Enjoyable reads (Prelude)

Dear,

Again for unknown reasons, I cannot explain why I cannot sleep though it's 3.30am now and my mind is still VERY active. So I reckon that I continue to blog...

Thanks to your influence, I've started to pick up reading more seriously and also learned to enjoy good articles.. from Straits Times columns to award winning articles to simple blog entries that exudes life and joy.

So I've decided to start to post articles which I really enjoy reading and which I think you would enjoy reading as well:)

Here's an excerpt from your blog which Huibin also posted in her blog. You talked about your love for Japanese novels. Ok, I know you've always set very high standard when it comes to writing. I must say, you are good at what you do best.. as a English teacher and in RGS.. that speaks volume:

It has been quite some time since I last read novels by Banana Yoshimoto. In fact it has been quite some time since I last read books by Japanese writers. I think the last I have read was one by Haruki Murakami. He is such a gifted writer and never fails to enthrall me with his extraordinary plot and sophistication in ideas.

I was introduced to the world of Japanese literature when I did Japanese Studies in NUS for a year. Oh how I missed uni days! More so for having the luxury to read the many books I loved. I really must do my PHD someday! I AM destined to be an academic ... ok I shall stop deluding myself...

Then I discovered (really stumbled upon it when I was doing research for something else...) a good collection of Japanese literature when I was studying at Macquarie. It was just wonderful and I read so many of Natsume Soseki works. I love his writing. he has this unique style and strong voice. There was always this sense of isolation and loss; and sometimes -no-often- depressing mood. Yet at the end of it all, there is a sense of hope.

His novels give me an insight into the Japanese culture (and the psychic of the Japanese too in some way.) It was amazing how great literature transcends languages and culture. He died in 1916 - way before I was even born. In fact 50 years before I was born. But I felt I could relate to him. I could understand the protagonists in his novels. Somehow after reading his novels, I tend to think a lot and to reflect upon my own life and the world around me. Just like Shakespeare, I believe his works will be enjoyed by many more generations to come. I wonder how many Japanese actually read his works. I wished my Japanese is good enough for me to read the original versions of his works. How much of what he has to say is lost in translation? I would never know. In particular, I remembered two of his novels most vividly - Kokoro (meaning 'heart') and Botchan ( name of a teacher - maybe because I am a teacher myself?)

The works by Banana are more of a pop culture style that appeals to generation X typically, at least in my opinion. They are usually light-hearted in nature and focuses more on modern day Japanese life. Interestingly, parallels can still be drawn between Yoshimoto and Soseki in spite of the different eras. Well i supposed no matter how a country progresses, there are still fundamental DNA strands that cut across different generations.

So in my current Bananamania state (which really happens out of the blue) , I borrowed three books by Yoshimoto at one go from the library today! I hope the books won't distract me from my marking.

I am not too hopeful about that though...