I’m very pleased to announce my latest book, “Tales of the Disturbed,” has just been released on Amazon. This book contains my translations of several short stories by the classic Japanese author Yoshio Toyoshima (1890-1955), all which are appearing the first time in English.
Whereas my other books have all been about science fiction or children’s stories, this is the first book I would say lands squarely in the category of ‘literature’ (文学 or 純文学). As that term can be a little vague, maybe it will help to know these works share some things in common with the classic novel “No Longer Human” (人間失格) by Osamu Dazai (太宰治). It so happens Dazai was also a close friend to Toyoshima; in fact, one of the works in this collection is rumored to be inspired by Dazai himself.
This project is the culmination of over two months of work, and not only did I really enjoy it but I also feel it helped me grow as a translator and self-publisher. I’m hoping to post an article soon about the process.
At this point it is only available as an E-book on Amazon (for a sale price of $0.99), although in the future I am considering making a physical paper edition as well. It is also the first volume of a series, and I hoping on translating more stories of this unique author.
If you enjoy this blog or have learned anything from my articles about Japanese culture and language, please consider purchasing this book as a token of your appreciation. Even if you haven’t, I think fans of classic Japanese literature will enjoy it. For those studying the Japanese language or Japanese to English translation, all of the Japanese text of the original stories are available on Aozora Bunko, so you can compare the translation against the original if you like.
I would like to thank all the people who helped me with this project, including Kaimai Mizuhiro, Yeti of Shosetsu Ninja, Akylina Printziou, and BK.
You can see more details on the book (and get a sample) on the book’s page on Amazon here.
I was so glad to find your comment on my post reviewing The Convenience Store Woman. I would love to read and review any books you have written, especially as I have just announced the Japanese Literature Challenge 12 which will begin in January. (I have hosted this challenge every year for the past eleven years, in which people will read and review a Japanese book.) Please email me if you would like my address; I would love to offer one or two of your books as a give away prize, as well.
Thanks for the quick response! If my book could be involved in the Literature Challenge and as a give-away prize that would be great! I’ll email you soon.