| Kyoka, Japan's Comic Verse: A Mad in Translation Reader Contributor(s): Gill, Robin D. (Author) |
|
 |
ISBN: 0984092307 ISBN-13: 9780984092307 Publisher: Paraverse Press OUR PRICE: $22.28 Product Type: Paperback Published: October 2009 |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Poetry | Anthologies (multiple Authors) - Literary Criticism | Asian - Japanese - Humor | Form - Limericks & Verse |
| Physical Information: 0.63" H x 7.44" W x 9.69" (1.19 lbs) 300 pages |
| Themes: - Cultural Region - Japanese |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Even readers with no particular interest in Japan - if such odd souls exist - may expect unexpected pleasure from this book if English metaphysical poetry, grooks, hyperlogical nonsense verse, outrageous epigrams, the (im)possibilities and process of translation between exotic tongues, the reason of puns and rhyme, outlandish metaphor, extreme hyperbole and whatnot tickle their fancy. Read together with The Woman Without a Hole, also by Robin D. Gill, the hitherto overlooked ulterior side of art poetry in Japan may now be thoroughly explored by monolinguals, though bilinguals and students of Japanese will be happy to know all the original Japanese is included. This Reader is a selection from "Mad in Translation - a thousand years of kyoka, comic Japanese poetry in the classic waka mode," a 2000-poem, 200-chapter, 740-page monster of a book. It offers a 300-page double distillation high-proof sample of the poetry and prose, with improved translations, re-considered opinions and additional snake-legs (explanation some scholars may not need). The scattershot of two-page chapters and notes have been compounded into a score of cannonball-sized thematic chapters with just enough weight to bowl over most specialists yet, hopefully, not bore the amateur and sink a potentially broad-beamed readership. (More information may be found at the Paraverse Press website or Google Books)" |