The Oxford Book of Japanese Short Stories (Oxford Books of Prose & Verse)

If you want stories that can actually transport you to their setting (as opposed to most of what passes for fiction today), then this is your anthology.The other reviews go into great detail so I'll mention only 4 stories I thought were particularly well done, in the understated style that is so emblematic of what is best about Japan.(1) Sansho the Steward (feudal period). A moving story which will make you want to hug your mother and apologize for anything unkind or inconsiderate you've ever done to her. See the 1954 film, "Sansho the Bailiff" (it's on DVD; diverges in some details from the story but remains true to the story's tenor; I saw the movie 25 years ago but only now have read the underlying short story).(2) Lemon (late 1920s/early 1930s after the Stock Market Crash). "I was utterly destitute." The short story is a thinly fictionalized day in the life of its author who was dying of (and did die from) TB.(3) The Three Policemen. 3 beat cops do figure in this (very) short story, but the title did not give away what the story was really about. Or maybe the story was about nothing. Suffice it to say that, short though it was, it gave off the scent of whiskey and tobacco in a disreputable part of Tokyo round about 1969 or 1970, maybe Kabuki-cho in Shinjuku Ward.(4) A Very Strange Enchanted Boy (modern times, 1990s.). Though there's so much written about how Japanese women are subservient, this story features a woman who made choices: the choice to try to steal another woman's husband, the choice to be an unwed mother, the choice to allow the father in her life only so much and no more. But unlike strident Western assertions of womanhood, this story is very...Japanese.To sum up, if you are interested enough in Japan to have stumbled onto the title of this book and the reviews here (and you must be interested in Japan to have made it to this page), then don't hesitate: buy the book new or used or however.

This book single-handedly introduced me to a whole swathe of Japanese writers that I would otherwise have never known about - largely because the main body of their work has never been translated or become popular outside their native Japan. The stories, arranged in chronological order, gives the reader a unique (albeit potted) insight into the history of Japanese fiction and reveals a side of the Japanese people that we in the West are often unfamiliar with. The stories range widely in style and subject, some very simple and reflective, others semi-autobiographical, some humourous, some shocking and risque. All in all I felt the collection was a wonderful reflection of the Japanese culture and people; full of depth and insight, warmth and intrigue. A gem of a book that I've recommended and bought as a gift for countless friends.

The content of the book was good. I wish it had been printed on archival quality acid-free paper though. The copy I bought is older and you can tell it's older by how acid-yellowed the pages are; I'm hesitant to shelve it with my other books as a result.

Needed this book for my Japanese Literature class. I enjoyed reading these stories very much.

Excellent collection of Japanese Short Stories. I found the chosen writers apt and certainly made my reading experience enjoyable. As a short story writer to be I found some of the stories had interesting techniques esepecially when using the flash back mode. Highly recommended.

Excellent collection.

Clear introduction and a wide range of stories.

A collection of stories to read for pleasure. Book arrived on time, received as described and in proper packaging. I would have given this 5 stars if I could have found out beforehand the printing font in this book is smaller than I like.

Bonne sélection mais vraiment écrit trop petit !!!

Great compilation of Japanese short stories in a decent and functional paperback edition

Cute little story book.

I was searching for a short while for some Japanese stories and instead of going for a single work of fiction I instead decided to have a read of this collection of short stories in order to encounter short tales written in different styles. It was also good that these tales are all from different time periods, starting from the end of the 19th century up to the present day. I discovered there were beautiful, vivid stories that invoked such glorious imagery, whether the character be in the bustling city or trudging along the misty mountain ridges. The descriptive quality was outstanding in many of these tales. I thought the style might take a while to get used to but after a couple of pages I was truly entranced and found it difficult to take this book slowly as I was always eager to move on to a fresh story! There are also some very bizarre tales in this book that reflect a different side of Japanese culture, that of the truly weird and wonderful. There are stories that you will love, others that you will like and others that are almost too odd for words! It is a refreshing and delightful book, one that I look forward to delving into again to discover any enchanting parts I may have missed the first time around.

Great condition, good size and the content is as interesting as anyone buying this would probably expect it to be.