Free eBooks The Demon At Agi Bridge And Other Japanese Tales (Translations From The Asian Classics) Available To Downloads

                
              
Free eBooks 
The Demon At Agi Bridge And Other Japanese Tales (Translations From The Asian Classics) Available To Downloads
Burton Watson and Haruo Shirane, renowned translators and scholars, introduce English-speaking readers to the vivid tradition of early and medieval Japanese anecdotal (setsuwa) literature. These orally narrated and written tales drew on both local folk tradition and continental sources. Taken from seven major anthologies of anecdotal literature compiled between the ninth and thirteenth centuries, these dramatic and often amusing stories open a major window onto the foundations of Japanese culture.Out of thousands of setsuwa, Shirane has selected thirty-eight of the most powerful and influential, each of which is briefly introduced. Recounting the exploits of warriors, farmers, priests, and aristocrats, and concerning topics as varied as poetry, violence, power, and sex, these tales reveal the creative origins of a range of literary and dramatic genres, from court tales and travel accounts to no drama and Kabuki. Watson's impeccable translations relay the wit, mystery, and Buddhist sensibility of these protean works, while Shirane's sophisticated analysis illuminates the meaning and context of their compact stories. Capped by an extensive bibliography, this collection fully immerses the reader in the thrilling world of secular and religious tales.
Series: Translations from the Asian Classics
Paperback: 160 pages
Publisher: Columbia University Press (December 10, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0231152450
ISBN-13: 978-0231152457
Product Dimensions:  6.1 x 0.5 x 8.1 inches
Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review:  5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #124,178 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)   #13 in Books > Literature & Fiction > History & Criticism > Regional & Cultural > Asian > Japanese   #66 in Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > Asian > Japanese   #307 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Social Sciences > Folklore & Mythology
My rating: 4.5/5When I came across this book on , it had me at : "The Demon at Agi Bridge," a fantastic story, and Haruo Shirane, a fantastic scholar. Being familiar with and an admirer of Shirane's writings on Basho and haiku, I could think of no better person to guide me through setsuwa, Japanese anecdotal literature.The Demon at Agi Bridge and Other Japanese Tales includes thirty-eight moving and entertaining setsuwa from seven major anthologies compiled between the ninth to thirteenth centuries, selected by Shirane and translated by Burton Watson. With a brief, but informative introductions to the collection and each section, this book provides cultural and literary context for the reader unfamiliar with the history of Japanese literature.The setsuwa in this book cover tales from India, China, and Japan (from Buddhist and secular veins), and features characters from all social classes and professions. One of my biggest complaints about Royall Tyler's Japanese Tales has been the exclusion of India and China setsuwa. Tyler's intentions are reasonable, but I feel he failed to acknowledge how these tales have influence and are a part of Japan's setsuwa tradition.Of particular interest to me, Shirane has included several stories that feature prominent female characters, such as the woman in "The Woman of Pleasure at Eguchi" and the wife in "How a Poor Man Left His Wife and She Became the Wife of the Governor of Settsu," and several stories revolving around poetry, including the strong ending piece "The Deep Meaning Underlying the Way of Japanese Poetry." Each of setsuwa carries its weight and adds to the richness of the collection.
The Demon at Agi Bridge and Other Japanese Tales (Translations from the Asian Classics) Asian Paleo: 30 Minute Paleo! Your Complete Guide to Delicious, Healthy, and Gluten Free Asian Paleo in 30 Minutes or Less (Asian Paleo Guide - Thai, Japanese, ... Korean, Filipino, and Vietnamese Recipes) A Slave For The Demon 2: M/F Demon Monster Paranormal BDSM (Paranormal Demon Lust) Early Modern Japanese Literature: An Anthology, 1600-1900 (Abridged Edition) (Translations from the Asian Classics (Paperback)) Tales of Moonlight and Rain (Translations from the Asian Classics (Paperback)) Bridge Basics 1: An Introduction (The Official Better Bridge Series) Bridge Basics 1 Bento Box Cookbook: Delicious Japanese Cooking Recipes For Lunch And Dinner (Bento Box Recipes, Japanese Cooking, Japanese Recipes, Japanese Bento, Sushi, Rice Cooker) Indonesian: Cooking for Beginners - Indonesian Cookbook Simple Recipes - South East Asian Recipes (Easy Indonesian Recipes - Southeast Asian Cooking - South Asian Recipes 1) Wok This Way - 50 Asian Style Recipes - Wok Recipes - Stir Fry Recipes - (Asian Stir Fry Cookbook, Asian Wok Cooking, (Recipe Junkies - Wok Recipes) The Columbia Anthology of Yuan Drama (Translations from the Asian Classics) The Shorter Columbia Anthology of Traditional Chinese Literature (Translations from the Asian Classics) Best of Bridge Holiday Classics: 225 Recipes for Special Occasions (The Best of Bridge) Demon V: Dark Illusion (Mike Rawlins and Demon the Dog Book 5) Changed into the Demon Futa (Demon Futa Series Book 3) Demon Players Guide: A Player Resource for Demon The Fallen Japanese Slanguage: A Fun Visual Guide to Japanese Terms and Phrases (English and Japanese Edition) Genki: An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese II [Second Edition] (Japanese Edition) (English and Japanese Edition) Beyond Polite Japanese: A Dictionary of Japanese Slang and Colloquialisms (Power Japanese) Confessions of a Japanese Linguist - How to Master Japanese: (The Journey to Fluent, Functional, Marketable Japanese) The Plum in the Golden Vase or, Chin P'ing Mei, Volume One: The Gathering: Volume 1 (Princeton Library of Asian Translations) 