Salamander and Other Stories (Japan's Modern Writers) (Paperback)

~ (Author), (Translator)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This collection of short stories displays Masuji Ibuse's style of satire to wry lyricism.

Product Details

• Paperback: 136 pages
• Publisher: Kodansha America (June 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0870114581
• ISBN-13: 978-0870114588
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 4.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #849,787 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars precious short stories..., December 19, 2000

By	W. K. Miller "kenmiller32" (NC, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

When I first heard Masuji Ibuse's name, it was in association with his best known work, _Black Rain_, regarding the Hiroshima bombing and aftermath.

This _Salamander and other Stories_ is a collection of short stories, and it is well worthwhile. The stories here are about ordinary people doing everyday things; Ibuse's craftsman's touch and his personal insight into everyday behaviours are what make this collection so special.

One story concerns a rural elderly man's obsession with his prize-winning bulls, and what happens when they disappear. Another regards a bizarre military tragedy, and the title story is about a salamander who becomes too large to leave his cave.

All the stories are significantly different and special to make them memorable to me; the place names and character names are Japanese, but the style itself doesn't have "Japanese" stamped all over it. The stories strike a universal chord.

Anyone who loves short stories, be they contemporary Japanese, contemporary American, or by one of Europe's masters of Modernism (think Joyce's _Dubliners_, the stories of Kafka, or the stories of Thomas Mann), should at least give Ibuse's _Salamander and other Stories_ a try. I think it's well worth it...

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Of Stuck Salamanders and Sacrilegious Settlers, December 17, 2006

By	Crazy Fox (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

A thin, unassuming little book, "Salamander" contains nine superb short stories masterfully written by Ibuse Masuji. The stories, mostly dating from the 1920's to the 1950's, are subtle, deceptively simple and carefully crafted to make their points quietly but surely, often with gently ironic humor. Several of the stories are suffused with a slight, understated symbolic quality not quite surreal but not quite straightforward either, and this is counterbalanced with a sure eye for concrete detail and an earthy, almost rustic sensibility...in fact, most of the stories are set in Japan's rural areas generally around southwest Honshu (I found this especially refreshing since so much Japanese fiction, especially of the time in question, is overly fixated on Tokyo). Even so, each story is somewhat different too, and one gets a pretty good sense of Ibuse's versatility as a writer. In the world of English translation, Ibuse is perhaps better known for his classic novel "Black Rain" (full-length novels seem to get more attention in such an environment), which is all fine and well, but these excellent short stories are equally deserving of attention and will give the reader a fuller appreciation of the author's literary talents and skills. And speaking of translation, John Bester's work here is of high literary quality, managing to seem natural and at home in English without sacrificing accuracy or Japanese specificity. Highly recommended whether you are particularly interested in Japanese literature or are just generally looking for some good short stories.

By the way, the nine stories are: "Plum Blossom by Night", "Lieutenant Lookeast", "Pilgrims' Inn", "Salamander", "Old Usitora", "Carp", "Life at Mr. Tange's", "Yosaku the Settler", and "Savan on the Roof". Also, this book was apparently once published under a different title, "Lieutenant Lookeast and Other Stories" so if you already have that one you may want to double-check before getting "Salamander and Other Stories" here.