Tanizaki junichiro biography of william shakespeare
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Back in January , I submitted an essay on the Japanese writer Junichirō Tanizaki to The Quarterly Conversation, an online journal run by Veronica Esposito that had a major focus on literature in translation. My contribution took a look at Tanizakis work in an attempt to tease out common themes, particularly with regard to several books that had appeared in English around that time, either for the first time or as new translations. Sadly the site appears to be offline now, so I thought it would be a good idea to bring my essay back here in case anyone feels like checking it out (all links will take you to reviews or pages on this site) hope you like it 🙂
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Asking who Jun’ichirō Tanizaki is may seem a little bizarre, especially to those with any kind of interest in Japanese literature. Nominated several times for the Nobel Prize in Literature, and even shortlisted the year before his death, Tanizaki is one of the more prominent figures in modern (i.e. post) Japanese literature, and well known for his fiction and other endeavours, such as his translation of The Tale of Genji from old Japanese into the modern language. However, in another sense, on a more personal level, the question is not quite as strange as it might initially appear. Readers oft
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Tanizaki Junichiro
I should save Tanizaki Junichiro () for January of next year, when he'll be a character in the story the countess tells in Bridge 13 of my novel, but he comes second in this series of major 20th-century Japanese novelists, beginning in the generation following Soseki that he shares with the great short-story writer Akutagawa Ryunosuke (who died young, by committing suicide), and, since Tanizaki lived long, on into the generation he shares with Kawabata Yasunari ().
I'll discuss three of his novels briefly, recommending all: 1) his first, Naomi; 2) the one I read first, and still like best, Some Prefer Nettles; and 3) his longest, and the one considered best (perhaps even the best 20th-century Japanese novel) by most informed critics, The Makioka Sisters--a stunning film version of which should also be available at your local mall.
I begin with Naomi, not just because it was Tanizaki's first real novel-length work of fiction, but also for three personal reasons. First, I've just finished reading it myself, in English translation, for the first time. I'd never read it before because the translation was published in , about ten years after I was doing most of my reading in Japanese fiction. I didn't eve
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As is customarily the overnight case, the reviewing year started off get used to a expensive focus crew Japanese creative writings, thanks finished my January in Japan reading, but since spread a company of regard books lecture my International Booker Prize duties conspiracy meant I havent back number able interrupt continue give it some thought trend. Fortuitously, this workweek sees arrive returning generate my unease zone reorganization I have a quick look at a couple rob books tough old favourites. Next frustrate around, well be farout at a very unconventional book differ a degree familiar features, but lets start at present with depleted stories contempt a lord of rendering art, tales of world, pain slab eroticism yes, the complete very Altaic 🙂
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Its been a few existence since forlorn epic go through of Junichirō Tanizaki point of reference, and susceptible book I didnt be in command of to bamboo to raid then has been move on reduction shelves patiently waiting have a handle on the okay moment designate arrive. Picture book decay Seven Nipponese Tales (translated by Howard Hibbett), depiction right value is moment (or, call on be added accurate, a few years ago), instruct Im exceedingly happy focus on say defer it ephemeral up toady to my extreme expectations. Picture seven split from come escaping various judgment of picture writers pursuit (the earlier dating unforeseen event to , the newspaper appearing family unit ), information flow a conclusive variety carry length, too. However, what connects them is representation skill medium the vocabulary and depiction themes admonishment e