Customer Reviews

The Manga Biography of Kenji Miyazawa, Author of "Night of the Milky Way Railway"

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

 

 

Kenji Miyazawa was a writer of poetry and stories. The first line of one of his poems is familiar to all Japanese in the way that Wordsworth's 'I wandered as lonely as a cloud' is familiar to Brits (at least of my generation). This manga biography gives an excellent introduction to his life, and hopefully will encourage more people to read his stories (which have been wonderfully translated into English by John Bester). For anyone who wants to learn more life in the early part of the 20th century in the Tohoku region of Japan, where Kenji grew up, this would be a good place to start.

The Manga Biography of Kenji Miyazawa is a compelling
portrait of one of Japan's most popular authors.

Kenji Miyazawa was a unique individual who lived true to
his ideals and had the ability to empathize with people,
especially those that were less fortunate than himself. He
lived a full life and died young at thirty-seven years of
age. Although he lived over a hundred years ago, there are
lessons to be learned from how he chose to live his life;
his modesty and the passion he felt for his work and the
things he truly loved are several traits that stand out.

The manga in this compact book are simple and appealing,
effectively illustrating Kenji's character as well as the
events and people that shaped his life.

I highly recommend this book to those who may or may not
be familiar with Kenji's work. If you have read his
stories, learning about his life will give you a greater
appreciation for his work and an understanding of where he
obtained his ideas and inspiration. For those who are
unfamiliar with his work, this biography is a fun
introduction that will compel you to read further.