Customer Reviews

Night of the Milky Way Railway

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

 

 

Professor Strong's translation of Kenji's (as he is affectionately known to his fans) "Ginga tetsudo no yoru" is perhaps the best, most accessible English versions available. And there are many available. (Avoid the "Rock Press" _Milky Way Railway_ edition, it is rock-bottom.) Roger Pulvers' recent translation and John Bester's older translation are also good (Pulvers' may only be accessible in Japan in Jpn/Eng bilingual format), but I think Strong's version may be the best one yet: with easy to understand English, wonderful illustrations (that hint at the story contents, not explicate) -- plus you get her copious notes, biography and an alternate version -- all make this a nice copy to have in children's library. I think it is well-suited for an adult to read to a child (the notes in the back can help the parent out of a jam if asked "what is a crow-lantern?").

That being said, I give the story (not so much the translation) 3/5 stars. It is not my favorite Kenji story. (I'm not convinced it really came from his hand.) There are much better Kenji stories out there that I encourage anyone to read. (Try Bester's collection "Once and Forever".) "Night of the Milky Way Railway" is Kenji's longest work, but in my opinion it is not his magnum opus. A better place to look for that are collections of his shorter stories (Restaruant of Many Orders, etc.) which patch together his brilliance.

Last bit of advice -- do not read the introduction. (It contains spoilers.)

This edition of Night of the Milky Way Railway is my favorite translation to date. My command of Japanese is limited (only 2-1/2 years of college study), but I still think this version is best at capturing both the flavor of the original, and the magic of the tale. John Bester's lovely translation runs a close second. But don't bother with the Rock Bridge version- it is awkward and charmless, which does the charming writing of Miyazawa a disservice. It was the only English version I could find for a while, but it has been fully eclipsed by its superiors.

This is a great translation, with accompanying explanations from a scholar who really knows what she is doing. Unfortunately, it is not in print and used copies start at well over $100.

This is a very moving, poetic and beautiful book,which introduces a kind of magical word, in whichanimal talks, a child is in fact the son of the Wind, children travel in the Milky way...

basically like this movie when I was at younger age. The cats are cute{Anamorphic}. It's about a young boy cat Giovanni who goes fetching a bottle of milk for his ailing mother, and his father in jail for an illegal trip. But once he looks into the stars up a hill where he receantly falls asleep, is aboard a fantasy, made up world type land. His best friend Campenella {Pink Cat w/ Purple hair}
happens to be there to.After a while you can see Giovanni picturing a boy drowning in particular parts, and when it comes bby time in hand Campenella starts to talk about his mother and tries for the best to hold his tears after his mother who he receantly hadn't seen when he was probably a youngen.but once you compare the two tickets of Giovanni and Campenella something goes wrong.
Once in the chapter part called the "Coal Sack". Campenella sits away shaking, for some reason, its mostly because this was the main part he died from suffering staying under water or actually 50 minutes, and abandons Giovanni to his mother, who had reasently waited for him by the colored sign that looks like a speck of dust. Wants Giovanni crys for him to come back a man told him that he most get off of this train of dreams and stride boldly ahead