Japanese Tales - (Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library) by Royall Tyler (Paperback)

About the Book

A collection of 220 dazzling tales from medieval Japan is selected and editedby the acclaimed translator of "The Tale of Genji."

Book Synopsis

Two hundred and twenty tales from medieval Japan--tales that welcome us into a fabulous faraway world populated by saints, scoundrels, ghosts, magical healers, and a vast assortment of deities and demons. Stories of miracles, visions of hell, jokes, fables, and legends, these tales reflect the Japanese civilization. They ably balance the lyrical and the dramatic, the ribald and the profound, offering a window into a long-vanished culture.

With black-and-white illustrations throughout
Part of the Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library

Review Quotes

"Few readers who start the book will be able to resist going through to the end."
--The New York Times

"Enchanting. . . . The stories are variously witty, allegorical, mystical, gross, funny, and enigmatic . . . Tyler provides a helpful introduction, and his poised translations are something of a masterpiece."
--Publishers Weekly

"Royall Tyler's translations are nothing short of superb--crisp, restrained, ably balancing the ribald and the profound. The results make available masterpieces from five centuries of Japanese literature. This book is a stellar addition to Pantheon's "outstanding folklore series.""
--Booklist

"Fresh, imaginative, and uniquely organized . . . told in a style clear, homey, and unpretentious, [they] yield great pleasure."
--Kirkus Reviews

"Translated with exceptional skill, this is a perfect example of scholarship concealing scholarship. Tyler has made these tales read gracefully and effortlessly. He writes in a lively and colloquial style that effectively captures the spirit of the originals without being jarringly modern. This is an important book."
--Donald Keene, Shincho Professor of Japanese, Columbia University

About the Author

ROYALL TYLER has taught Japanese language and culture at many universities, including Harvard, the Australian National University, the University of Oslo, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He lives in Australia.