Adam L. Kern is Associate Professor of Japanese Literature at Harvard University.
"Manga from the Floating World" is a treasure trove of cultural
tidbits...Kern's love of his subject is infectious; how many
scholarly books can be described as a joy to read? Mirroring the
contradictions embodied in his beloved kibyoshi, Kern's seemingly
effortless, flowing prose belies a Mount Fuji of thoughtfulness,
planning, imagination and erudition. He writes, as was once said of
Raymond Chandler, like a slumming angel--but much more engagingly.
His prodigious command of sources and generosity in crediting ideas
are exemplary. His deft deployment of literary and cultural theory
is as masterful as it is discreet. The book generates broad
questions that resonate in the reader's mind: How does humor
"work"? What is the social role of the bestseller? What kinds of
things do urban myths really tell us? How does the concept of au
courant embody the seeds of its own demise? Why do people read?
Some twenty years ago I asked Henry Smith why no one tried to do
for Edo what Robert Darnton a
Adam L. Kern's stylish study demonstrates clearly the lack of any
ongoing tradition: the "kibyoshi" were forgotten until the modern
Japanese comics industry, accused of slavish imitation of America,
needed to provide itself with roots, or at least with distant,
childless cousins.--Roz Kaveney"Times Literary Supplement"
(08/03/2007)
The present volume is a brilliant introduction to the world of
kibyoshi. Taking account of very different aspects of Edo's
literary and cultural life, Kern provides a fascinating view of a
long-disregarded form of Edo literature.--Stephan Kohn"Monumenta
Nipponica" (06/01/2007)
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