Japanese Literature recommended by Don Shin, South Novato Libary Assistant (& aspiring librarian)
Abe, Kobo, 1924- The Woman in the Dunes
An amazingly imaginative and chilling tale of entrapment, desperation, and humanity. Later adapted into a movie of the same name.
Akutagawa, Ryunosuke, 1892-1927 Rashomon and Other Stories
One of the fathers of modern Japanese literature, Akutagawa’s short stories “Rashomon” and “In a Grove” are the bases for Akira Kurosawa’s classic film Rashomon.
Mishima, Yukio, 1925-1970 The Sound of Waves
A traditional and rather tame story of first love (well, tame in the Japanese literary historical sense).
Murakami, Haruki, 1949- The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
A fascinating journey by arguably the biggest name in Japanese literature today. The reader never knows which way Murakami will go next.
Oe, Kenzaburo, 1935- A Personal Matter
Pulitzer prize-winning author describes in fiction form his personal true story regarding the birth of his handicapped son.
Suzuki, Koji, 1957- Ring
The impetus behind the Japanese movie sensation Ringu, which in turn spawned the American version The Ring in 2002.
