Japanese Literature Challenge 4 Wrap-up
12 February, 2011
I was so looking forward to Bellezza’s Japanese Literature Challenge 4 last year and had stashed away some books just for it so when it started, I think I got a little over-excited and couldn’t read as many books as I had planned. So let’s see what I did actually read:
The Samurai by Shusaku Endo
The Volcano by Shusaku Endo
A Pale View of Hills by Kazuo Ishiguro
Picking Bones from Ash by Marie Mutsuki Mockett
Not too bad, especially since I loved 3 and although confused by Ishiguro’s novel felt it was still brilliant. I must say that Shusaku Endo is fast becoming a favourite of mine and I’ll definitely be reading more of his work, especially Silence which seems to have garnered some avid fans amongst book bloggers.
And I’ve only just realised that I’ve been harping on about the Japanese Literary Challenge instead of the Japanese Literature Challenge. Oops. Blame it on my overenthusiasm! Sorry Bellezza. Needless to say I’ll be waiting for the JLC5 with bated breath.
Have you read any exciting Japanese books lately and will you be joining the challenge again later this year?
chasing bawa 
12 February, 2011 at 4:24 pm
I love Shusako Endo’s books, but I’ve not read the two you mention here. I’ve only read Wonderful Fool and Silence. But, his works are so thought provoking I’ll look into these. Japanese literature is so great, isn’t it?!
14 February, 2011 at 7:40 am
Same here: I was *so* excited and in the end never got done what I planned to. I even haven’t written a wrap-up post yet! (Nor put down my thoughts on the books). O h well, the most important thing is that we have/had fun reading! And now that you’ve mentioned the Japanese ‘Literary’ Challenge… You probably won’t mind me telling you it is A Pale View of Hills, without ‘the’? 😉
14 February, 2011 at 10:02 am
Bellezza: And I’ll be reading Wonderful Fool and Silence too:) I’m happy that I have more books by Endo to read as it’s such a pleasure.
Gnoe: GAH! Thank you for pointing that out Gnoe. Sometimes (well most of the time) my mind runs ahead of me and I really don’t see the obvious! I’m off to correct my mistakes! I think part of the excitement of challenges is also the anticipation and making of lists. Looking forward to reading your wrap-up:)
18 February, 2011 at 7:33 pm
A Pale View of Hills *love*! I read that butler one of his (memory like a sieve and can’t for the life of me remember what it was called) as a teenager and thought it was awful but a few months ago I devoured about 4 of Ishiguro’s books one after the other – I love the dreamy quality of them.
18 February, 2011 at 11:15 pm
The Remains of the Day! That’s my favourite novel by Ishiguro, innit! But then I did read it as an adult and thought it was almost a perfect novel. *Sigh* Ishiguro writes beautiful prose.