Rivers

by Teru Miyamoto, Johnny Wales (Illustrator), Roger Thomas (Translator)

Miyamoto Teru has established a considerable and devoted following in Japan, and is rapidly building a devoted readership in other Asian countries and parts of Europe as his fiction is translated into various languages. With only a few of his works currently available in English, however, Anglophone readers have for the most part been unaware of the "Teru" literary phenomenon. This book brings together his most famous work, the superlative Rivers "Muddy River," which was published in 1977 and won the 78th Akutagawa Prize; "River of Fireflies," published the following year and promptly winning the 13th Dazai Osamu Prize; and "River of Lights," also published in 1978 but later extensively rewritten and expanded into a novel. All three works have been released as major films in Japan.

Rivers explores the perennial themes of Miyamoto's fiction, drawing extensively on his own childhood in working-class Osaka neighborhoods to recreate a vivid and powerful world with consummate skill. While he frequently deals with perennial themes of life, death, and loss, his writing is touched with a pathos and humor to bring out the essential humanity of each character. Like the depressed areas described in much of his fiction, his characters too are often "left behind" by post-war Japan's rapid economic growth, by unexpected changes in their lives, or by the deaths of loved ones. His heroes are ordinary people who, as he puts it, "are trying to lift themselves up, who are struggling to live," and who achieve quiet triumphs.

Genres: Japan, Fiction, Japanese Literature

270 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 8, 2019

About the author

Teru Miyamoto (宮本 輝), born Masahito Miyamoto (宮本 正仁), is a Japanese author. He graduated from Otemon Gakuin University with a degree in literature in 1970.

1977 Dazai Osamu Prize for Mud River (Doro no Kawa)
1978 Akutagawa Prize for Firefly River (Hotarugawa)
1987 Yoshikawa Eiji Prize for Literature for Yu-Shun

Reviews

[E. G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

--Muddy River
--River of Fireflies
--River of Lights

Contributors

[Athena · Rating 5 out of 5]

He instantly became a favourite. I appreciate the geographic variety, perspectives, and characters. Miyamoto's voice is distinct from typical modern favourites like Kawabata and Mishima and contemporary voices that ride on being a bit obsessive like Kawakami, Yoshimoto, and of course the over-rated Murakami.

Miyamoto writes about people often missed in history, allowing mysteries to linger. He also brings marginalised characters to life, from boat kids to drag queens without fanfare nor derision.

[Shin · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 1956, so many people were living in Osaka. Of course rich people were there, and so many workers were there. However, this story focused on poor people (children) and their lives.
“Muddy river” was certainly a story of post ww2, and many poor people were trying to find not only money but also “joy”
So many points of view are there, but I have read with thinking the “river” divided children’s lives, cultures, common senses etc too. So, now I want to recommend this book, for think our lives, and what is the happiness for us.

[Trevor · Rating 3 out of 5]

These three novellas were mostly disappointing because the style was different from most of the other works by Teru Miyamoto that I’ve read. But I say mostly disappointing because the second part of River of Lights is a five star masterpiece, one of the best stories I’ve ever read. I like books that you could call realism or slice of life, and that’s what River of Lights is; it follows the daily lives of regular people in 20th century Osaka. I became so engrossed in the stories world and characters, then it suddenly ended because it’s a short novella. I've read that Miyamoto wrote an expanded version of the story, so I hope that's translated to English one day. I’d be happy if there were a new English translation of any work by Teru Miyamoto because of how much I enjoy his books.