Unpacking a rewarding and darned confusing genre – Japanese literature! Don’t know where to start? Got you covered, pal. Need more recs? I ventured in pretty deep with my Jap lit reading this month. Problem is, I stink at discussing them HAHA
Find what you need!
1. My thoughts on Japanese literature @ 1:10
2. Starter Japanese lit book recommendations @ 3:02
THE TRAVELLING CAT CHRONICLES @ 3:31
THE GUEST CAT @ 3:50
THE HOUSEKEEPER & THE PROFESSOR @ 4:05
THE GREAT PASSAGE @ 4:58
GOODBYE TSUGUMI 5:53
Tackling HARUKI MURAKAMI @ 6:00
3. Wrapping up Jap lit books I read:
A QUIET LIFE @ 7:38
SOUTH OF THE BORDER, WEST OF THE SUN @ 10:55
THE TRAVELLING CAT CHRONICLES @ 13:20
AFTER THE BANQUET @ 15:41
BOTCHAN @ 17:42
This December wrap up ended up spawning into three videos 😂
PART 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6LSxTcltTA&t=4s
Ready Player One full review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSIRq3jDEFQ&t=189s
Channels mentioned:
Literary Prints – https://www.youtube.com/user/literaryprints
Check out my ‘Behind the Booktuber’ series for my (sloppy) booktubing process and (lazy) tips! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48aOsjJf4EU&list=PLDyJEtWYcAJFwCU3BigljUkJDULWn5UPD
See my channel trailer if you’re new! https://youtu.be/VBWjaXpDzj8
FIND ME ELSEWHERE:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/turningpages52
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/turningpages52
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/turningpages52
Music creds: ‘Season of Joy’ by Purple Planet
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Ender's Game
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The Hustle (4K UHD)
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Morning Glory
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This is the video I’ve been WAITING FOR. I now feel much wiser and ready to start my Japanese lit journey (which I’ll refer to as my JLJ, which sounds like a boy band).
The Great Passage sounds sooo goooood, a word nerd’s dream. And The Travelling Cat Chronicles sounds adorbs
Also, you seem to nail the Japanese pronunciation… can you speak Japanese?!
Wow! I’ve never even considered reading Japanese literature, but this video has made me VERY intrigued! I’ll see if my local library has anything by Murakami! Thanks for the inspiration 😀
This video is a gift that I will cherish forever! I love the description you gave @1:20 because I definitely feel like a “respectful observer” when I read Japanese lit as well! Thank you so much for all of these recommendations, I currently have a Banana Yoshimoto book that I need to get to 🙂
I’ve never thought of Japanese lit as inviting open interpretation thing but I really feel that with Murakami! You can interpret his analogies literally and enjoy the sheer strangeness of it, or take a more analytical approach. I really want to read that nonfiction interpretation book on Murakami sometime.
I agree with Murakami’s running memoir being a good intro to his writing. Knowing how he is as a person and a bit of his life story really helped me understand better why he brings up certain themes over and over again in his books.
I want to try Kenzaburo Oe for sure! Also, The Guest Cat sounds precious. So nice to hear you enjoyed The Travelling Cat Chronicles! Your edition of it is very pretty. It sounds amazing – I really want to get to it soon. And yay for Yukio Mishima! After the Banquet sounds deliciously twisty. You’ll have to lend it to me. 😉
Wonderful video! <3
I’m so excited to read The Great Passage (thank you for recommending it to me), and Cath told me I should read Colorless Tsukuru, so I’m pumped for that as well. I have definitely heard that you don’t have to be a runner to read the book about running, but I’m still kinda nervous about it…
Definitely not my thing but I enjoyed hearing your take on it. =0)
Thanks for a great introduction to Japanese literature! I just picked up The Travelling Cat Chronicles, and am looking forward to reading that one. Tale of Genji is also on my ‘must read someday’ list, maybe I’ll get round to it this year. Need to find a good annotated version though.
So far the only Murakami I’ve read is Kafka on the shore. Still not entirely sure what I thought of it.
I’ve read the Housekeeper and the Professor in a Dutch translation and I enjoyed it a lot.
The only Japanese lit I’ve read so far is part of I am a Cat by Natsume Soseki. Not really sure Soseki is the best place to start, but it’s interesting so far~
Thanks for sharing this. It is an awesome idea. I really need to get on The Great Passage.
I really enjoy Japanese lit (obviously) but I haven’t read enough of it. This makes me excited about reading Japanese lit and I can’t wait to try some of the books you recommended in this video 🙂
This is definitely a video I’ll be returning to for reference! Since subscribing to you, Japanese lit has become a genre I’m increasingly interested in 🙂 The Housekeeper and the Professor sounds really interesting oooo
Never was interested in Japanese literature … until now ….
The vibe of Japanese literature sounds really interesting, and I really like that kind of weird vibe sort of thing! (That’s why I like older sci-fi/fantasy, it’s so weird but leaves you so satisfied) I’ve checked out 1Q84 for my kindle, and I’m adding some stuff to my tbr! The housekeeper and the professor sounds amazing. I found it as an audiobook, what do you think? Will it still work? And okay your book reviews are pretty awesome, I love listening to you.