Ozaki, Yei Theodora. Japanese Fairy Tales. Singapore : Tuttle Publishing, 1970.
Plot: Famous and not-so famous fairy tales originating from Japan unite in this book. Some of the more popular titles include "Momotaro, The Peach Boy" and "The White Hare and the Crocodiles." Other stories describe badgers, princes, and oni.
Genre: Fairy Tales
Reading Level: Aimed at young adults, but, like many of the other titles reviewed this week, the collection includes unsavory aspects, such as cannibalism and abuse. Ye be warned.
Similar Titles: The Moon Maiden and Other Japanese Fairy Tales, Tales from Japan
Personal Thoughts: The collection managed to showcase a surprising number of stories. However, the translation is extremely stiff. For example, samurai are typically referred to as "knights." While this is useful for readers unfamiliar with Japanese culture, the translation does not accurately portray the people discussed in the tales, making some of their actions unnecessarily difficult to follow. Also, the translator's diction follows an Old English style, which is distracting. Overall, it is a good book, but other translations, such as the Pantheon and Oxford collections translate more appealingly.
No comments:
Post a Comment