Description
Book SynopsisWhen he died from tuberculosis at the age of 31, Kajii Motojiro had written only twenty short stories. Yet his life and work, it is argued here, sheds light on a significant moment in Japanese history and adds to our understanding of how modern Japanese identity developed. This book brings together English translations of nearly all his completed stories with an analysis of his literature.
Trade Review“Kajii is one of the finest stylists in modern Japanese literature, and the field has long needed a thorough study of his art toprovide a proper assessment of his achievement.
The Youth of Things provides a balanced, thoughtful, and sensitiveapproach to Kajii’s life and works, illuminating their significance for readersand opening a range of possibilities for interpretation. Dodd has also done amarvelous job at rendering eighteen of Kajii’'s major stories into polishedEnglish, and so the volume creates a wonderful dynamic between criticism andappreciation.” —Dennis Washburn, author of
Translating Mount Fuji: Modern Japanese Fiction and the Ethics of Identity; “Kajii Motojir? may not be a household name, even within Japan. Now, however, thanks to this highly accessible and comprehensive study of Kajii’s work and literary contribution, he is likely to receive more of the attention his work surely merits. Dodd’s analysis of Kajii’s small but significant oeuvre is incisive and the translations of most of the author’s completed stories (the majority of these appearing in English for the firsttime) benefit so much from the years Dodd has spent honing his art. This volume will appeal both to those with a background in twentieth-century Japanese fiction seeking to familiarize themselves with a name that may not have been on their radar, and to the newcomer wishing to become better acquainted with the literary culture of pre-war Japan.” —Mark Williams, author of
Endo Shusaku: A Literature of Reconciliation
