The Pleasures of Japanese Literature

by Donald Keene

Overview

Perhaps no one is more qualified to write about Japanese culture than Donald Keene, considered the leading interpreter of that nation's literature to the Western world. The author, editor, or translator of nearly three dozen books of criticism and works of literature, Keene now offers an enjoyable and beautifully written introduction to traditional Japanese culture for the general reader.

The book acquaints the reader with Japanese aesthetics, poetry, fiction, and theater, and offers Keene's appreciations of these topics. Based on lectures given at the New York Public Library, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the University of California, Los Angeles, the essays -though written by a renowned scholar- presuppose no knowledge of Japanese culture. Keene's deep learning, in fact, enables him to construct an overview as delightful to read as it is informative.

His insights often illuminate aspects of traditional Japanese culture that endure today. One of these is the appreciation of "perishability." this appreciation os seen in countless little bits of Japanese life: in temples made of wood instead of durable materials; in the preference for objects -such as pottery- that are worn, broken, or used rather than new; and in the national love of the delicate cherry blossom, which normally falls after a brief three days of flowering. Keene quotes the fourteenth-century Buddhist monk Kenkō, who wrote that "the most precious thing about life is its uncertainty."

Throughout the volume, Keene demonstrates that the rich artistic and social traditions of Japan can indeed be understood by readers from our culture. This book will enlighten anyone interested in Japanese literature and culture.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780231067379
Publisher:	Columbia University Press
Publication date:	06/10/1993
Series:	Companions to Asian Studies Series
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	133
Product dimensions:	8.25(w) x 5.40(h) x (d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Donald Keene, Shincho Professor of Japanese Literature at Columbia University, has written, edited, or translated more than thirty books, many of them published by Columbia University Press. He has received numerous honors in both the United States and Japan, and was recently elected to the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters.

Table of Contents

Preface
Illustrations
1. Japanese Aesthetics
2. Japanese Poetry
3. The Uses of Japanese Poetry
4. Japanese Fiction
5. Japanese Theater
Suggested Reading
Index

What People are Saying About This

Noel Perrin

This notably relaxed and informal little book by a great scholar begins with Japanese aesthetics and moves through poetry to fiction and finally to the theater.

— Washington Post

Washington Post - Noel Perrin

This notably relaxed and informal little book by a great scholar begins with Japanese aesthetics and moves through poetry to fiction and finally to the theater.

Editorial Reviews

These graceful essays...answer many questions Western readers may have about pre-modern Japanese poetry, fiction, theater and aesthetics...It is an excellent summing up for those familiar with Japanese literature and will entice those with some knowledge to read more.

New York Times Book Review

The production and design of this brief introduction to traditional Japanese culture for the general reader is as lovely as the writing is enjoyable and informative. Keene's deep learning illuminates his appreciation of Japanese cultural traditions, and demonstrates that these traditions can be understood by Western readers. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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