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Dolce Belleza has been graciously hosting the Japanese Literature Challenge for 9 years! This year,  it runs from June 1, 2015 until January 30, 2016. It requires the reading of at least one work of Japanese literature (or poetry) written by a Japanese author (or poet).

I’m posting this super late, but I have already read 3 since June, and plan to read possibly 2 more.

So my list may be something like this:

1. In a Grove, by Ryunosuke Akugatawa
2. Rashoumon, by Ryunosuke Akugatawa
3. The Buried Giant, by Kazuo Ishiguro – listened to, really cool!
4. The Face of Another by Kobe Abe
5. Grass on the Wayside, by Soseki

NB: to my immense regret, I had to DNF Wind/Pinball, the most recent volume by my favorite Japanese Haruki Murakami. The volume contains two stories, actually the very first he ever wrote, but only now translated in Engligh.
I only read the first, I felt it was all over the place and I was not able to recognize in it the themes that I enjoy in Murakami’s other books. Maybe one day I’ll dare try the second story, which I heard is actually better!
But all lovers of Murakami should read the introduction by the author. It’s a neat sharing of how he started his writing life. This was the best part of the book for me.

Possible alternative titles for Challenge 9

“Strangers”/or In Search of A Distant Voice, by Taichi Yamada

An Artist of the Floating World, by Ishiguro

Manazuru, by Kawakami

Volcano, by Shusaku Endo

I Am A Cat, by Soseki

The Sound of the Mountain, by Yasunari Kawabata

Kitchen, by Banana Yoshimoto

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WHICH OTHER BOOK WOULD YOU ENCOURAGE ME
TO READ FOR THIS CHALLENGE?