Exploring Japanese Literature: Read Mishima, Tanizaki, and Kawabata in the Original

Yasunari Kawabata, Yukio Mishima and Jun'ichiro Tanizaki are all giants of world literature. Naturally enough, students want to experience their works i n the original Japanese, but even tracking down a story of the right length and difficulty level can prove a major hurdle. Exploring Japanese Literature presents one each of these writers' best-known stories--plus all the linguistic support you need to read them with fluency and enjoyment.

The poignancy of ro mance between a wealthy Tokyoite and a provincial geisha in Kawabata's "Snow Country Miniature"; the ecstatic frenzy of a couple committing ritual suici de in Mishima's "Patriotism"; the amoral antics of a playboy aesthete tr ying to fire up his flagging zest for life in Tanizaki's "The Secret"--Exploring Japanese Literature is your entrée to the uniquely rich and exotic world of modern Japanese fiction.

The book features a page l ayout designed for maximum accessibility. On each two-page spread, the original Japanese is printed in large type on the left-hand page, with the corresponding English translation on the right and a custom dictionary--covering nearly every word--running along the bottom of both.

To further enrich your experience, Exploring Japanese Literature includes biographies of the three novelists, mini-prefaces that set the scene for the individual stories, and evocative illus trations.Three of Japan's greatest writers are just waiting to be discovered. En joy the ride!