Japanese Literature: An Introduction for Western Readers

by Donald Keene

In this thorough and fascinating volume, Donald Keene introduces his readers to the sweep of Japanese literature in all its great variety and unusual beauty, from earliest times to the mid-nineteenth century.

Although Keene is careful to point out that 'the book...neither a systematic outline nor a work of reference, but a highly personal appreciation of certain aspects of Japanese literature which I believe to be of especial interest to the Western reader,' every genre and style, from the somber beauty of Noh plays to the eroticism of seventeenth century novels, is included. The translations have been chosen not only for their accuracy but also for their readability as English prose and poetry. A brief but informative introduction is followed by four essays, on 'Japanese Poetry,' 'The Japanese Theater,' 'The Japanese Novel,' and 'Japanese Literature under Western Influence,' which collectively provide both a succinct history of the literature and culture of classical Japan and a guide to critical understanding.

The book's excellence has long been established, and its numerous reprinting, including the current edition, attest to its enduring appeal.

Genres: Japan, Nonfiction, Japanese Literature, Literature, History, Literary Criticism, Essays

114 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1953

About the author

Donald Keene was a renowned American-born Japanese scholar, translator, and historian of Japanese literature. Born in Brooklyn in 1922, he developed a love for foreign cultures early in life. He graduated from Columbia University in 1942 and served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, where he studied Japanese at the Navy Language School. After the war, he returned to Columbia for his master’s and later earned a second master’s at Cambridge, followed by a PhD from Columbia in 1949. He studied further at Kyoto University and became a leading authority on Japanese literature.
Keene taught at Columbia University for over fifty years and published extensively in both English and Japanese, introducing countless readers to Japanese classics. His mentors included Ryusaku Tsunoda and Arthur Waley, whose translations deeply influenced him. After the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, Keene retired from Columbia, moved to Japan, and became a Japanese citizen under the name Kīn Donarudo. He was awarded the Order of Culture in 2008, the first non-Japanese recipient. Keene remained active in literary and cultural life in Japan until his death in 2019 at the age of 96.

Reviews

[Derek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Keene is my Virgil in Japanese literature. He’s deeply informed but also a brilliant writer. I also love how he’s able to compare Japanese novels and literary forms with their rough European analogues.

[Smiley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally used in lectures delivered at the University of Cambridge in 1952, this book by Prof. Donald Keene (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_...) has long been one of my 'must read' books on Japanese literature since I came across its title somewhere some years ago. One of the motives was that I first enjoyed reading his Modern Japanese Literature: From 1868 to Present Day (Tuttle, 1972) cheaply bought from one of the booths in our Book Fair in April 2011; the book itself looked like a deserted, oldish one due to its cover design (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...) [Two 1953 woodblock prints by Shiko Munakata illustrating poems by the contemporary writer Isamu Yoshii] and brownish pages from which we should open with care but its spine is all right. I have since been inspired by this good introductory anthology to Japanese literature by hunting, collecting and reading them to my heart's content after they had reached the approved category of my-cup-of-tea consideration.

To continue . . .

[Daiya Hashimoto · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I am a Japanese, Donald Keene’s introduction of Japanese literature is informative. He has very great historical perspective about the theme. I was, first, surprised to find that the book began with Japanese ancient poetry, over one thousand years old, completely unfamiliar to most of us. I learned a lot by his well-organized, persuasive, beautifully fluent interpretation and summary about our literary history. I took several literary classes in my college days, which were given by famous Japanese professors, though, I couldn't get such a great comprehension and clearness that the book produced. In addition to the historical overlook, it gave me a global view. He meticulously identified Chinese and European and American influence to emboss intrinsic Japanese literature’s uniqueness. I got many findings. amazing.

[Raúl Sánchez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creo que el autor no comprende bien el realismo japonés de principios del siglo XX. Los japoneses estaban haciendo entonces lo que a los estadounidenses les tomaría otros 60 años en realizar: un realismo sobre la cotidianidad gris de la sociedad industrializada moderna y la perdida paulatina de valores, como una llama que se extingue entre los días que se suceden. Keene, recuperándose de la corriente de conciencia joyceana le sorprende que los protagonistas del realismo japonés callen y se marchiten, intentando llevar su condición vital. Es curioso, pero me parece que ahora estamos más cerca de eso que de Henry James, por ejemplo.

El libro en general es una valiosa introducción a la literatura japonesa, lleno de bellas traducciones y escrito con una excelente prosa, que hace del libro en sí mismo una pieza valiosa. Keene es un buen contador de historias y con la ayuda de muchos fragmentos de Whaley, logra que uno se haga una idea más o menos convincente de la literatura tradicional de las islas. Bastante merito para un libríto de apenas ciento y tantas páginas.

[Kyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Touches on the fascinating non-dualism of Zen Buddhism that permeates so much of life in Japan, narrowly focusing on the country’s literary contributions that span the centuries. Those further away in the remote past are more precious and unique to the authors whose names are synonymous with the poems, plays and novels they originated, yet the closer Keene gets to postwar yet still modern Japan, such nearness makes the work less distinct and harder to separate from the handful of Western examples Keene uses. Not enough space for every work of literature, yet it doesn’t strengthen his case when his preference exclude waka poems, kabuki drama or the short stories (even those bordering on pornographic) that also had tremendous impact on culture yet not suited to Keene’s tastes.

[Mark Folse · Rating 2 out of 5]

A useful book but not as good as The Pleasure of Japanese Literature. I found the section on poetry very good, the section on theatre helpful in understanding it in the context of Japanese pre-WWII novels, but the section on the post Meiji novel confusing. Keene seems to long for a more western conception of the novel while criticizing the hyper-realism and "plotlessness" of The Makioka Sisters (both I think unfair criticisms). A better investment with a stronger statement of theory is is The Pleasure of Japanese Literature, which (so far) largely skips over modern Japanese writing but provides a grounding in theory and history I am finding useful in my exploration of contemporary Japanese novels.

[Mariana Orantes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uno de los libros más bonitos que he leído. Es increíble la capacidad de este hombre para entender y explicar a la literatura japonesa. Para eso, Keene simplifica el tema que va a desarrollar, busca formas de explicarlo y después describe a los escritores más sobresalientes de cada disciplina (poesía, teatro, novela).Lo interesante es la apreciación de Keene, su sensibilidad para entender la literatura japonesa y además, abarcar un tema tan vasto y explicarlo tan bien. Su sentido del humor y su intuición literaria, además de las lecturas que conocía de primera mano, lo hacen un autor muy fresco y divertido para leer. Es como estar en una clase con Indiana Jones. El libro es pequeño y se lee en dos días. Es una completa maravilla. Uno de los mejores regalos que me han hecho.

[Niccolò Giannini · Rating 4 out of 5]

È un libro davvero datato, però è nonostante l'età scritto in modo scorrevole, e spiega nelle sue poche pagine in modo davvero centrato alcuni aspetti fondamentali della storia della letteratura Giapponese. Molto bella la parte sulla poesia a catena e quella sul teatro Nō.

[ribbonknight · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I’ve read a number of Japanese novels, I’ve had no formal education in the study of them. This was elucidating and economically written. I have no idea whether to take his recommendations on translators, but ofc the next Japanese novel I picked up was translated by Keene himself lol.

[Alexander Cruz · Rating 4 out of 5]

En el actual mundo de apertura global, la cultura se entremezcla y se conocen obras de maneras que resultarían imposibles en el mundo de antaño. Este libro nos retrata no el estado actual de la literatura japonesa, pero si el marco histórico y conceptual de donde emergió. Con una cantidad adecuada de ejemplos y una lectura comprensible, este libro nos posiciona para comprender las referencias e imágenes que a veces nos desconciertan en los autores del Japón.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A helpful and concise summary of the many forms that Japanese literature has taken over the past 1000 years. I found, in particular, the details of puppet theater and western theoretical influence on Japanese literature to be very interesting.

[Арели Перес · Rating 5 out of 5]

Je. Creo que cada vez me doy más cuenta de lo relevante que se ha vuelto este libro en mi incursión por las letras japonesas. =)