FAUST 1 [Paperback]

NISIOISIN (Author), Otsuichi (Author), Kouhei Kadono (Author), Kinoko Nasu (Author), Otaro Maijo (Author), Clamp (Illustrator), Takeshi Obata (Illustrator), Ueda Hajime (Illustrator), Takashi Takeuchi (Illustrator), Katsushi Ota (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 19, 2008

A stunning new collection of fiction inspired by the fantastic world of manga–and featuring artwork by the best in the business, including

“Outerholic,” by NISIOISIN (illustrated by CLAMP): CLAMP fans everywhere will appreciate the original art in this tale excerpted from NISIOISIN’s upcoming novel–set in the world of CLAMP’s bestselling xxxHOLiC–about a woman compelled to choose disaster.

“F-sensei’s Pocket,” by Otsuichi (illustrated by Takeshi Obata): What would you do if you could make all your dreams come true? Here’s the story of a girl who is really very ordinary–until a bunch of magic gadgets suddenly blow onto her porch.

“Outlandos d’Amour,” by Kouhei Kadono (illustrated by Ueda Hajime): For a boy who can make lightning strike, the only thing harder than learning how to control his powers is falling in love.

“The Garden of Sinners,” by Kinoko Nasu (illustrated by Takashi Takeuchi [TYPE-MOON]): Too many young girls are flying and dying. It has to stop–and only Shiki can put an end to it.

“Drill Hole in My Brain,” (Written and illustrated by Otaro Maijo): The ill-fated love story of a boy with a hole in his head and a girl with a horn on hers. It was great while it lasted, but the end of their affair just might mean the end of the world.

PLUS more illustrated stories, columns, interviews, and bonus features!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Faust is the Stateside release of a McSweeney's-style Japanese literary journal of short fantastical fiction by young authors for an anime and manga audience. The manga included in the back of the book is flashy and exquisitely drawn but painfully short; this volume is primary a work of prose. An excerpt from an xxxHOLiC light novel (a short genre novel aimed at young adult readers) opens the book; unfortunately, the interesting part of CLAMP's manga is the artwork, and in prose form the story is lacking. The highlight of the book is Otaro Maijo's Drill Hole in My Brain, a piece of pop culture–filled, avant-garde pornography written in the style of William S. Burroughs or Mark Leyner. A boy with a screwdriver stuck in his brain narrates a brilliant psychedelic stream-of-consciousness sexual fantasy that takes place inside his head. F-Sensei's Pocket is a surprising and delightful story of what happens when the two most hated girls in class come into the possession of several magical items from Doraemon. The many amusing self-referential nods to the publisher Kodansha and copyright infringement add to the fresh, contemporary feel of the piece. The Garden of Sinners excerpt is hindered by a hard-to-follow shifting perspective and a particularly nonsensical philosophy of flying. (Aug.)
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From School Library Journal

Adult/High School–This collection features primarily short stories, with about 15 percent of the space devoted to manga. Highlights in the manga section include VOFANs breathtaking illustrations in the wordless story Nikko Dance Party and NISIOISINs clever story After School: 7th Class. Many of the stories are by authors who are best known for manga, so their fans would definitely appreciate this book. The most notable selections include Otsuichis F-senseis Pocket, Kouhei Kadonos Outlandos dAmour, and Otaro Maijos Drill Hole in My Brain, which is both astonishingly erotic and just plain astonishing. While the quality of the collection as a whole is somewhat uneven, there are enough gems here to make this a worthwhile read for lovers of Japanese pop culture.–Andrea Lipinski, New York Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 16 and up
  
• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey (August 19, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 034550206X
• ISBN-13: 978-0345502063
• Product Dimensions: 4.8 x 1.2 x 7.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #571,950 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars From The Figment Review at http://blog.figment.com/category/reviews/, February 13, 2011

By 

The Figment Review (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: FAUST 1 (Paperback)

Literary anthologies are quite rare. Though a few are still sold in magazine stands across the US, they are few in number and mostly obscure to the general public. So how surprising is it that out of all the books from Japan a publisher could bring over, they would choose a young adult anthology?

Of course, FAUST isn't just any YA anthology. It is, in all honesty, one of the most prestigious in all of Japan. Having launched in 2003, the publisher went on to release seven subsequent volumes, all of which still remain readily available in print. Bound almost exactly like a regular paperback book, the anthology features some of Japan's most popular and well known YA authors. With only one editor, a man who works for a well known YA publishing division, the magazine has surpassed most expectations.

When I first heard of FAUST's English release, I was admittedly excited. Not only did it mark another translation of Japanese fiction, but a serious literary work that has much notoriety in its home country. With eager anticipation, I picked up a copy as soon as possible.

As surmised by the term "anthology", FAUST is a collection of short stories by some of Japan's bestselling YA authors, including such big names as Otsuichi (author of "Calling You", "Zoo", etc), NisiOisin (author of "Zaregoto"), and Kouhei Kadono (author of the "Boogiepop" series). Ranging from science fiction, to psychological thriller, to romance, and to slice of life, the four hundred page paperback delivers nothing else if not variety. Along with the large number of short stories are some advice columns and original Manga that attempt to blur the line between art and prose.

To start this review off, I'll begin by saying that FAUST is a work of gripping, thought provoking, and humorous talent. Filled with stories that encompass a wide variety of genres, it succeeds in showing us what a literary anthology can and should strive to be in terms of raw creativity. On the other hand, it's also boring and including one story, terribly written. As with any short story collection, especially when dealing with multiple authors, there is always the risk that not every story will be as well written as the last.

To get specific, some of the stories are downright unforgettable, such as with the works "F-Sensei's Pocket" by Otsuichi or "Outlandos dAmour" by Kouhei Kadono. But some stories prove to be the polar opposite: unfulfilling throughout. Because of this, FAUST can be likened to a bag of Halloween candy. There are some great candies, but also some you'd rather spit out once you take a bite.

Overall, the publication is a winner though. Filled with new ideas and old alike, it provides an excellent example for why YA can't be stereotyped and how it has the potential to be just as diverse as any other genre.

Del Rey has done a great job with their translation of the book, much like their previous work on "Zaregoto", and do not disappoint with their localization. Translation notes are scattered across the pages helping readers to avoid confusion or feeling out of the loop in regard to Japanese-centric aspects of the stories.

FAUST is a literary anthology that will both entertain and educate readers in more ways than one. Not only does it allow us to steal a sneak peak at a literary culture very different from our own, but it shows us the vast amount of room American YA authors still have to maneuver in. Though not every story is a keeper, the ones that are more than make up for the duds.