3 Japanese Authors Who Spice Up My Reading Life
April 25th 2009 04:37
I'd say in the past few years, Japanese authors are gaining further international exposure. Although the process of translating a Japanese text into another language would inevitably result in losing some of the reading experience, a good story is hard to lose. Here, I will give a very short list of 3 authors who have made an impact in the past year. Of course, the order of these writers doesn't matter.
1) Natsuo Kirino
Genre: Crime, psychological thriller, horror
To date, 4 of her novels have been translated into English. These are: "Out", "Grotesque", "Real World" and "What Remains". In particular, I thoroughly enjoyed "Out" - a dark yet fascinating story of four women caught up in murder, danger and desperation. Natsuo Kirino's writing pulled me right into its spell and I can tell you, it was hard for me to not think about the story until I had read the very last page. Realistic characters. Realistic Plot. No happy endings guaranteed. Unsurprisingly, this same book has been made into a movie in Japan and the rights have been purchased for an American remake.
2) Koji Suzuki
Genre: Psychological thriller, horror, science fiction, supernatural
Meet the creator of "Ring" - the much hyped about horror film series. However, the books are more aligned to the psychological thriller genre. I'll be honest and say I have yet to see the Japanese movies so I have no idea how the two compare other than the plots had some major changes. These books had rich plots and I enjoyed (?) the constant eerie atmosphere the Koji Suzuki's writing created. Koji Suzuki also has other works in the US market such as Dark Water (also made into a movie).
3) Haruki Murakami
Genre: Literature, supernatural
Since his debut, Haruki Murakami has taken the Japanese literary world by storm. Several of his works have already been translated and introduced into the international market. Compared to the other two Japanese authors I've mentioned, it was only recently I picked up one of his works - "After Dark". To be honest, I am uncertain as to how best to describe his work. The style is unique and mellow; it is rich with interesting metaphors, imagery and descriptive language. Perhaps it's best to just go pick up a book and start reading.
Normally I'm not the sort who would read such literature, but Haruki Murakami managed to keep me interested throughout his story.
Do you have any author recommendations? Have you read any of books written by the above authors? If so, please share your thoughts and opinions.
1) Natsuo Kirino
Genre: Crime, psychological thriller, horror
To date, 4 of her novels have been translated into English. These are: "Out", "Grotesque", "Real World" and "What Remains". In particular, I thoroughly enjoyed "Out" - a dark yet fascinating story of four women caught up in murder, danger and desperation. Natsuo Kirino's writing pulled me right into its spell and I can tell you, it was hard for me to not think about the story until I had read the very last page. Realistic characters. Realistic Plot. No happy endings guaranteed. Unsurprisingly, this same book has been made into a movie in Japan and the rights have been purchased for an American remake.
2) Koji Suzuki
Genre: Psychological thriller, horror, science fiction, supernatural
Meet the creator of "Ring" - the much hyped about horror film series. However, the books are more aligned to the psychological thriller genre. I'll be honest and say I have yet to see the Japanese movies so I have no idea how the two compare other than the plots had some major changes. These books had rich plots and I enjoyed (?) the constant eerie atmosphere the Koji Suzuki's writing created. Koji Suzuki also has other works in the US market such as Dark Water (also made into a movie).
3) Haruki Murakami
Genre: Literature, supernatural
Since his debut, Haruki Murakami has taken the Japanese literary world by storm. Several of his works have already been translated and introduced into the international market. Compared to the other two Japanese authors I've mentioned, it was only recently I picked up one of his works - "After Dark". To be honest, I am uncertain as to how best to describe his work. The style is unique and mellow; it is rich with interesting metaphors, imagery and descriptive language. Perhaps it's best to just go pick up a book and start reading.
Normally I'm not the sort who would read such literature, but Haruki Murakami managed to keep me interested throughout his story.
Do you have any author recommendations? Have you read any of books written by the above authors? If so, please share your thoughts and opinions.
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