Japanese literature

[Mae]

Before I discovered anime I took a college Japanese lit class just as a random choice to fill a requirement. The class ended up really blowing me away, and I've been a fan since, especially of the old stuff, like Heien era. Anyway, these are my current favorites, and if anyone has any other comments or suggestions about what I should check out next please feel free.

1. Tale of the Heiki: Story of a clan's rise and fall from power, based on true historical events, told and retold by blind monks in order to make a living (seriously). Lots of battles, betrayals, love, dirty politics, great warriors, etc. Excellent.

2. Narrow Road to the Interior: Read this book and find out why its author (Basho) is considered a minor diety in Japan.

3. Tale of Genji: Written around the same time as Beowulf, considered the first great Japanese novel. Like Beowulf or The Odessey its about the society's ideal man, Genji, who basically spends the book looking very cool and seducing every woman in sight. It's so nifty that their ideal man was a lover not a fighter.

4. Kagaro Nikki: Diary of a woman living in the Heian era, some very interesting stuff about day to day life and living as one of several wives.

5. The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon: Another book about day to day life in a Heian palace.

For poetry I like Only Companion - Sam Hamill and The Ink Dark Moon - Jane Hirshfield. I keep Only Companion on my nightstand to read when I'm feeling depressed. Some selections:

Approaching midnight
on a hillside, in springtime,
in a temple hall,
even in my deepest dreams
the blossoms contine to fall.

My black hair tangled
as my own tangled thoughts.
I lie here alone,
dreaming of one who is gone,
who stroked my hair till it shown.

[bwabes]

I've read all of those, but the Tale of Genji is easily the best, with the Tale of the Heike in second. Have you read (or seen) any Noh, Bunraku, or Kabuki plays? After all, what you've read amount to the classics of Japanese literature, so you might want to check out the classic plays too. Of course, you should take in some classic poetry like the Kokinshu or Shinkokinshu. Unlike most people, I prefer the Shinkokinshu to the first compilation.

I really only like reading poetry in Japanese, though. Reading the translations takes a lot out of it, since a huge part of waka (which I prefer to haiku) is the beauty of form and sound. It's hard sometimes with the archaic Japanese, but I'm able to get most of it, using the translation as a guide if I can't completely grasp it. Of course, if you don't know Japanese this is difficult, but reading the Japanese even if you don't understand it will give you greater appreciation for the poetry.

[Mae]

The Tale of Genji was good, but it did get repititive after awhile (then he seduced the woman with the big nose, then he seduced the girl young enough to be his daughter, then he seduced the rest of the female population). I liked the intrigue and backstabbing in the Tale of the Heiki better.

I WISH I could read enough Japanese to really get the poetry, but I still have problems with verb tenses, and alot of the shadings and double meanings of the words are beyond me. I think Sam Hamill is a pretty good translator as he is also a poet and doesn't go strictly word for word.

I like waka better too. Haiku are decent when they are used to sum up in a few words what the author is feeling at a certain time, like in Basho's work, but taken out of context they lose alot of their meaning. Waka are good enough to stand on their own.

I haven't read any plays, so that's a good suggestion. Do you have any particular works or translators you like? Thanks i/expressions/face-icon-small-cool.gif

Tsuki ya aranu
hara ya mukashi no
haru naranu
wa ga mi hototsu wa
moto no mi no shite