Theodore W. Goossen

A glorious anthology of stories, poems and non-fiction from a selection of famous and lesser-known Japanese writers (and some non-Japanese authors, too), mostly based around the theme of travel. I suspect this would be even better in a physical copy, with its stunning artwork and just a feeling that this is something to return to again and again, to pick a favourite story or picture and just revel in it.

Top marks to Monkey for this, their 2nd annual collection. I'm already chomping at the bit for next year's. 4.5 stars in ebook format, and because this is probably my last review of 2021, let's go out with a bang and give it 5 stars. A must-read, and must-have, for anyone with an interest in Japanese literature and culture.… (more)

As the editor of this collection notes regarding Mishima's images- they could be bloody and disturbing or they could be delicate and nuanced. It's this odd juxtaposition that partly attracts me to Japanese literature. Added to that, no doubt some sense of 'exoticism' and a sense of the uncanny which comes to fruition in Murakami. This is a varied collection from the modern era with a good representation of women writers. Some authors were familiar while others were entirely unknown to me but just as impressive as the Tanazakis and Dazais. I hadn't read Akutagawa's 'In A Grove' and was amazed at how expertly balanced were his accounts from different points-of-view of the murder. There are too many stories to choose favourites from but I enjoyed Abe's Kafkaesque 'The Bet' and Mishima's delicate portrait of the Kabuki Theatre and the affections and machinations of its occupants. Several stories encouraged me to look up their authors: Enchi's 'Flower-Eating Crone' was intriguing while Higuchi's 'Separate Ways', while one of the older pieces was moving and vivid in a poignant story of diverging fates. 'Desert Dolphin' was a post-modern take on two angels descending to earth and was highly stimulating and unpredictable. Less interesting but still pleasant to read were Yoshimoto and Tsushima. I've only read a couple of Yoshimoto stories but it seems to me she's not too substantial while Tsushima kind of promises more than she delivers here. Despite that this is a very good introduction for the newbie to Japanese lit.… (more)

This beefy periodical is worth the Kindle Edition price. I only wish the printed copies weren't so scarce. Tending toward experimental writing, it offers enough solid storytelling to appeal to most adventurous readers. As soon as I get my hands on the other volumes I plan to cherish them all.

In this volume you will find a charming essay from Haruki Murakami.
A sublime ghost story from Mieko Kawakami.
A fun story from Hiromi Kawakami.

Random poems and interesting tidbits from Kelly Link, Charles Simic, Stuart Dybek and others. I'm not a fan of Toh EnJoe, Gen'ichiro Takahashi, or Hideo Furukawa, but they are crossing the translational divide, and slowly but surely on their way to becoming popular.
This and the other several volumes are the first place to look if you're constantly trying to find new translations of these authors.… (more)