Teru reviewed Five Modern Japanese Novelists by Donald Keene
interesting supplemental insights into acclaimed Japanese writers
4 stars
Donald Keene led an interesting and long life and met many of the central figures of Japanese literature in the 20th century. A scholar and translator, he could claim having a real friendship with these men (to the extent that he was one of the few recipients of a letter from Mishima after the latter killed himself). As such, there's a lot here that not only helps contextualize some of the style and prose of these authors but also their interests and how they came to write their famous works.
This is a book that should be of interest to anyone who has enjoyed these authors and is written in a light and easy-to-read fashion. Despite Keene's evident regard for these authors he still, nonetheless, manages to mostly distance himself when commenting on the authors and their lives. The few occasions where he doesn't are evident and are more akin …
Donald Keene led an interesting and long life and met many of the central figures of Japanese literature in the 20th century. A scholar and translator, he could claim having a real friendship with these men (to the extent that he was one of the few recipients of a letter from Mishima after the latter killed himself). As such, there's a lot here that not only helps contextualize some of the style and prose of these authors but also their interests and how they came to write their famous works.
This is a book that should be of interest to anyone who has enjoyed these authors and is written in a light and easy-to-read fashion. Despite Keene's evident regard for these authors he still, nonetheless, manages to mostly distance himself when commenting on the authors and their lives. The few occasions where he doesn't are evident and are more akin to giving the benefit of the doubt in the face of unresolvable controversy. I would have liked even more content but, as the author himself admits, he wasn't exactly keeping meticulous notes during social gatherings and other informal occasions that he shared during the decades with some of these writers.