Customer Reviews

Dawn to the West: Japanese Literature in the Modern Era (History of Japanese Literature, Vol. 3)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this book to supplement a course I was taking on Japanese literature, and it was one of the few "optional" texts I ever actually read. Donald Keene is the first person to look to if you are interested in Japanese literature. Not only does he know the literaure inside and out, he puts everything in a context of history and culture that makes you appreciate the actual works even more. This book is comprehensive, well thought out, and very accessible.

This book comprises two volumes that bear the same title but are sold separately. Vol. 1 (1329 pages) is devoted to Prose, Vol. 2 (698 pages) covers Poetry, Criticism, and Drama. Make sure you you don't get the wrong volume as I did!!

The book itself wears its 20 years well and for its breadth of coverage continues to be very useful as a general survey of modern Japanese literature. The three (and a half) stars are because the author's own voice tends to flatten the rich and varied body of writing the book treats, making it sound deceptively homogeneous.

I'm studying Japanese letterature at university and among my various book, i think that Donald Keene is the best. Though, he sometimes may be lengthy, his style is fluent and interesting, you'll never get bored.