This short fantasy novel is about a lonely boy named Giovanni and his only friend, Campanella, who one night find themselves magically whisked away on a fantastical train journey through the stars. Night on the Galactic Railroad by Kenji Miyazawa (written around 1927, published posthumously in 1934) There are no complete English-translated editions of her 21 short stories, but the volume I’ve pictured here includes a sampling of 9, as well as a fascinating biography and excerpts from Higuchi’s extensive diary. She lived with her mother and sister near a red-light district, and her writings became increasingly sensitive towards the condition of women. Unlike other authors of the period, Higuchi’s writing often focused on the lives of the underprivileged and lower-class, rather than the aristocratic classes. Unfortunately, as her reputation grew her health declined, and she died of tuberculosis at the age of 24. After the death of her brother and samurai father, Higuchi sought to supplement her family’s paltry income by becoming a writer.
#Galactic railroad story read professional#
In a time when Japanese women authors were scarce, Higuchi made a name for herself as a promising and respected writer of short stories and poems, and is considered the first professional female writer of Japanese literature.
In the Shade of Spring Leaves by Ichiyō Higuchi (1892-1896) Any of the following books could count for the challenge, and it’s never too late to join (even if it’s past April when you read this!)īest Classic Japanese Novels and Short Story Collections
If you’re following along with our 2023 Classics Reading Challenge, April’s prompt is to read a classic Japanese novel or short story collection. In other words, this is an Elsie Callender-created list, not an AI-generated mashup( I hope you enjoy this list and find some new favourites! Classics Reading Challenge Ultimately, I don’t include books “just because” they’re classics or critically-acclaimed they have to be books that I believe will interest and suit Tea and Ink readers in particular. That’s not to say there isn’t drama in Japanese literature–it just doesn’t always play out the way you expect it to! And the prose is beautiful it can be very calm, meditative, or melancholy.Īs with all my book lists posts on Tea and Ink, I narrowed down my selections from a ton of options. Japanese literature doesn’t always follow the beats of rising and falling action, checking off plot milestones according to the pattern of Western fiction. Japan is on my bucket list of places to visit, but since it’ll probably be years before that happens, at least I can learn more about the country and culture in the meantime!įrom my very limited knowledge of classic Japanese fiction, one difference I’ve noticed between Japanese literature and Western literature is that the former seems to be more quotidian, in a way. Lately I’ve set myself to learn more about Japanese classics, and I’ve discovered and read some wonderful gems and added others to my TBR list! I love going on treasure hunts back through the pages of literary history there’s always more to find.
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