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Fallen Words

by Jocelyne Allen, Yoshihiro Tatsumi
Compare to estimated retail price: S$26.90  

The item you've got your eye on is secondhand. You probably already know that, but just in case!

The estimated retail price shown next to any listed item represents the first-hand prices we've seen elsewhere, or the estimated original retail price of a comparable item of the same quality, construction and material offered elsewhere in new condition.

Fallen Words
Fallen Words

Edo storytelling reborn as sly, human manga

This is a great pick if you like comics that feel both literary and mischievous. Tatsumi takes old rakugo tales and makes them vivid, funny, strange, and surprisingly modern, so the stories never feel dusty or distant. Readers who enjoy sharp observations about desire, jealousy, and everyday human foolishness will probably find this especially rewarding.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.

Fallen Words

by Jocelyne Allen, Yoshihiro Tatsumi
Compare to estimated retail price: S$26.90  

The item you've got your eye on is secondhand. You probably already know that, but just in case!

The estimated retail price shown next to any listed item represents the first-hand prices we've seen elsewhere, or the estimated original retail price of a comparable item of the same quality, construction and material offered elsewhere in new condition.

Condition guide

Book Condition Guide

Books in Like New Condition

This book may contain very minor cosmetic defects, but it is in pristine condition. There should be no yellowing, no foxing, no water damage, and no annotations of any kind on the cover and the pages. For paperbacks, there should not be any crease marks on the spine. This book is good as new — lucky you!

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Very Good Condition

This book has been used, but it is still in a clean condition. There should be no foxing or annotations of any kind on the inner pages, but a sparse amount may be present on the cover, title pages, or outside edges of the book. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be light crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

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We do our best to ensure the quality of our books, but there is no escaping the wear and tear that comes with time. Slight foxing and some annotations may be present on the pages and the cover. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be several crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Well Read Condition

This is a well-read book, which means that the previous owner probably really enjoyed it! The cover and pages may include moderate foxing and annotations, but the text is not obscured and still readable. Moderate cosmetic defects and minor water damage may be present on the edges of the book. For paperbacks, there may be multiple crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

 

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ISBN: 9781770460744
Authors: Jocelyne Allen, Yoshihiro Tatsumi
Publisher: Drawn and Quarterly
Date of Publication: 2012-05-01
Format: Paperback
Related Collections: Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Graphic Novels/Comics/Manga
Related Topics: Asian Literature, Graphic Novels, Japanese Literature, Manga, All Comics
Goodreads rating: 3.69
(rated by 582 readers)

Description

In Fallen Words, Yoshihiro Tatsumi takes up the oral tradition of rakugo and breathes new life into it by shifting the format from spoken word to manga. Each of the eight stories in the collection is drawn from the Edo-era Japanese storytelling form. As Tatsumi notes in the afterword, the world of rakugo, filled with mystery, emotion, revenge, hope, and, of course, love, overlaps perfectly with the world of Gekiga that he has spent the better part of his life developing. These slice-of-life stories resonate with modern readers thanks to their comedic elements and familiarity with human idiosyncrasies. In one, a father finds his son too bookish and arranges for two workers to take the young man to a brothel on the pretext of visiting a new shrine. In another particularly beloved rakugo tale, a married man falls in love with a prostitute. When his wife finds out, she is enraged and sets a curse on the other woman. The prostitute responds by cursing the wife, and the two escalate in a spiral of voodoo doll cursing. Soon both are dead, but even death can’t extinguish their jealousy. Tatsumi’s love of wordplay shines through in the telling of these whimsical stories, and yet he still offers timeless insight into human nature.
 

Edo storytelling reborn as sly, human manga

This is a great pick if you like comics that feel both literary and mischievous. Tatsumi takes old rakugo tales and makes them vivid, funny, strange, and surprisingly modern, so the stories never feel dusty or distant. Readers who enjoy sharp observations about desire, jealousy, and everyday human foolishness will probably find this especially rewarding.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.