The Future is Japanese

http://www.amazon.co.jp/The-Future-Japanese-Haikasoru/dp/1421542234

同じレーベルHAIKASORUの「ICO : Castle in the Mist」を読んでいたことや、そもそもHAIKAROSUがVIZ Media関連だということで注目していて、出版されるのをひそかに心待ちにしていたもの。
出版後に新宿紀伊国屋で見つけてすぐに購入したのはいいのだけど、内容というか使われている英単語の難しさになかなか読み進まず新しい辞書とか買ったり途中にRIN-NE英訳版のの１〜９巻を読んだりしていたら読み終えるのに２か月ほどかかってしまった。
個人的にはこれを読めたので今年は満足という内容。1Q84は途中で挫折したままだけど。

読後の今ググってみると邦版本のレビューが多く、人気があるのは「GOLDEN BREAD」や「AUTOGENIC DREAMING」といったところ。それはそれですごく面白いのは間違いないのだけど、読んで括目したのは Catherynne M. Valente の「One Breath, One Stroke」。モチーフは百鬼夜行なのだけど、すわ芥川龍之介かというか、それほど詳しいわけではないけど古い日本文学の雰囲気がそのままで、感嘆したというか、こういうジャンルのファンタジー作品はそもそも日本がオリジナルなのか元々西洋文学で強い分野なのか良くわからなくなった。

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Since I've read "ICO : Castle in the Mist" from HAIKASORU, and HAIKASORU is releted to VIZ Media, I'd secretly waited to this book hit the shelves.
So, when I found this book at Shinjuku Kinokuni-ya book store, I bought this book. However, since this book contains full of difficult words for me, and due to read another book such like English translated manga "Rin-ne" vol.1-9 durling the book, I coundn't finish to read this book for two months.
But I'm content for this year to read this book, while I couldn't finish 1Q84.

For now, when after I have finished to read this book, I googled for review on this book, but almost all review is on Japanese version, I don't know whatever it influence on review or not, however, most popular titles among them are "Golden Bread" or "Autogenic Dreaming". of course they are very good, but I'm rather astonished when I read "One Breath, One Stroke" by Catherynne M. Valente. The motif of the story is Hyakki-Yagyou. When I read this story, I felt the atmosphere wasx pretty similar to old-classic Japanese literature's, and, yeah I don't know it very well though, but it reminded me it's kind of Ryunosuke Akutagawa's. Is this genre originaly Japanese strong or rather Westerner, I wonder.