13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
50 years, yet always something new to discover, May 11, 2005
This review is from: The Donald Richie Reader: 50 Years of Writing on Japan (Paperback)
Humanity and insight. That is what separates Donald Richie from the numerous authors of that swollen genre, "books on Japan." Throughout his career, he has concocted a subtle blend, both of his own perspective and that of the people in a land foreign to him but home to them. He has shown Japan as a living place populated by these people, as opposed to of a set of cultural rules to be memorized, food to be eaten and temples to be visited.
If Donald Richie offers insight into Japan, then "The Donald Richie Reader: 50 Years of Writing on Japan" gives a similar insight into Richie. An anthology, or course, it sifts through Richie's lifetime of work and condenses the finest, most representative pieces. A keen observer, Richie acknowledges his own eyes as part of the observation process. He is, first and foremost, a writer, and the fact that Japan is his muse is only a lucky happenstance. The essays and chapters here are as much about Donald Richie as they are about Japan.
From masterpieces like "The Inland Sea" and "Ozu" to unpublished fiction like "The View from the Chuo Line," Richie's unique insight can be gleaned from this volume in a way that no single book could encapsulate. Some of his rarest works, such as "The Erotic Gods," his 1966 anthropological study of Japan's fading phallic religions, can possibly only be found in this volume. Same to this are passages from his first book, "Where are the Victors?," giving a rare view on Occupation Japan, when Richie first arrived.
A further look into Richie is the excellent and long introduction by Arturo Silva. Heavily foot-noted and photo-referenced, the introduction sets the stage for the journey into Richie's psyche that you are about to take. The photos make Richie human, from the young robustness of his early days in Japan, to the wisdom of the Old Guarde that Richie has become. It is amazing how many Japanese people of note that Richie has known. Kawabata Yasunari, Ozu Yasujiro, Mishima Yukio, Kurosawa Akira...
"The Donald Richie Reader" should probably not be your first Donald Richie book. For that I recommend "The Inland Sea" to start, and you should probably have a few of his smaller books, such as "The Honorable Visitors," under your belt before you come to this anthology. After that, I can recommend nothing better than this anthology.
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3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
the Dean of American writers in Japan, December 4, 2002
This review is from: The Donald Richie Reader: 50 Years of Writing on Japan (Paperback)
Donald Richie is the Dean of American writers and observers in Japan. He casts a favorable but critical eye on this complex culture. This book captures the twist of his observations over time, first appreciating Japanese culture, but eventually wearying of it. Perhaps its a cycle seen by many longtime Gaijin.
The writing covers a wide gamut of topics: Art, Film (Donald Richie is the pre-eminant Gai-jin critic of Japanese movies), Culture, Society, and even sex. It's truly a broad based reflection of a long time participant and observer in Japanese society. The writing is crisp, refreshing, and unabashedly biased. While many of the critiques are on serious subjects, this is not an academic work.
Overall it's an iteresting book for those interested in Japan, but may not be appropriate for the general reader.
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30 of 60 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Chrysanthemum's are blooming again!, July 13, 2002
This review is from: The Donald Richie Reader: 50 Years of Writing on Japan (Paperback)
Having lived in Japan for nearly twenty years, I can still
recall those early days when I first set foot upon these shores
and began a love-hate relationship with this island nation that
has persisted to this day. Richie's writings prior to l984 helped
to shape my initial perceptions of this often bewildering and
enigmatic culture where a smile and crafty deceit are almost one
and the same. Like a latter day Hearn, I was enchanted at first
by what was to prove a vanishing glimpse of an older Japan that
fell victim to the Bubble Economy. How swiftly values changed.
The thrift of the past, the frugality of earlier times gave way
to materialistic and ethical abandon in the greed and gilded
Bubble world (l986-93). I rate his book with only two stars
because the Japan that existed in the late 50's or early 60's
has all but disappeared. In its place is a darker, nihilistic
society that continues to dream of global economic power and
nationalistic supremacy as envisioned by such neo-fascist
leaders as Shintaro Ishihara. For those readers who have never
been to Japan, be very skeptical of books that portray Japan as
a peace loving and friendly nation that seeks to be a more
active member of the international community. Japan loves to
remain isolated and aloof, wishing merely to 'trade with the
world' but not wishing to involve itself in the sordid affairs
of inferior or dangerous nations (the USA is considered a
crime ridden society that is semi-barbaric and thrilling at
the same time). Richie and his generation of Chrysanthemum
lovers did little to prepare newcomers to ugly realities that
he turns a blind eye to or else glosses over. Read Alex Kerr's
'Lost Japan' to better understand what I mean. Those of us
who became jaded over the years mockingly refer to Lafcadio as
'Lafcadio Hearnia'! He, too, was culturally myopic and chose
to ignore the more disturbing events taking place in Japan in
the early Meiji era such as the rise of a very aggressive
military regime and the plight of a very large under-class that
remained shackled to feudalistic level serfdom. The foreign
residents in Japan today are still kept outside the society.
Both India and Japan are caste conscious societies with very
clearly defined ranks for all members. Richie may be a celebrated
writer in Japan but outside of the publishing world, he's just
another Gaijin, the foreign intruder.
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