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Phyllis Birnbaum

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Phyllis Birnbaum is a novelist, biographer, journalist, and translator from the Japanese. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Times Literary Supplement, and other publications. She lives near Boston.

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Phyllis Birnbaum’s books

Average rating: 3.89 · 738 ratings · 111 reviews · 17 distinct works • Similar authors

	Confessions of Love by Uno Chiyo, Phyllis Birnbaum (Translator) 3.40 avg rating — 317 ratings — published 1935 — 22 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	RYŌMA!: The Life of Sakamoto Ryoma Japanese Swordsman and Visionary, Volume I by Ryōtarō Shiba, Phyllis Birnbaum (Editor), Paul McCarthy (Goodreads Author) (Translator) 4.44 avg rating — 142 ratings — published 1963 — 12 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Clouds above the Hill: A Historical Novel of the Russo-Japanese War, Volume 1 by Ryōtarō Shiba, Phyllis Birnbaum (Editor), Julia Winters Carpenter (Translator) 4.22 avg rating — 119 ratings — published 1969 — 16 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Manchu Princess, Japanese Spy: The Story of Kawashima Yoshiko, the Cross-Dressing Spy Who Commanded Her Own Army 3.26 avg rating — 144 ratings — published 2015 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Rabbits, Crabs, Etc.: Stories by Japanese Women by Phyllis Birnbaum (Translator), Kanai Mieko (Contributor), Ayako Sono (Contributor) 3.96 avg rating — 104 ratings — published 1982 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Glory in a Line: A Life of Foujita--the Artist Caught Between East and West 4.14 avg rating — 36 ratings — published 2006 — 11 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Modern Girls, Shining Stars, the Skies of Tokyo 3.68 avg rating — 19 ratings — published 1998 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	An eastern tradition 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Rabbits, Crabs, Etc.: Stories by Japanese Women by Unknown(1984-01-01) by Phyllis Birnbaum, Unknown Author 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Modern Girls, Shining Stars, the Skies of Tokyo: 5 Japanese Women 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Polls

Based upon the nominations here is the poll for Aug/Sept 2026
Please add your second choice in the poll comments.
Note that "Rabbits, Crabs, Etc. is out of print but it is widely available as a used book for 10$ USD or less. It might be in reprint in Europe.

We read "The Waiting Years" 2016/01 so more than 5 years ago so it is good for this poll.

Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami by Haruki Murakami

24 votes, 22.2%

The Waiting Years by Fumiko Enchi

14 votes, 13.0%

Rabbits, Crabs, Etc.: Stories by Japanese Women, anthology translated by Phyllis Birnbaum

10 votes, 9.3%

Suspicion by Seichō Matsumoto

9 votes, 8.3%

Guilt by Keigo Higashino

8 votes, 7.4%

Spring Garden by Tomoka Shibasaki

8 votes, 7.4%

Run with the Wind by Shion Miura

7 votes, 6.5%

Tezcatlipoca byKiwamu Sato

7 votes, 6.5%

A daughter of the Samurai: A Memoir of Honor and Adventure in Feudal Japan. The Original Classic by Etsuko Sugimoto

6 votes, 5.6%

Japanese Tales of Mystery & Imagination by Edogawa Rampo

6 votes, 5.6%

Manazuru by Hiromi Kawakami

5 votes, 4.6%

The Master Key by Masako Togawa

4 votes, 3.7%

108 total votes

27 comments

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