Read Real Japanese Essays: Contemporary Writings by Popular Authors 1 free CD included [Paperback]

Janet Ashby (Editor), Reiko Matsunaga (Narrator)

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

* 8 stimulating essays with translations of all the complex passages
* Japanese-English dictionary for quick lookup, tailored to your needs
* Notes explain subtleties of nuance, usage, grammar, and culture
* Free CD with audio narrations performed by a professional actress
* Profiles of the individual writers place the works in context

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Kodansha USA; Pap/Com Bl edition (June 2, 2008)
• Language: English, Japanese
• ISBN-10: 4770030576
• ISBN-13: 978-4770030573
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #495,552 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stellar Reader, August 30, 2008

By 

ARK "To err is human. To arr is pirate." (Computer Chair) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Read Real Japanese Essays: Contemporary Writings by Popular Authors 1 free CD included (Paperback)

Once I read the Fiction version in this series, I jumped for the Nonfiction as quickly as possible. This little series is absolutely top-notch for those who have taken advanced Japanese classes. I can't help but repeat myself in this review: "This reader is the one I compare all others to."

It goes above and beyond in every respect. It features enjoyable stories, furigana by every kanji, a dictionary wherein every term is listed, a line-by-line "literal" explanation, and in the back of the book the grammar and cultural points of each line is discussed in depth. And as icing on the cake, there's a fabulous CD wherein an actress reads each story aloud. How can it get any better than this?

Frankly, I am being spoiled rotten by both of the books in this duo. It's going to be hard to go back to other readers that lack comprehensive dictionaries and feature complex kanji with no furigana.

Still, don't be fooled by all the goodies it gives you -- it's not holding your hand. Furigana is only listed once, forcing you to recall it when the kanji is repeated later in the story. Any new devotees of the Japanese language will probably be bowled over -- it's definitely for the intermediate students, who will benefit most from seeing all of those grammar forms they only previously knew in textbooks.

If you're a student of Japanese, you'll find this reader helpful and fun. It's definitely worth the money -- you're paying for some wonderful features that many other readers skimp on. I suggest getting the Fiction version of this set as well, as it features all of the same perks.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good study material, September 8, 2008

By 

Kaodake - See all my reviews

This review is from: Read Real Japanese Essays: Contemporary Writings by Popular Authors 1 free CD included (Paperback)

This is a great book for advanced students. It presents real written Japanese and breaks it down into bite-size segments. Everything you need (except for a note book) is right there. The CD is an excellent aid for listening. No dry reading and grammar points. I find it is best to make photocopies of the section you are working through so you can lay it flat (the hadrcover version won't always stay open). You can also increase the font size and make notes whithout marking up the book (I'm a nitpicker).

Best to use the CD with mediaplayer on a computer. This way you can break the tracks down and focus on the individual sentences, without having to sit through the entire track (big time saver).

You must still work at it though. The best materials in the world do nothing if you don't use them. This book makes language study a little less painful!

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing!, September 6, 2008

By 

C. Shameh "I got a horrible book habit" (Southern California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Read Real Japanese Essays: Contemporary Writings by Popular Authors 1 free CD included (Paperback)

For anyone disappointed by the fact that the Japanese language books in the book store are too easy, but Japanese books are too hard, this is the book for you. It's definitely a great tool for students that are interested in gaining more reading comprehension strength while being able to enjoy what they are reading. The length of the essays are short which prevent boredom and since they are written by authors instead of educators they leave you wanting to read more! I love the literal translations on the side that still let me think of what the author is saying instead of telling me what it says! I can't wait to buy the short stories book too!