Description
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewLovingly illustrated by the artist Akira Yamaguchi, the book limns a life inseparably linked to its dominant passion... The history is fascinating, and the literary life Keene has doggedly carved out of it, remarkable. -- Andrew Monahan TIME, Asia Edition Keene's book soars, largely because of his intriguing, highly personal account of the literary milieu of Japan, particularly its drama, whether on stage or screen... [An] engaging and eloquent memoir. -- Robert Elegant Times Literary Supplement Gratifying... picaresque... The pathos at the heart of Keene's lovely and gracious memoir, and perhaps of his extraordinary life, emanates from this very human limitation: we cannot live in and love two worlds at once. -- Roland Kelts Bookforum Few memoirs have the concision, modesty, and charm that mark this late-life work by Donald Keene, America's most renowned scholar and interpreter of Japan. Foreword [Keene] shares and teaches, speaking in vignettes by turns wistful, forceful, and lyrical... This slim volume [is] a pleasure to read. -- Erik R. Lofgren World Literature Today
