or in the growing world of transgressive fiction.
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Polly Barton, Tomoka Shibasaki |
Pushkin
Press
Spring Garden - Japanese Novellas
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Goodreads rating: 3.25
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If you're interested in the quiet poignance of everyday life and the relationships that subtly shape our existence, "Spring Garden" could resonate with you. Tomoko Shibasaki offers a glimpse into the lives of two neighbors bound by shared sentiments over what's disappearing around them. It’s for introspective readers who find beauty in transience, the subtleties of human connections, and the deeply personal relationship with our surroundings.
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A startling novella from the heir to Haruki Murakami and Gabriel Garcia Marquez.Trapped in Tokyo, left behind by a series of girlfriends, the narrator of Slow Boat sizes up his situation. His missteps, his violent rebellions, his tiny victories. But he is not a passive loser, content to accept all that fate hands him. He attempts one last escape to the edges of the city, holding the only safety net he has known – his dreams.Filled with lyrical longing and humour, Slow Boat captures perfectly the urge to get away and the necessity of finding yourself in a world which might never even be looking for you.
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Ha Jin
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Vintage
Books
Waiting
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Goodreads rating: 3.54
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"Waiting" is a poignant exploration of love constrained by societal norms. As you walk through Lin Kong's life, you navigate the complex terrain of duty versus desire. Ha Jin paints a deeply moving portrait of a man caught between modern affection and traditional obligation. This book speaks to the heart of anyone who has ever struggled with the choices that define us.
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Kazuo Ishiguro
|
Vintage
International
An Artist of the Floating World
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Goodreads rating: 3.78
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In the face of the misery in his homeland, the artist Masuji Ono was unwilling to devote his art solely to the celebration of physical beauty. Instead, he put his work in the service of the imperialist movement that led Japan into World War II. Now, as the mature Ono struggles through the aftermath of that war, his memories of his youth and of the “floating world”—the nocturnal world of pleasure, entertainment, and drink—offer him both escape and redemption, even as they punish him for betraying his early promise. Indicted by society for its defeat and reviled for his past aesthetics, he relives the passage through his personal history that makes him both a hero and a coward but, above all, a human being.
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Ryder, a renowned pianist, arrives in a Central European city he cannot identify for a concert he cannot remember agreeing to give. But then as he traverses a landscape by turns eerie and comical – and always strangely malleable, as a dream might be - he comes steadily to realise he is facing the most crucial performance of his life.Ishiguro's extraordinary and original study of a man whose life has accelerated beyond his control was met on publication by consternation, vilification – and the highest praise.
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Librarian note: An alternative cover for this ISBN can be found here.In his highly acclaimed debut, A Pale View of Hills, Kazuo Ishiguro tells the story of Etsuko, a Japanese woman now living alone in England, dwelling on the recent suicide of her daughter. Retreating into the past, she finds herself reliving one particular hot summer in Nagasaki, when she and her friends struggled to rebuild their lives after the war. But then as she recalls her strange friendship with Sachiko - a wealthy woman reduced to vagrancy - the memories take on a disturbing cast.
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Kazuo Ishiguro has been acclaimed in the Sunday Times for 'extending the possibilities of fiction. In Never Let Me Go he has fashioned another remarkable story - a story of love, loss and hidden truths - that takes its place among his finest work.Kathy, Ruth and Tommy were pupils at Hailsham - an idyllic establishment situated deep in the English countryside. The children there were tenderly sheltered from the outside world, brought up to believe they were special, and that their personal welfare was crucial. But for what reason were they really there?It is only years later that Kathy, now aged thirty-one, finally allows herself to yield to the pull of memory. What unfolds is the haunting story of how Kathy, Ruth and Tommy slowly come to face the truth about their seemingly happy childhoods - and about their futures.Never Let Me Go is a uniquely moving novel, charged throughout with a sense of the fragility of our lives.
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Philip Gabriel, Haruki Murakami, Ted Goossen |
Knopf
Men Without Women : Stories
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Goodreads rating: 3.76
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This book could be a good read for those who are interested in stories about life and relationships. The stories in this book have a unique way of exploring the complex emotions of characters without important women in their lives. Each story is filled with wry humor and pathos, and leaves readers with more questions than answers. Murakami brings out the loneliness in each character and shows how they seek a connection with others, making it a relatable and moving read for those who enjoy thought-provoking literature.
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"Norwegian Wood" might just linger in your thoughts long after you've turned the last page. It's Murakami at his finest, weaving a tapestry of emotions that resonate with the heartache and beauty of youth. The narrative takes you through a delicate dance of memories, drawing you into a world where love and pain are deeply intertwined. If you enjoy stories that explore the profundity of human connections and the passage of time, this book is a compelling pick.
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Akira Yoshimura
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Canongate
Books
Ltd
One Man's Justice
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Goodreads rating: 3.93
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Hiroshima and Nagasaki have been destroyed. Japan is in ruins and occupied by the Americans.Takuya, an ex-officer in the Imperial Army, has returned to his native village only to learn that the Occupation authorities are intensifying their efforts to apprehend suspected war criminals. And those who are found guilty are being sentenced to death.Fearing that his role in the execution of a number of American pilots, Takuya takes to the road and becomes a fugitive in his own country.One Man's Justice is both a reflection on the murky reality of war and a page-turning novel of pursuit and escape.
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Jay Rubin, Haruki Murakami |
The
Harvill
Press
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
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Goodreads rating: 4.15
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Toru Okada is an apparently happy man, drifting through life in a vague, blameless and somewhat apathetic manner. Then one morning his wife leaves for work and never returns.
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The exquisite last novel from Nobel Prize-winning author Yasunari Kawabata.Ineko has lost the ability to see things. At first it was a ping-pong ball, then it was her fiancé. The doctors call it 'body blindness', and she is placed in a psychiatric clinic to recover. As Ineko's mother and fiancé walk along the riverbank after visiting time, they wonder: is her condition a form of madness - or an expression of love? Exploring the distance between us, and what we say without words, Kawabata's transcendent final novel is the last word from a master of Japanese literature.
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Yasunari Kawabata, Edward G. Seidensticker |
Penguin
Books
Snow Country
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Goodreads rating: 3.6
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Shimamura is tired of the bustling city. He takes the train through the snow to the mountains of the west coast of Japan to meet with a geisha he believes he loves. Beautiful and innocent, Komako is tightly bound by the rules of a rural geisha and lives a life of servitude and seclusion that is alien to Shimamura – their love offers no freedom to either of them.Snow Country is both delicate and subtle, reflecting in Kawabata's exact, lyrical writing the unspoken love and the understated passion of the young Japanese couple.
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'Life for sale. Use me as you wish. I am a twenty-seven-year-old male. Discretion guaranteed. Will cause no bother at all.'When Hanio Yamada realizes the future holds nothing of worth to him, he puts his life for sale in a Tokyo newspaper, thus unleashing a series of unimaginable exploits.A world of revenge, murderous mobsters, hidden cameras, a vampire woman, poisonous carrots, espionage and code-breaking, a junkie heiress, home-made explosives and decoys reveals itself to the unwitting Hanio. Is there anything he can do to stop it?
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It is 1956, Stevens, the ageing butler of Darlington Hall, has just embarked on a motoring trip through the west of England that will become a journey deep into his past...
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Haruki Murakami
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Random
House
Uk
Killing Commendatore
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Goodreads rating: 3.91
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The much-anticipated new novel from the internationally acclaimed, best-selling author of 1Q84 and Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage, Killing Commendatore is an epic tour de force of love and loneliness, war and art—as well as a loving homage to The Great Gatsby—and a stunning work of imagination from one of our greatest writers.
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From the Booker Prize-winning author of The Remains of the Day comes a devastating new novel of innocence, knowledge, and loss. As children Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy were students at Hailsham, an exclusive boarding school secluded in the English countryside. It was a place of mercurial cliques and mysterious rules where teachers were constantly reminding their charges of how special they were. Now, years later, Kathy is a young woman. Ruth and Tommy have reentered her life. And for the first time she is beginning to look back at their shared past and understand just what it is that makes them special–and how that gift will shape the rest of their time together. Suspenseful, moving, beautifully atmospheric, Never Let Me Go is another classic by the author of The Remains of the Day.
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"Never Let Me Go" offers a haunting journey that echoes with readers long after the last page. It combines an elegant narrative of growing up with the piercing realization of one's purpose in a world that is at once familiar and disquietingly off-kilter. Ishiguro's refined storytelling invites introspection and a deep emotional connection, making it perfect for those who appreciate literature that stays with you and prompts reflection on life's delicate balances.
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Haruki Murakami
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Vintage
Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman
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Goodreads rating: 3.84
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If you're looking for a journey through the mystic and mundane, Murakami’s "Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman" could be a perfect choice. The collection offers a tapestry of quirky and emotionally resonant narratives, all delivered with Murakami's signature blend of the surreal and the everyday. A read that could leave you contemplating the intricate dance of chance and choice in life.
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E. Dale Saunders, Kōbō Abe |
Tuttle
Publishing
The Woman in the Dunes
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Goodreads rating: 3.89
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This beautiful novel by one of Japan's most important writers is also one of the most strangely terrifying and memorable books you'll ever read. The Woman in the Dunes is the story of an amateur entomologist who wanders alone into a remote seaside village in pursuit of a rare beetle he wants to add to his collection. But the townspeople take him prisoner. They lower him into the sand-pit home of a young widow, a pariah in the poor community, who the villagers have condemned to a life of shoveling back the ever-encroaching dunes that threaten to bury the town. An amazing book.
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Donald Keene, Osamu Dazai |
New
Directions
No Longer Human
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Goodreads rating: 3.95
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If you're intrigued by the complexities of cultural shift and personal identity, "No Longer Human" might speak to you deeply. It's not just a novel; it's a haunting journey through a man's internal struggle with societal expectations and self-worth. Perfect for those who appreciate psychological depth and existential reflections mirrored in a rapidly changing world.
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Yukio Mishima
|
Vintage/ebury
(a
Division
Of
Random
After the Banquet
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Goodreads rating: 3.7
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Reissued along side The Sound of the Waves plus three classics works by Junichiro Tanizaki.
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"You've long set your heart against it, Axl, I know. But it's time now to think on it anew. There's a journey we must go on, and no more delay..."The Buried Giant begins as a couple set off across a troubled land of mist and rain in the hope of finding a son they have not seen in years.Sometimes savage, often intensely moving, Kazuo Ishiguro's first novel in nearly a decade is about lost memories, love, revenge, and war.Included on TIME Magazine's "THE 100 BEST FANTASY BOOKS OF ALL TIME"
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Haruki Murakami
|
Vintage
Classics
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle : Vintage Classics Japanese Series
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Goodreads rating: 4.15
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Enter the surreal and enchanting world of Haruki MurakamiToru Okada's cat has disappeared.His wife is growing more distant every day.Then there are the increasingly explicit telephone calls he has recently been receiving.As this compelling story unfolds, the tidy suburban realities of Okada's vague and blameless life, spent cooking, reading, listening to jazz and opera and drinking beer at the kitchen table, are turned inside out. He embarks on a bizarre journey, guided by a succession of characters, each with a tale to tell.'Mesmerising, surreal, this really is the work of a true original' The TimesPart of the VINTAGE JAPANESE CLASSICS series - five masterpieces of Japanese fiction in gorgeous new gift editions.
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If you're intrigued by the interplay of the delicate yet intense themes of life, death, and personal transformation, 'Kitchen' is a book that will resonate with you. Banana Yoshimoto masterfully intertwines emotions and culinary spaces with a narrative that's both comforting and challenging, reflecting the complexities of modern life and relationships. It's a lovingly crafted story that'll leave you contemplating long after the last page.
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Imagine you're sifting through the familiar layers of everyday life when you stumble upon a doorway to the mystical—this is what diving into "Killing Commendatore" feels like. Murakami weaves the ordinary with the supernatural in such a way that you'll find yourself questioning the fabric of reality. It's perfect for those longing to lose themselves in a narrative that blurs the lines between the tangible and the imagined.
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Shiga Naoya, Lane Dunlop |
Tuttle
Pub
Paper Door and Other Stories
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Goodreads rating: 3.77
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No modern Japanese writer was more idolized than Shiga Naoya. The Paper Door and Other Stories showcases the concise, delicate art of this writer who is often called "the god of the Japanese short story." Doyen of Japanese letters Donald Keene ranks some of Shiga's stories "among the most brilliant achievements in this genre by any twentieth-century Japanese writer." Shiga's unique style is concise and simple, with no unnecessary words. With the subtlest of gestures, he evokes the fullness of experience. Lane Dunlop's masterly translation of seventeen of Shiga's finest stories has provided English readers their first overview of the author's work. Now back in print, the book is augmented by Donald Keene's new preface contextualizing Shiga's awesome literary gifts. Dunlop has chosen stories that aptly represent Shiga's range and virtuosity. With selections spanning forty years, from the fable-like "The Little Girl and the Rapeseed Flower" to the psychologically complex "A Gray Moon," this collection delineates the development of Shiga's rare genius.
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Yukio Mishima
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Vintage
The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With The Sea (Vintage Summer)
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Goodreads rating: 3.86
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A band of savage thirteen-year-old boys reject the adult world as illusory, hypocritical, and sentimental. When the mother of one of them begins an affair with a ship's officer, he and his friends idealise the man at first; but it is not long before they conclude that he is in fact soft and romantic. They regard this disillusionment as an act of betrayal on his part - their retribution is deliberate and horrifying.Yukio Mishma was born into a samurai family and imbued with the code of complete control over mind and body, and loyalty to the Emperor - the same code that produced the austerity and self-sacrifice of Zen. He wrote countless short stories and thirty-three plays, in some of which he acted. Several films have been made from his novels, including The Sound of Waves; Enjo, which was based on The Temple of the Golden Pavilion; and The Sailor Who Fell From Grace with the Sea. Among his other works are the novels Confessions of a Mask and Thirst for Love and the short-story collections Death in Midsummer and Acts of Worship.
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Philip Gabriel, Haruki Murakami |
Vintage
Books,
A
Division
Of
Random
House
Llc,
New
York
Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage
$8.26
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Goodreads rating: 3.87
$8.26
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If you've ever felt disconnected or sought closure from past relationships, Murakami's tale will likely resonate with you. This is not just a story, but a meditation on the perplexities of human connections, serving both as a mirror to your own experiences and as a window into the intricate Japanese culture that underpins the narrative. The sense of longing and the diligent pursuit of self-understanding might just echo your own journey.
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$8.90
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"Goodbye Tsugumi" is a brilliant choice if you're interested in exploring intricate family dynamics set against the backdrop of a small seaside town in Japan. Banana Yoshimoto's delicate style captures the depths of human ties, offering a poignant, bittersweet novel that delves into the essence of change and acceptance.
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$8.90
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"Kitchen" delves into the delicacy of human emotions, intertwining tales of love, grief, and identity against a modern Japanese backdrop. It speaks to the resilience of the human spirit through personal connections and the comfort found in everyday life. Its concise and heartfelt narrative has the unique ability to leave a lasting impact, resonating with anyone who's ever sought solace in the simplest of places.
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Edward G. Seidensticker, Yukio Mishima |
Vintage
The Decay Of The Angel
$6.42
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Goodreads rating: 4.13
$6.42
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The dramatic climax of "The Sea of Fertility" tetraology takes place in the late 1960s. Honda, now an aged and wealthy man, discovers and adopts a sixteen-year-old orphan, Toru, as his heir, identifying him with the tragic protagonists of the three previous novels, each of whom died at the age of twenty. Honda raises and educates the boy, yet watches him, waiting.
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$7.21
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Kobo Abe, the internationally acclaimed author of Woman in the Dunes, combines wildly imaginative fantasies and naturalistic prose to create narratives reminiscent of the work of Kafka and Beckett.In this eerie and evocative masterpiece, the nameless protagonist gives up his identity and the trappings of a normal life to live in a large cardboard box he wears over his head. Wandering the streets of Tokyo and scribbling madly on the interior walls of his box, he describes the world outside as he sees or perhaps imagines it, a tenuous reality that seems to include a mysterious rifleman determined to shoot him, a seductive young nurse, and a doctor who wants to become a box man himself. The Box Man is a marvel of sheer originality and a bizarrely fascinating fable about the very nature of identity.Translated from the Japanese by E. Dale Saunders.