[[Nagai Kafû]] - Geisha in Rivalry

I finally finished Geisha in Rivalry. It took just short of two years. But I'm not that slow a reader. The bag I was carrying it in when we were in Guadalajara, Mexico was stolen in the airport. Tragic. My camera and pictures and notebooks and phone and everything everything.

I replaced everything in that bag but it took a while. I got a new copy in Kinnokuniya in Tokyo which made it more fun. But then some 6 months went buy and reading was not an option.

I finally finish it and really get into the groove with it. Immediately pick up Strange Tale from East of the River and River Sumida (as instructed by my lord J. Thomas Rimer in Reader's Guide To Japanese Literature. These short works are in Kafu the Scribbler by Edward Seidensticker. I love these these ambience-loaded things.

Now get a copy of his American Stories, and a book of novellas.

I love this guy. He really gives me such a sense of time and place. I can smell the locations, I can hear the people's voices. Just to clarify, his dialogue is lame. So says our demi-lord Seidensticker. I didn't really notice, because, I'm surprised to say: he doesn't use any! So when he does, it's said, things get bumpy.

I can't really vouch for that. I'm surprised that I didn't close some of these works and say immediately, "My goodness what patchy use of dialogue!"

Guess I weren't paying no attention.

And so forth. You like Kafû?

( PS: I'm not sure that there is enough community here to offend--it's my first day--but is it problematic to put in orthographics like the "u" in Nagai Kafu?

Or kana? いい　せすか？ I can't do kanji worth a damn, so that won't make problems. )

-- Gerry

I can't speak enough Japanese to save my life, so I don't take any offense at your deviations.

Besides, I hadn't heard of Nagai Kafu, so I appreciate the recommendation.

I can only speak enough Japanese to get fed and appear ingratiating in a dim-witted way. Luckily these are my basic needs.

I note from poking around that Seidensticker, among whose claims to fame are being the go-to guy for translating Nagai Kafu, died just two weeks ago. That's a bummer.

I wish all the great folks who spend a full life doing good things would quit doing that at the ends of their lives. I'm shocked every durn time.

-- Gerry

Hi,
I'm quite new here and have just read the post about Geisha in Rivalry.

This is the first book I've read of Nagai Kafu (in English) and I really enjoyed it. I am on the lookout for his other books but apart from amazon they are difficult to come by.

jscottmoore, re seidensticker, plaese peek at my "occidentalim & orientalism" (readable more or less at google books)

re nagai kafu, i must say i was shocked about the tofu sakesman suddenly calling out when the couple were doing it, but, hey, i am not a fan of nonfiction and i wonder what exactly seidensticker was up to
-- he did not give a damn for localisms . . . What are you, and AllyBally looking for?