International Books

Pux · 2024-06-01T01:55:34+00:00

By international I mean books that weren't originally written in English. This will be a kind of show and tell thread. Tell us about the book, the author, t...

Midwest

The Japanese Family: Touch, Intimacy, and Feeling by Diana Adis Tahhan

I have no idea if this counts but this was the book that got me into anthropology last year and I can't help but share it wherever I go. The author, Diana, who is half-Japanese-half-Australian, explores the differences between Eastern and Western philosophies in child-rearing and family dynamics. In the introduction of the book, she relates the reader with a personal experience she had being naked with a close friend in a Japanese onsen - later contrasting this with an intimate moment she had with her mother saying goodbye but who kept her physical distance while doing so. Initially these moments were perceived as a "culture shock" for the author, for the Japanese to be so open in one moment but so reserved in another. By analyzing concepts such as "裸の付き合い (hadaka no tsukiai) "naked friendships," and "skinship" with the framework of philosophers such as Merleau-Ponty (Phenomenology of Perception) and others - Diana is able to connect readers to the Japanese mindset in a way that doesn't seem foreign at all.
She explains in depth the Japanese perception of the body and the person's relationship with their own body, how Eastern society treats nudity and touch as gateways to intimacy unlike individualistic/Western societies. The book goes further into how this philosophy of the body from a Japanese perspective shapes child-rearing practices, such as co-sleeping and the family bath. The mother and father no longer identify as "self," but now are extensions of their children. These practices are not limited to just the family, as public bathing (onsen) and similar activities are explored. Overall it's a very good read and it's nice exploring other cultures that seem to have a better understanding of the body compared to the West.

Ross_R

bakkin113
Idiot, Brothers Karamazov, Crime And Punishment, Demons and Podrostok are his so-called great five.
The last one and Notes From The Underground in particular made me wonder back in the day why The Catcher In The Rye was celebrated as something new in US, when Japan, Russia and other places had similar literature decades before. And much more powerful at that.

Pux

Ross_R I am an American and I believe The Catcher in Rye was promoted artificially to encourage misanthropic attitudes in the average person. The tone of that book is disgusting.

Also, many American schools read Crime and Punishment. I think that's his most read book in the west generally. Is that not the case where you're from?

Ross_R

Pux
I do not quite remember, really. Though at the same time, I'm just russian, therefore of course Dostoevsky is just one of the russian authors that is at the core of our school system. Or at least was there back when I was in school, which was decades ago.
My only impression was that all those books are pushed at kids way early. Or maybe I was a dumb kid, I don't know. But back during my school days I barely glanced at all those books. I read them again at a later age, and that was when they really got to me.

gingermilk

To Live by Yu Hua

It is hard to find translations for contemporary Chinese literature due to cultural isolation and lack of universal themes many other international literature share (by universal theme, I mean the common human experience or metaphysical investigations everyone can reflect upon and resonate with regardless of cultural boundaries). It seems that Yu Hua is one of the few authors who managed to gain reputation in the international literary world and I would argue that he well deserves it.

The book is easy to summarize: it depicts all the struggles and misfortunes of a landowner's family following a series of historical events starting from the Civil War and moving towards the Cultural Revolution, which has swiftly shifted the political landscape of China that many, including the protagonist, failed to catch up. Similar to most of the Chinese literature, it is impossible to understand the story beyond a superficial level without being knowledgeable about modern Chinese history. To give a few examples, the Nobel prize winner Mo Yan's Frog requires understandings of the One Child Policy and the administrative structure in rural China; Lao She's Rickshaw Boy requires understandings of a feudal society under the corrupted reign of the Beiyang government.

To Live is not a universal tragedy, but an artificial product of Chinese politics that is supposed to be analyzed and sympathized with within its cultural boundaries. It is written in a realistic "down-to-earth" style, neutral tone, and objective narrative that I think can be compared with Hemingway's style. Despite the simplicity of the text, the despair conveyed by its content is remains strong and invites its readers to share the sufferings with the protagonist.

Phenazepam

gingermilk I recently just got a copy of "To Live" in the mail with my latest book haul, it'll be a while til I get to it but your post has certainly enticed me to read it and perhaps I'll even share my thoughts afterwards! Any other Chinese novels, whether old or new, you'd recommend or are your favorite? Just today I finished the Analects (I know not a novel), tomorrow starting 道德经, and after that I'll be reading Shang Yang's work and I'll finish up with Mengzi then Zhuangzi. I'd read Hanfeizi but his complete works are being released this November so I'm excited for that.

light

I occasionally read Japanese novella, such as the mentioned by Pux , was not a fan of it personally, felt its quality was overstated and couldn't resonate with it as much. I'm glad it left a deeper impact on others though.

Kokoro by Natsume Sōseki.

(Have yet to full complete it)
This book, written by Natsume set in the Meiji era, is kind of a projection of his philosophical crisis during his time in London from the transition of Confucian thought to the west's more individualistic philosophies that disseminated into Japanese culture, wherein Japan transitioned from an isolated reclusive society to the outside world to a more open one. A big portion of the dialogue is between a person, only referred to us as, Sensei, and the protagonist. Both characters are supposed represent older and new generation, each providing interesting perspectives on life.

I'm not sure about its exact impact other than the fact that Natsume is regarded with high esteem in Japanese society and most of his works becoming best-sellers of all time in Japan. He's also a household name there, so yeah.

The book is supposed to be really depressing and melancholic, though I don't experience it that. On the contrary, I've actually experienced the dialogue between Sensei and the protagonist as relaxing and idyllic, hearing their perspectives on life and discussing random themes and topics.

What I enjoy about books like these is the themes it tries to touch upon.

sanner

bakkin113 i personally wouldn't recommend starting with the brothers. this is more personal opinion but i think crime and punishment is a much better first dostoevsky. three brothers is just a bit... i dont know. it's very dostoevsky and not in a good way

Phenazepam

bakkin113
Ah, my grandmother gave me some of Ivo Andrić's works recently, Na Drini Ćuprija amongst them, along with Meša Selimović's iconic works. I have a big backlog of other books to get through but for me, perhaps I'm being a bit overly anticipatory, but I view these novels of ours or I guess I could say "lands" since Yugoslavia doesn't exist anymore with a sort of emotional weight I'm not yet ready to bear the brunt of. My grandmother even briefly warned me of the difficulty Na Drini Ćuprija was for her emotionally. I look forward to reading it in time, although I'll perhaps be a bit slow given I'm not usually reading novels in Serbo-Croatian as a child of expats, but I suspect I might cry.

gingermilk

Phenazepam The problem with Chinese novels is that many of them just don't have translation or are poorly translated. For classics, I would suggest reading the Four Great Classical Novels (四大名著). From that, if you have enjoyed Romance of the Three Kingdoms, read Records of the Three Kingdoms for a more accurate history; if you have enjoyed Dream of the Red Chamber, read Ba Jin's Torrents trilogy and Cao Yu's Thunderstorm for a similar theme (the downfall of a prestigious family) with different historical backgrounds; if you have enjoyed Journey to the West, read Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio that reflects social conflicts through stories dealing with the supernaturals and Classic of Mountains and Seas that deals with a fictional geography and mythic beasts.

Lu Xun is the most well-known modern writer for his revolutionary ideals for the new China and cynicism against the feudal society from a leftist perspective. He has a sarcastic writing style and most of his writings reflect the morally corrupted societal norm under traditional values inherited from 礼制. Lao She is quite similar in writing style and themes compared to Lu Xun's. Mao Dun, another leftist revolutionary during the Republic of China era, is famous for his realism and depiction of the city.

Misc: Eileen Chang is one of the few female writers who made it out. She writes mainly tragic romance fiction with an elegant style that provokes strong emotions; Alai is a Tibetan Chinese writer, so his novels have a great emphasis on Tibetan traditions that lead to an exotic imagination; Qian Zhongshu's Fortress Besieged (my favorite).

After Cultural Revolution, we had literary movements such as 乡土文学 (nostalgia for the tough yet simple living back at countryside under the urbanized China), 伤痕文学 (depicts the collective trauma during the repression), 先锋文学 (experimental literature with an emphasis on stream of consciousness as a rebellious response to traditions under heavy western influence), 朦胧诗 (poetry movement inspired by the "New Enlightenment Movement" and known for its lucid style, rich symbolism, and embrace of individualism), etc.

I could provide more suggestions, but then I realized I already compiled a wall of text lol

Phenazepam

gingermilk thank you for the recommendations, it'll take quite a while but I'll get through them, although perhaps not Romance of the Three Kingdoms since I've watched the 2011 show (it was good I'll admit) and I'd more likely now read Records of the Three Kingdoms since I'm more interested in the historical truth of the period (I own a copy of Rafe de Crespigny's academic biography of Cao Cao which I'm dying to get to at some point). Im definitely interested in the 20th century novels as well given the chaotic period they derive from. What about Water Margin/Outlaws of the Marsh, would you recommend it as well or are current translations meh? I'd certainly be interested in further recommendations of yours for Chinese novels, even more unknown works or authors.

Side note: Sorry if I'm perhaps overly replying in the thread! I realized I could've merged my two replies into one before this post.

gingermilk

Phenazepam The biography sounds interesting and I might add that to my book list as well!

Water Margin will be a fun read if you like the "morally good criminals vs. the evil government" narrative and I remember people calling it the eastern version of Robin Hood. I personally did not enjoy it much since that theme that does not interest me.

Tell me anytime if you have any specific request and I will see if I have any advice!

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