A Book to Take to Japan

[wiggle]

Hi all,

I just wanted to get your opinion on the fiction book I should take on my trip to Japan next week. I'm after quite a light read. One of my favourite authors is Haruki Murakami and wondered whether you knew of any other great Japanese writers I should look up.

Books by Japanese writers will be considered first, but any recommendations will be gratefully received. I'm crossing my fingers for something that's simple yet immersive. Just to get an idea of the sort of thing I like, these are the kinds of books I've read recently:

We Need To Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver
Fifth Business by Robertson Davies
Post Office by Charles Bukowski
The Old Devils by Kingsley Amis

Thanks in advance!
Tom.

 

[beer good]

Two Japanese writers I'd really recommend are Ryu Murakami (no relation to Haruki), especially In The Miso Soup and Almost Transparent Blue, and Yukio Mishima's The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With The Sea.

 

[abecedarian]

Two Japanese writers I'd really recommend are Ryu Murakami (no relation to Haruki), especially In The Miso Soup and Almost Transparent Blue, and Yukio Mishima's The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With The Sea.

I second The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With the Sea. I was just telling my librarian friend about it this morning.

 

[wiggle]

Thanks for the suggestions! Has anyone read The Samurai's Garden by
Gail Tsukiyama? It has some great reviews on Amazon.