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The Cambridge History of Japanese Literature
The Cambridge History of Japanese Literature provides, for the first time, a history of Japanese literature with comprehensive coverage of the premodern and modern eras in a single volume. The book is arranged topically in a series of short, accessible chapters for easy access and reference, giving insight into both canonical texts and many lesser known, popular genres, from centuries-old folk literature to the detective fiction of modern times. The various period introductions provide an overview of recurrent issues that span many decades, if not centuries. The book also places Japanese literature in a wider East Asian tradition of Sinitic writing and provides comprehensive coverage of women's literature as well as new popular literary forms, including manga (comic books). An extensive bibliography of works in English enables readers to continue to explore this rich tradition through translations and secondary reading.
865 pages, Hardcover
First published July 31, 2015
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May 31, 2021After four years of dipping in and out of this comprehensive account of Japanese literature, it's time to mark it as read, even though of course I can't claim to have read every word.
In 80 short chapters the indefatigable editors and their team of more than 60 scholars take us from the advent of writing in the fifth century, the spread of literacy in the seventh century, and the earliest extant works of Japanese literature in the eighth century, to contemporary Japanese literature in the early twenty-first century.
Especially welcome is the attention paid to writing in Sinitic (wenyan 文言, the language that made written communication possible between China, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam for more than two millennia) from the Heian period through the Meiji period and beyond. The section covering the period from 1868 to the present also devotes significant space to writing about/from the Japanese empire: Korea, Taiwan, the South Seas, Okinawa, and postwar Zainichi writings.
The editors have worked hard to include translations of work by Japanese scholars. Their bibliography of English secondary sources and translations is keyed to the 80 chapters and runs to some 53 pages. More than a lifetime's work for anybody!
In 80 short chapters the indefatigable editors and their team of more than 60 scholars take us from the advent of writing in the fifth century, the spread of literacy in the seventh century, and the earliest extant works of Japanese literature in the eighth century, to contemporary Japanese literature in the early twenty-first century.
Especially welcome is the attention paid to writing in Sinitic (wenyan 文言, the language that made written communication possible between China, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam for more than two millennia) from the Heian period through the Meiji period and beyond. The section covering the period from 1868 to the present also devotes significant space to writing about/from the Japanese empire: Korea, Taiwan, the South Seas, Okinawa, and postwar Zainichi writings.
The editors have worked hard to include translations of work by Japanese scholars. Their bibliography of English secondary sources and translations is keyed to the 80 chapters and runs to some 53 pages. More than a lifetime's work for anybody!
Displaying 1 of 1 review