Read Real Japanese Fiction Short Stories by Contemporary Writers 1 free CD included

by Emmerich, Michael

• ISBN13: 9784770030580
• ISBN10: 4770030584
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-06-02
• Publisher: Kodansha USA

Summary

There is a world of difference between reading Japanese that has been specially concocted for students and reading real Japanese - that is, Japanese written for native speakers. The concocted variety is standard to the point of insipidity, controlled to the point of domestication, restricted to the point of impoverishment. The Read Real Japanese series, comprising one volume each of Essays and Fiction, provides the real thing - lively writings by contemporary authors. Long awaited by teachers and students, Read Real Japanese Fiction presents short works by seven cutting-edge writers. The spellbinding world of Hiromi Kawakai; the hair-raising short horror of Otsuichi; the haunting, poignant prose of Banana Yoshimoto; even the poetic word-play of Yoko Tawada - whatever the personal taste, readers are sure to find something of interest and value in this book, suitable for students at intermediate level and above. Like in real Japanese novels, the text on each page runs from top to bottom and from right to left. Need support? No worries. Each double-page spread features phrase-level translations, often with notes on nuance, usage, grammar or culture. In the back of the book, moreover, there is a built-in Japanese-English learner's dictionary, in case the reader wants to acquaint themselves with the meanings of individual words. Best of all, the book comes with a free audio CD containing narrations of the stories, performed by professional voice actors. This will help students get used to not only the sounds and rhythms of Japanese, but also the speed at which the language is normally spoken.

Author Biography

MICHAEL EMMERICH graduated from Princeton University. After completing research in Japanese literature studies at Ritsumeikan University in Tokyo, he went on to earn a Ph.D. in Japanese literature from Columbia University. He is the highly acclaimed translator of Nobel laureate Yasunari Kawabatas First Snow on Fuji; Banana Yoshimotos Asleep, Goodbye Tsugumi and Hardboiled & Hard Luck; Genichiro Takahashis Sayonara Gangsters; Mari Akasakas Vibrator; and Taichi Yamadas In Search of a Distant Voice.

Table of Contents

Japanese-English Dictionary: starts from back of book and runs in the opposite direction	p. 3
Kawakami Hiromi	p. 14
Otsuichi	p. 38
Ishii Shinji	p. 48
Yoshimoto Banana	p. 72
Kitamura Kaoru	p. 106
Tawada Yoko	p. 138
Notes
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.