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The Book of the Dead (Paperback)
Orikuchi Shinobu; Translated by Jeffrey Angles; Commentary by Ando Reiji
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R664
Discovery Miles 6 640
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Ships in 12 - 17 working days
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First published in 1939 and extensively revised in 1943, The Book
of the Dead, loosely inspired by the tale of Isis and Osiris from
ancient Egypt, is a sweeping historical romance that tells a gothic
tale of love between a noblewoman and a ghost in eighth-century
Japan. Its author, Orikuchi Shinobu, was a well-received novelist,
distinguished poet, and an esteemed scholar. He is often considered
one of the fathers of Japanese folklore studies, and The Book of
the Dead is without a doubt the most important novel of Orikuchi's
career-and it is a book like no other. Here, for the first time, is
the complete English translation of Orikuchi's masterwork, whose
vast influence is evidenced by multiple critical studies dedicated
to it and by its many adaptations, which include an animated film
and a popular manga. This translation features an introduction by
award-winning translator Jeffrey Angles discussing the historical
background of the work as well as its major themes: the ancient
origins of the Japanese nation, the development of religion in a
modernizing society, and the devotion necessary to create a
masterpiece. Also included are three chapters from The Mandala of
Light by Japanese intellectual historian Ando Reiji, who places the
novel and Orikuchi's thought in the broader intellectual context of
early twentieth-century Japan. The Book of the Dead focuses on the
power of faith and religious devotion, and can be read as a parable
illustrating the suffering an artist must experience to create
great art. Readers will soon discover that a great deal lies hidden
beneath the surface of the story; the entire text is a modernist
mystery waiting to be decoded.
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