Katsuhiro Otomo, Akira
Akira, Vol. 1 by Katsuhiro Otomo My rating: 3 of 5 stars The 1980s—the latest, the last golden age. The length and breadth of our politics, our pop culture, even … Continue reading
Riyoko Ikeda, Claudine
Claudine by Riyoko Ikeda My rating: 4 of 5 stars This 2018 English translation of Riyoko Ikeda’s 1978 shōjo manga about the brief life and tragic loves of the eponymous protagonist … Continue reading
Moto Hagio, The Heart of Thomas
The Heart of Thomas by Moto Hagio My rating: 4 of 5 stars Consider two articles published within the last week. In one, Marie Doezema explains the role played by … Continue reading
Yukio Mishima, Patriotism
Patriotism by Yukio Mishima My rating: 5 of 5 stars One of the twentieth century’s most renowned stories or novellas, Mishima’s Patriotism of 1960 narrates the ritual suicide of Lieutenant … Continue reading
Haruki Murakami, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami My rating: 3 of 5 stars Murakami is a polarizing figure; I like polarizing figures, because the lack of consensus about their merits … Continue reading
Jun’ichirō Tanizaki, In Praise of Shadows
In Praise of Shadows by Jun’ichirō Tanizaki My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is Japanese novelist Tanizaki’s important essay on aesthetics, one of the great twentieth-century manifestos, though that … Continue reading
