Your favorite Japanese Book?
 

I didn't see a section - or even a thread - dedicated to Japanese literature. I'm definately not an expert on Japanese literature, but I know that if I've read at least two Japanese books, then others on this site has read some as well.....probably a lot more than I.

Out of the few I've read, I really liked Ju-On (the book version of The Grudge). I tore through it in a day or two during my free hours at school, and it officially became one of my favorite books. I had never watched the movie before, so I wasn't spoiled ahead of time too much. I like how it tells so much more on Kayako's side than the American movie version (never seen the Japanese version...looking forward to getting my hands on it though). I didn't really see Kayako as such a revenge-seeking person when she was alive...she seemed content and sometimes happy, rather then sad and vengeful. Oh well. Other then the occassional plot hole here and there, it was pretty good :D

So, what's your favorite Japanese book(s) and why? Any books you want to read?

All you need is Kill, I enjoyed it.

I like Japanese Gangster novels. Try Shoko Tendo's:
Yakuza Moon: Memoirs of a Gangster's Daughter.

Its a bit dark, but because its a biography of her early life, you can really feel the life.

Both Japanese and English versions are excellent.

I really like Confessions of a Yakuza.

It's a great book, but I think I have said before, don't pick it up if you are looking for lots of insights on the yakuza, as yakuza themselves appear in very little of the story.

If you do like noir and gangster stories I really recommend Shinjuku Shark.

I really like Murakami's work; I find a lot of detail and humanity in it that often seems lacking in other books. However, I DIDN'T like Kazuo Ishiburo's The Unconsoled, at all, which is strange because The Remains of the Day is very powerful. It's been compared to Kafka and Greene, but oddly I liked others by them, but not this. The prose is very dry and the pace is slow and the characters seem flat and boring.

Anyway, absolute favorite is probably 'Kafka on the Shore', although there's some stiff competition there. I also really liked one of Kenzaburo Oe's short stories, but I've sadly lost the book and can't remember the title, or honestly, much about the story, just that I really loved it.

Looks like I'll be making a trip to the library in the near future for this thread. Keep them coming...

How about some old school stuff; I recommend James Clavell's Shogun and Gaijin novels. Shogun being the better of the two I thought. The author isn't Japanese of course, but still realistic and good reads.

They're good reads, I must say, but I'd take anything that's portrayed with a pinch of salt. Historical settings as perceived by a non-native and all. But still, I wouldn't say don't read them. I enjoyed Shogun a lot. :3

Anyone else read anything by Lafcadio Hearn, on that note? I read some of his observations, they're quite interesting!