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Donald Keene
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Seeds in the Heart: Japanese Literature from Earliest Times to the Late Sixteenth Century: 0 (History of Japanese Literature) Paperback – 19 Sept. 2000

by Donald Keene (Author)
5.0 5.0 out of 5 stars 12 ratings
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Donald Keene employs his prodigious wealth of knowledge, critical insight, and narrative aplomb to guide readers through the first nine hundred years of Japanese literature-a period that not only defined the unique properties of Japanese prosody and prose but also produced some of its greatest works. Covering courtly fiction, Buddhist writings, war tales, diaries, poems, and more, Seeds in the Heart explores a vast and variegated treasury of writings. Detailed textual examinations of classic texts-from the Kojiki to The Tale of Genji, from The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon to Zeami's No plays-allow students, lay readers, and scholars a new understanding and enjoyment of this great literature.
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  1. Print length
    1265 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Columbia University Press
  4. Publication date
    19 Sept. 2000
  5. Dimensions
    23.27 x 15.52 x 4.67 cm
  6. ISBN-10
    0231114419
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0231114417
  8. See all details
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Review

"During the nine hundred years covered here... literature was primarily an aristocratic pursuit.... The elegance and urbanity of Keene's style suit this material." -- "The New Yorker"

"During the nine hundred years covered here... literature was primarily an aristocratic pursuit.... The elegance and urbanity of Keene's style suit this material." -- The New Yorker

"During the nine hundred years covered here... literature was primarily an aristocratic pursuit.... The elegance and urbanity of Keene's style suit this material." -- "The New Yorker"

About the Author

Donald Keene is Shincho Professor of Japanese Literature and University Professor Emeritus at Columbia University. He is the author of a multivolume history of Japanese literature, of which Seeds in the Heart is the first part, and at least thirty other books, including many translations from Japanese literature. He has received numerous honors in both the United States and Japan, and is a member of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Columbia University Press (19 Sept. 2000)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 1265 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0231114419
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0231114417
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 23.27 x 15.52 x 4.67 cm
  • Customer reviews:
    5.0 5.0 out of 5 stars 12 ratings

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Donald Keene

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  • Nefeli
    5.0 out of 5 stars Libro stupendo
    Reviewed in Italy on 25 August 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Sicuramente la miglior trattazione di letteratura giapponese attualmente in circolazione. Chiaro e facilmente comprensibile anche a chi non parla bene l'inglese e soprattutto comprensivo. Lo consiglio vivamente a chi è interessato alla materia.
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  • Manuel Del Rio Rodriguez
    5.0 out of 5 stars Simply the best
    Reviewed in the United States on 9 February 2010
    Verified Purchase
    Donald Keene's "Seeds in the Heart" is the first of his 4 volume History of Japanese Literature. This one covers the works from the beginnings of the said literature till the late sixteenth century (Momoyama Period). The other 3 are about literature of the Edo period ("World within walls") and the post-Meiji restoration pieces, with 1 volume for prose, another one for the rest ("Dawn to the West").

    Keene's book is an authentic Tour de Force, and arguably, the best History of the Japanese Literature that anyone who reads in English can access. This first volume include a stagerring 1200 pages of essays and work, and cover in a very high (and sometimes, detailed) degree the main productions of the literature of the times: from Heian diaries, Imperial Anthologies, Prose Romances, Renga... You name it.

    The scholarship is very well done, and yet the book remains very readable and enjoyable, with lots of excerpts and explanations. Information on translations is also ubiquitous.

    In conclusion: if you're interested in having a detailed and well written summary of Japanese literature in English, this is were you'll get it. The only criticism I can make of the work is, perhaps, that the author clearly judges Japanese works from the standpoint of Western aesthetic discourse (privileging for example 'depth', 'subjectiveness', 'realism' and 'originality'). I totally share this stance, but I imagine there's others who wouldn't be so happy with it.
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  • arcangelo1854
    5.0 out of 5 stars 知的楽しみの典型
    Reviewed in Japan on 15 September 2013
    Verified Purchase
    汚損なく到着で安心。方法豊富で、人物、歴史、社会、経済、と関連し文学を縦横に語る知的楽しみが横溢。
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  • BC
    5.0 out of 5 stars Scholarly
    Reviewed in the United States on 2 January 2021
    Verified Purchase
    I chose this as a 'winter' read. It is one of the most scholarly books on the subject of poetry that I've read. An enormous resource. Whether you are a student, a writer, or an expert in the field, this volume probably belongs on your shelf.
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  • Cliente Amazon
    5.0 out of 5 stars eccellente!
    Reviewed in Italy on 25 January 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Prodoto consegnato in perfette condizioni e puntuale, ne sono felicissima e lo consiglio a tutti quelli che stanno studiando la letteratura giapponese!!!
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