The Story of Men and Women: Appreciation of Japanese Classical Literature

Author: (Japanese) Nakaguchi Nakami / Zhang Longmei
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-12-01
Features: The two works introduced in this book, The Tale of Genji and The Collection of Stories from the Past and the Present, are representative classical works of Japan. Especially The Tale of Genji, it is listed as one of the world's great masterpieces. However, works from the year 1000 AD are already difficult for modern Japanese to read. Not only is there a linguistic barrier between ancient and modern times, but the large number of characters and the lengthy nature of the works also increase the difficulty of reading. However, the story itself is quite interesting and offers profound insights into love and life. Thus, the authors began to consider a way to help modern people fully appreciate the charm of The Tale of Genji. This method focuses on the dialogues between male and female characters to simplify relationships and highlight the plot. After refining the content, it becomes applicable to any era and can be used in daily life, though the effectiveness is not guaranteed to be perfect. The other work, The Collection of Stories from the Past and the Present, is a collection of 1,040 short stories from around the year 1100 AD, including many Chinese stories. In this book, it mainly introduces the bold and spirited female characters who share similarities with modern women. In ancient Japan, there were also women who were no less bold and strong than modern Chinese women. As for their charm, please experience it through the original text. Sincerely hope this book can become a starting point for everyone to understand Japan and enhance friendly relations between neighboring countries. The national character of the Japanese and the Chinese has similarities and differences. Hope each side can discover something. Additionally, to facilitate the use of classical grammar courses in Japanese literature and Japanese language majors at Chinese universities, the essence of the original text of each story is attached at the end of the book.