Monday, August 3, 2009

Japanese Literature Challenge 3



Well, here it is again. Dolce Bellezza is hosting the third Japanese Reading Challenge. This will be my second journey on the challenge, and I'm joining this one because the first one I did was so enjoyable, eye opening, challenging and inspirational. In the Japanese Reading Challenge 2 I read
  1. Sputnik Sweatheart - Haruki Murakami
  2. After Dark - Haruki Murakami
  3. Underground - Haruki Murakami
  4. Bells of Nagasaki
  5. The Devils Whisper
This year DB says 'all you have to do is read one work of Japanese origin.' However I cant see that happening. I've already got three on my list.... and I want to expand my horizon with at least one other author - hopefully female. So my pledge for now is
  1. Forbidden Colours - Yukio Mishima
  2. The Wind-up Bird Chronicle - Haruki Murakami
  3. Blind Willow, Sleeping Widow - Haruki Murakami
I'm also really looking forward to my fellow challengers reviews, because even if I cant read all the books, I get to vicariously travel with others on their journey.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Tamara, I'm so glad you've joined in again! Almost everyone I can think of has said they want to read Wind-Up Bird Chronicles, including me, so that will be a great discussion to look forward to. I enjoyed Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman as short stories; I think they were my first introduction into Murakami's work. You said you were looking into a female author, but the only one I can think of off the top of my head is Miyabe...who wrote some thrillers I read last year. (I hope I'm right in remembering her as a female. ;)

Tamara said...

I'm sure Murakami will be the topic of many blogs over the next few months - and Im looking forward to that. I didn't know Miyabe was a female author - I read her 'devils whisper' last time. She apparently has one of her novels in manga now - I think that'll be different for me.

Robin said...

Oooo, you've got some great choices there! I'm going to join this challenge, too, now that I'm back from vacation.

sara said...

I am doing this challenge too for the first time. I am visiting your blog from Dolce bellezza.

Anonymous said...

Nice to meet you! I'm a first timer on the JLC :) I'm sure I won't stop at just 1 book either LOL. Right now I'm reading Butterfly in the Wind by Rei Kimura, a biographical novel about the unwilling concubine of the first American consul in Japan (mid 1800's).

Your list for this year made me think about the song Forbidden colours by Ryuichi Sakamoto and David Sylvian (it's from the movie Merry X-Mas Mr Lawrence, with David Bowie). Gets me in a melancholic mood...