Dolce Bellezza is hosting her third Japanese Reading Challenge. I participated last year reading:
1. The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With the Sea, Mishma ***
2. Goodbye Tsugumi, Yoshimoto ****
3. Hardboiled/Hardluck ***
I also started Out and hated it despite everyone elses love of it.
Bellezza says of the challenge:
The day has arrived, the day for beginning the Japanese Literature Challenge 3! I’m so excited because it is my great joy to read Japanese literature and share the experience with those of you who wish to read it as well.
This year, all you have to do is read one work of Japanese origin. It can be literature of course, but don’t feel confined to that. You may choose to read poetry, biographies, short stories or even manga. If you are willing to read one such piece, you’ve met the challenge. If you read more, all the better.
I have set the time frame between July 30, 2009 and January 30, 2010.
I have a Review Site set up for us here, where we can leave links to the reviews on our own blogs and see what other people have read.
I have prizes! I’ve been collecting them for several months, and I might whet your appetite with a brief sampling of the list here:
a Moleskine Japanese format notebook, with two Japanese pencils and a Japanese eraser
a copy of Murakami’s book South of the Border, West of The Sun
a brochure from the Art Institute of Chicago’s special exhibit on Japanese screens, with a magnet and box of screen cards
a cell phone charm, and makie stickers made of 24 karat gold, imported from Japan
two copies of Yakuza Moon by Tendo
a copy of Eat Sleep Sit by Nanomura
and more surprises to come!
I'm hoping for a few better reads this year. I have one book containing two Murakami novels:A Wild Sheep Chase and Dance Dance Dance , which has been turking on mount tbr for too long. I'd also like to discover a few new Japanese authors - I seem to read Murakami, Mishma or Yoshimoto and no one else. Any suggestions?
4 comments:
Hi, I found your blog through The Japanese Literature Challenge page.
Have a look at my post for some other author suggestions, although Murakami and Yoshimoto feature also.
I'm really looking forward to this challenge and I'm sure we'll have a great time :).
Glad you are participating again this year. I certainly don't fault you for not liking Out. I enjoyed it but it isn't a book I would recommend to just anyone and it certainly isn't one I could reread.
Both of your Murakami books are ones I hope to get to at some point.
Katrina, I'm so glad you're joining in again this year! I've never read Mishima, but I always hear great things. Of course, as you said, it might not apply as you think of Out. Now I have to read that one out of all the opinions; some love it, some hate it, like a very strong perfume.
Hi Katrina! I suggest you try Kenzaburo Oe and Yoko Ogawa :) Happy reading!
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