An Artless Art - The Zen Aesthetic of Shiga Naoya: A Critical Study with Selected Translations (Japan Library)

Shiga Naoya was a giant of Japanese literature but he is barely known outside Japan. This book is the first study of Shiga to explore in depth his affinities - both aesthetic and philosophic - with the long tradition of Zen art. This Is The First Study Of Shiga Naoya (1883-1971) To Explore In Depth His Affinities With The Long East Asian Tradition Of Zen Art. At The Same Time, It Places His So-called 'artless Art' Solidly Within The Native Japanese Literary Tradition. Author Roy Starts Also Reviews Shiga's Output In A Wider Comparative Perspective, Revealing The Relevance Of His Particular Shishosetsu ('i-novel') Form To Developments In Nineteenth- And Twentieth-century Western Fiction. Considered A Giant Within His Own Society, Shiga Is Hardly Known Outside Japan. Besides Its Value As A Critical Study Of The Shiga Canon, This Volume Also Contains A Number Of Translations Of Shiga's Writing That Appear In English For The First Time. These Include His Celebrated Novella Reconciliation, Considered By Japanese Critics To Be Essential Reading For Anyone Who Would Understand This Most 'japanese' Of Japanese Writers.--book Jacket. Pt. 2. Selected Translations: At Kinosaki. Bonfire. Manazuru. Kakita Akanishi. The Diary Of Claudius. Reconciliation. Roy Starrs. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 251-254) And Index.