Status Updates From La literatura japonesa

Enthusiastically honouring of immersive storyteller Lady Murasaki’s Tale of the Genji centuries ahead of other novelists, the rest of Keene’s account of Japanese literature becomes one of diminishing returns. From the epoch of the ‘floating world,’ his assessment of literary pursuits gets outdone but Western examples hardly anyone reads today. Natsume gets downplayed and Akutagawa not even mentioned!

For all the apologetic diffidence over the slimness of this book, Keene covers a lot of literary ground with enough room to quote text in both Romaji and equivalent English translations. Not only does he explicate the well-known passages of Basho and Zeami, but seeks out illuminating examples of poetry and drama. The greatest feat, however, is his effortless connections to Western arts, for Western readers after all.