The close of January brings many things. My birthday on the 30th. My mother's on the 31st. The end of the Japanese Literature Challenge 5. Basically, there are 9 days left to read that one book of Japanese literature which qualifies you. Or, if you've read one book perhaps one book more...
 |
| photo credit here |
I never seem to read as much as my fellow participants. Still, I'm pleased with what I was able to finish for my own challenge this year:
- Strangers by Taichi Yamada
- Inspector Iminishi Investigates by Seicho Matsumoto
- Villain by Shuichi Yoshida
- 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami
- Thousand Cranes by Yasunari Kawabata
- Paprika by Yasutaka Tsutsui
- The Buddha in The Attic by Julie Otsuka
How can one pick a favorite? Impossible! I loved Villain and Inspector Iminishi Investigates for their wonderful mystery, Thousand Cranes and The Buddha in The Attic for their mood, Strangers for the thought-provoking quality that still has me puzzling out the meaning. For that matter, so does 1Q84 which remains my least favorite of Haruki Murakami's books.
If you so choose, please leave me the title of one or two of your favorite Japanese books. I'd like to add them to the suggested reading list for the Japanese Literature Challenge 6 which will begin in June, 2012, as well as have them for my own reading pleasure.
Speaking of reading pleasures, are you ready for February?! That is when the Venice in February Challenge 2012 begins which I am co-hosting with Ally of Snow Feathers. It was her brilliant idea, and I'm so enthused about it I've already read Death in La Fenice by Donna Leon, Across the River and Into The Trees by Ernest Hemingway, and most of Pictures of Italy by Charles Dickens. When it officially starts, I'm looking forward to reading many more books and hosting a few give-aways. Also, Frances is going to join me in reading Henry James' The Wings of The Dove. We're going to read it in our own time, and post about it at the end of the month. Please feel free to join in!
If I haven't all the commitments of other reading challenges, I'd love to join in the reading of Wings of the Dove! But now I'll look forward to reading your posts on it. As for your future JLC, I'd like to suggest the two books I read for your previous JLC by Nobel Laureate Yasunari Kawabata: Snow Country and The Sound of the Mountain. Thanks for hosting this unique Challenge, Bellezza!
ReplyDeleteArti, you definitely hooked me with your review of Kawabata! I will be picking up his books very soon because your post was so enticing and lovely. I don't own the ones you wrote of in your comment, just First Snow on Mt. Fuji (I think that's the title!); hopefully our library has those copies.
DeleteI read Strangers last year and loved it. But the Japanese book I liked the most was Atoda's The Square Persimmon. I reviewed it.
ReplyDeleteI will have to make notes of those you mention.
Venice in February sounds appealing, I have to have a closer look.
Caroline, I don't think I'll ever forget Stranggers. Now that you mention it, I remember hearing wonderful things of The Squre Persimmon. Off to see if I can find a copy! Thanks!
DeleteI started to suggest The Makioka Sisters and Quicksand, but they're already on the current challenge's list. I'm still trying to get A Personal Matter by Oe finished before the challenge ends. I'm looking forward to the next challenge, though.
ReplyDeleteI've already overloaded on challenges and hadn't planned on doing the Venice challenge, but your list of books was too tempting, so I signed up. On the plus side, maybe I can get a little overlap with other challenges.
Brooke, I loved Oe's A Personal Matter. It wasn't beautiful writing, in my opinion, as such a significant message. I loved the change in the hero by the end of the book. So glad you've signed up to join us with the Venice in February Challenge! It's great when books overlap, too, isn't it? Welcome!
DeleteI'll be happy to join in JLC6 :) I have one last post scheduled for this week to wrap up my JLC5 contributions - as always, it's been a pleasure!
ReplyDeleteTony, you have been a faithful participant in this challenge, and I appreciate what you've read, and your reviews, so much. It's been a pleasure for me!
DeleteI'm excited about Venice in February! I have my list of books all picked out, just waiting for my January pay cheque to start buying them :)
ReplyDeleteYeah, waiting for the pay cheque...or, diverting funds from the gas bill...always a joy. ;) Glad you're in for the fun, Sam!
DeleteThanks to you and your challenge I rediscovered Murakami, and Sputnik Sweetheart remains my favorite so far. I haven't started reading 1Q84 but I will do it this year. Also, Strangers was such a fascinating read that I am planning on reading more of Yamada's works...
ReplyDeleteAs for the Venice Challenge, left a message on Death at La Fenice, but it's not there, so blogger might be doing some crazy deeds these days... I am looking forward to it, although February is going to be a hectic month at school, but I am so glad I teamed up with you since you are the best partner I could have :)
Hope this post appears :)
Ally, thanks to you I'm discovering Venice in a whole new way! I'm so looking forward to The Passion which you sent, and I even found Jeannette Winterston's book on 'oranges' (can't remember the title now!) at our library's resale shelf, so I feel covered in riches. Hope school remains manageable for you (and me!).
DeleteI m lokking forward to next month and the nights getting lighter ,all the best stu
ReplyDeleteStu, I'm feeling badly that you can't use your WordPress account with the new comment system. Thanks for taking the time to leave your thoughts with your old Blogger name. The brighter nights are sweet, but I'm not ready to let winter go. I still need some more snow!
DeleteI'm looking forward to Venice! I have a mystery on my nook and I would love to join in reading The Wings of the Dove. I'll try! There's another birthday coming up (not mine!) so I might go with that author instead. WIll look forward to your thoughts (and Frances') in any event.
ReplyDeleteAudrey, I'd love it if you could find the time to read James with us. I'm puzzling over the 'other birthday coming up' and which author you're going with? You have me quite intrigued!
DeleteGreat job on the challenge! I'll be tackling 1Q84 when it comes available on e-book from the library. Woohoo!
ReplyDeleteAndi, don't hold your breath. I liked 1Q84, but...
DeleteWe'll talk when you've read it.
Hi Bellezza, some names to add for me would be Hitomi Kanehara, Ryu Mitsuse, Kobo Abe, Hoshi Shinichi, Keigo Higashino, probably won't get another one finished by the end of the month, so will join back again in the new one (have set up page area already)
ReplyDeleteHi Parrish, I know of Kobo Abe, but all of the other authors you mentioned here are new to me. Just a small part of why I value your input so much.
DeleteWhat a beautiful cake! And a very happy birthday to you in advance. I am sooo ready for Wings of the Dove. Yesterday I found a copy on my shelves AND loaded on to my tablet so as to always have it at hand. Looks like we might have some good company too. Hope others join in, but always happy with just the two of us also.
ReplyDeleteFrances, I have a hard copy (well, actually it's a paperback from Modern Library because I liked that cover the best) and I have an edition from Barnes and Noble Classics on my nook. So, like you, I'm well prepared for any eventuality. I'll be taking it to Naples, FL with me this upcoming weekend, and I'm looking forward to the flight just to open it up! So glad we're reading it together.
DeleteI've just finished The Devotion of Suspect X - it is like a faster paced, more twisty version of Out. I think you'll love it!
ReplyDeleteI hope that you have a wonderful birthday!
Jackie, my friend Les sent me her copy of The Devotion of Suspect X, but I still haven't read it. Thanks for you suggestion; I've heard mixed things about this book, so I can see I'll need to read it to discover what I truly think of it. If you say it's like Out, I'm sure I'll adore it. Thanks for advance birthday wishes, too. ;)
DeleteHey, your birthday's the day after mine! (And my dad's is today--it's a great month for birthdays.) I'm very excited for a Venetian February. I already have some tentative books picked out and just need to get them from the library. I think the 2nd Commissario Brunetti mystery, and perhaps a Shakespeare or two set in Venice. And maybe something else...
ReplyDeleteAmanda, that is so fun that our birthdays are all so close together! My dad's was just on the fifteenth.
DeleteI really liked the first Commissario Brunetti mystery, so I can see that I'd like to try more of Donna de Leon's books should there be time. Charles Dickens' Pictures from Italy was lovely, but just a travelogue, really. There was no plot in it, but marelous description. Anyway, I'm sure we'll have a lot of great things to share in February!
For the Japanese literature-2 non-fictions: In Praise of Shadows by Jun'ichiro Tanizaki
ReplyDelete"an essay on Japanese sense of beauty") and A Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi. "Musashi was Japanese most renown warrior."
I'll try to remember January 30th.
Edgar, the title In Praise of Shadows alone sounds so lovely. One of the things I most enjoy about Japanese literature is the way that the authors can create a mood, can embellish a simple thing in nature to enormous porportions. I don't know anything about A Book of Five Rings so I'm glad you told me about that title as well.
DeleteHappy early birthday! It looks like you read some great books for the Japanese Literature Challenge... I've always wanted to join your challenge, but I've never gotten around to it. Maybe this year I will unofficially join :) I never finished 1Q84 unfortunately. Maybe I will go back to it, but for now it sits unfinished on my shelf.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lu, for the early birthday wishes. I hope you do join in the challenge when it fits your schedule. Remember, just one work is "required". ;)
DeleteBellezza, I'm definitely in for JLC6 - feel badly that I didn't read as much for this current one. I'll definitely read more for this upcoming one :) As for the Venice challenge - sounds like fun! I'm looking forward to reading you posts during it. And I can't wait to read your posts on The Wings of the Dove - I've only seen the film (which I loved!), but I've always wanted to read the bok. This should definitely push me to read it sooner rather than later. Oh, and of course, Happy Birthday!! I know its early, but I do hope you have a wonderful birthday ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm not a very faithful JLC blogger, am I? But since I've started 1Q84 (and plan to resume my reading when I fly to Hawaii in early March) and I've had my eye on Out ever since I finished The Devotion of Suspect X, I will definitely join in on JLC6. No, really. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd I can't tell you how excited I am for the Venice Challenge. I've got five books in my stacks and can't wait to begin!
I hope your birthday is as lovely as that cake in this post! Did you take the photo? It's stunning!
I enjoyed JLit 5 challenge tremendously, eventhough I haven't read as many as I would want to. Only 5. I think this year's read has all been good. here goes:
ReplyDeleteConfessions of a Mask by Yukio Mishima
Underground by Haruki Murakami
Dance, Dance, Dance by Haruki Murakami
Villain by Shuichi Yoshida
1Q84 by Haruki Murakami
I love that Jlit 6 button! it is the most beautiful!! :)
If I don't wish you on the day, Happy Birthday Bellezza. Hope you have a great year ahead!
ReplyDeleteso excited to hear about the upcoming Japanese challenge, with a very nice button, thanks! here are titles I plan to read:
ReplyDeleteTale of Genji
Botchan, by Soseki
The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino
“Strangers”/or In Search of A Distant Voice by Taichi Yamada
The Face of Another by Kobe Abe