Japanese authors whose new works I want to read
The past decade has seen a complete transformation in the lineup of authors adorning Japan's literary scene. Some have gained overseas readers through translations and won international literary awards. Here, we have selected two authors who are particularly noteworthy among those who made their debut with a book since 2010. Pick up one of the "Books I Want to Read First" and wait for their new work. (Selected by Kuramoto Saori and Nagase Kai)
Iko Idogawa
Things that are scary. Things that are unpleasant. Things that I don't understand.
A genius who captures the softness of living time
The first book I want to read
Reading Iko Idogawa 's novels vividly brings back memories of the indescribable feelings I had as a child. Known for the fact that Kazushi Hosaka became so moved that he burst into tears while explaining the novel during the selection process for the Noma Literary Newcomer Award, "The River That Runs Very Fast Here" is a story told through the eyes of a boy living in a children's home. The simple narration, delivered in a dry Kansai dialect, calmly captures everyday life, like taking a picture as soon as it catches your eye.
While the book is filled with small discoveries, the contours of emotion remain unclear. But the force of the water, the feel of the stones, the closeness of someone's voice, and the breath that exudes uncertainty all slowly paint the reader's heart. The delicate and tender trembling of the heart, which can only arise by refusing to accept simplicity, is brought to life with such precision that it brings to tears the figures of little ones who have no choice but to face the "now" with all their might.
Rin Usami
The history of Japanese novels is now being passed down
Rin Usami will not let modern and contemporary literature end
The first book I want to read
When reading Rin Usami 's novels, the phrase "legitimate son (legitimate successor) of modern literature" comes to mind. This is because one can see the author quietly observing the modern state of "life" within the towers of words that Japanese novelists have built. Usami has maintained this style since her debut. Her first work, "Kaka," was a novel that, while conscious of Nakagami Kenji, who laid the foundations for modern literature, reached out to the indebted feelings a daughter feels towards her parents.
In this work, the narrator travels to Kumano in Wakayama Prefecture—also the hometown of Nakagami Kenji—in an attempt to mend his strained relationship with his mother. The narrative style is particularly noteworthy. By speaking in an artificial accent created by his mother, the narrator does not overcome his love-hate relationship with her, but instead incorporates her into himself and rediscovers the relationship between parent and child. This work brilliantly demonstrates that Japanese literature still has room for improvement.
Non-American foreign authors you should read at least one book from in your lifetime
Do you have any novels translated from Czech on your bookshelf at home? You may have a few translated American literature, but what about novels by authors from Asia or Africa? Life is short and the world is wide. So, we've carefully selected two writers of non-American foreign literature whose works you should read in your lifetime. (Selected by Toyosaki Yumi)
Vladimir Sorokin
A radical and controversial work from a literary destroyer
Laughing and being shocked
A book you want to read in your lifetime
Sorokin shattered Russian literature with his epic novel "Roman," deconstructed narrative and stylistic conventions in his collection of short stories "Love," and delivered a pastiche of Russian literary greats in his alternate history sci-fi novel "Blue Fat." "The Day of the Oprichnik" is set in Russia in 2028, a time when authoritarian rule has been restored to the extent that it seems like a revival of the era of Ivan the Terrible, known as the worst tyrant in Russian history, and it is the Oprichniks who are acting as if they own the place.
The allure of gadgets like a bright red Mercedes with animal heads strapped to its bumper, and the ultimate drug of injecting tiny golden sturgeon into your veins to bring you to a utopian state. The novel also features a parody of Dostoyevsky and some radical stylistic play that is typical of Sorokin. Reading this novel, packed with hilarious jokes, is sure to send you into a state of ecstasy, screaming "Yees ...
Han Kang
With beautiful writing like poetry,
The cruel past, sad love, and lost feelings are all fixed in the present.
A book you want to read in your lifetime
Han Kang, who portrayed the Gwangju Democratization Movement in "The Boys Are Coming," has chosen the Jeju April 3 Incident as his motif for "No Goodbyes," in which innocent people were killed by the power of the state, with an estimated 25,000 to 30,000 victims.
"I" receives a text message on her cell phone from her old friend In-seong, asking, "Can you come over right away?" In-seong has amputated two fingers while working in her family's workshop on Jeju Island and is rushed to a hospital in Seoul. She then asks "I" to rescue a bird she left behind at home. "I" immediately flies to the island and arrives in the middle of heavy snowfall. Within this ongoing story, the author interjects the brutal April 3 Incident experienced by In-seong's parents and their subsequent lives. This is an extraordinary masterpiece, written in a rare style that is as delicate and beautiful as poetry, yet also shrouded in sadness.
