Mirror: The Fiction and Essays of Koda Aya

by Ann Sherif

Ann Sherif discusses the life and work of Kòda in light of changes in critical horizons, readerly communities, and especially constructions of gender and the family in the latter half of the twentieth century. Excellent translations of some of Kòda's most provocative short works are included.

Genres: Japanese Literature, Literature

240 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1999

Reviews

[Carlos · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some literary criticism can manage to be interesting reading; others get so lost in providing the context of literary movements that the general audience can’t help but be bored by them. The first half of this work falls in the latter category. Sherif, after giving a reasonable overview of Koda’s life, proceeds to given excruciating detail of generational and literary context for her work. This involves extensive discussions of other writers so that she can make extensive comparisons. Fortunately, Sherif ends the collection with her translations of some of Koda’s essays and allows the reader to get a glimpse of the simplicity and directness of her prose.

[Daniel Barlekamp · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure how to rate this one. Koda Aya's beautiful and insightful writing deserves five stars, but her essays make up only a short section at the end. Ann Sherif's introduction provides a helpful overview of Koda Aya's life and literary significance, but I found the subsequent chapters too academic for me as a reader with a general interest. I scooped this up for a dollar on the University of Hawaii Press website, but I wish I had started with a full translation of one of Koda Aya's books, like TREES. That's where I'll turn next.

[peatrycze pergolette · Rating 5 out of 5]

duza inspiracja, kiedys jeszcze o tobie pogadam