The Paper Door and Other Stories

By Naoya Shiga and Shiga Naoya

Book Overview

No modern Japanese writer was more idolized than Shiga Naoya. The Paper Door and Other Stories showcases the concise, delicate art of this writer who is often called "the god of the Japanese short story." Doyen of Japanese letters Donald Keene ranks some of Shiga's stories "among the most brilliant achievements in this genre by any twentieth-century Japanese writer." Shiga's unique style is concise and simple, with no unnecessary words. With the subtlest of gestures, he evokes the fullness of experience.

Lane Dunlop's masterly translation of seventeen of Shiga's finest stories has provided English readers their first overview of the author's work. Now back in print, the book is augmented by Donald Keene's new preface contextualizing Shiga's awesome literary gifts. Dunlop has chosen stories that aptly represent Shiga's range and virtuosity. With selections spanning forty years, from the fable-like "The Little Girl and the Rapeseed Flower" to the psychologically complex "A Gray Moon," this collection delineates the development of Shiga's rare genius.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0231121571
• ISBN13: 9780231121576
• Release Date: January 2001
• Publisher: Columbia University Press
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.42 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 4.5" x 7.2"
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Talking flowers, gourds, and sushi

I was first introduced to the works of Naoya Shiga when I read his wonderful novel _A Dark Night's Passing_. Shiga's short stories are just as interesting as his longer works. The stories in this book stretch a long period of time from 1904 until 1945. Shiga, although considered one of the top modern japanese writers, is famous for the small amount of writting that he produced in his very long life. My favorites in the book are "The Razor," "Seibei and his Gourds," "The House by the Moat, and "Kuniko."Without going into detail about each story. Several themes pop up in the stories: death, lonliness, unfaithfulness, among others. But the thing that struck me the hardest was the male's view of women. The stories "A Memory of Yamashina," Infatuatio," and "Kuniko" really show this very well. In the first two a husband who has been caught having an affair makes his wife feel guilty because she fell in love with her doctor. She never had physical relations with him, but the husband thought that was enough to excuse his affair. "Kuniko" must be read to be believed. Good book check it out.

LIFE AS IT IS.

The book I enjoyed the most in Japanese. SHIGA is unlike other famous Japanese writers such as Mishima or Dazai. If their works are like roses, his is much like Morning Glory. His style is more simple. Yet beautiful. It is like a piece of art. Just reading a sentence and you can actually "see" it in your head... Unfortunately there were some parts mistranslated in this book.