Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing (1993)

William Shakespeare.
Much Ado About Nothing.
Edited by Sheldon P. Zitner.
Book Series: The Oxford Shakespeare.
Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993, 2008.

Book Information : Publisher; Google Books; Wikipedia; GoodReads.com; Amazon.com.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Note :

I previously read Much Ado About Nothing in 2023. See my 2023 blog post for more information about Other Recent Editions, the editor Sheldon P. Zitner, links to more Wikipedia Articles, and more.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Carr, A Month in the Country (1980; 2000; 2016)

J. L. Carr.
A Month in the Country.
Book Series: Penguin Modern Classics.
London: Penguin Books, 2000, 2016.

Book Information : Publisher; Google Books; Wikipedia; GoodReads.com; Amazon.com.

Current USA Edition:

• J. L. Carr.
  A Month in the Country.
  Book Series: NYRB Classics.
  New York: New York Review Books, 2000.
  [Publisher; Google Books; Amazon.com.]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wikipedia Articles :

• J. L. Carr (1912 – 1994).
• A Month in the Country (1980).
~~~~~~~~~~
• British literature: Late modernism: 1946–2000.
• Historical fiction.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shakespeare, All's Well That Ends Well (1993)

William Shakespeare.
All's Well That Ends Well.
Edited by Susan Snyder.
Book Series: The Oxford Shakespeare.
Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993, 2008.

Book Information : Publisher; Google Books 1998 with preview; Google Books 2008 no preview; Wikipedia; GoodReads.com; Amazon.com.

Book Series: The Oxford Shakespeare; Oxford World's Classics.

Some other recent editions of All's Well That Ends Well :

• William Shakespeare. All's Well That Ends Well. Edited Suzanne Gossett and Helen Wilcox. The Arden Shakespeare, Third Series. London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2018.
  [Publisher; Google Books; Amazon.com.]
• William Shakespeare. All's Well That Ends Well, Updated Edition. Edited by Russell Fraser. The New Cambridge Shakespeare. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1985, 2003.
  [Publisher; Google Books; Amazon.com.]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Editor: Susan Snyder

• "Susan Snyder, 67: Shakespeare Scholar", The Washington Post, 19 September 2001.
• Richard Kuhta, Susan Snyder - Memorial Service, SHAKSPER: The Global Shakespeare Discussion List, 19 Sep 2001.
• Awards & Prizes, Department of English Literature, Swarthmore College.
• Susan Snyder (1934-2001), OCLC WorldCat Entities.
• Snyder, Susan, 1934-2001, LC Name Authority File (LCNAF), The Library of Congress.

Literary Analysis by Susan Snyder :

• Susan Snyder. Shakespeare: A Wayward Journey [collected essays]. Forward by Meredith Skura. Newark: University of Deleware Press (Associated University Presses), 2002.
  [Google Books; Amazon.com.]
  (Meredith Skura's Forward has reminiscences and further information about Susan Snyder.)
• Susan Snyder. The Comic Matrix of Shakespeare's Tragedies: Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Othello, and King Lear. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1979, 2019.
  [Publisher; Google Books; Amazon.com.]
• Susan Snyder. Pastoral Process: Spenser, Marvell, Milton. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1998.
  [Publisher; Google Books; Amazon.com.]
• Susan Snyder. The Paradox of Despair: Studies of the Despair Theme in Medieval and Renaissance Literature [PhD thesis]. Columbia University, 1963.
  [Google Books.]
• Susan Snyder, editor. Othello: Critical Essays. Garland, 1988; London: Routledge, 2016.
  [Publisher; Google Books; Amazon.com.]

Some Other Plays Edited by Susan Snyder :

• William Shakespeare. The Winter's Tale. Edited by Susan Snyder and Deborah T. Curren-Aquino. The New Cambridge Shakespeare. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007.
  [Publisher; Google Books; GoodReads.com; Amazon.com.]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wikipedia Articles:

Shakespeare and All's Well That Ends Well :

• William Shakespeare (1564–1616).
• All's Well That Ends Well; unusually wide composition date range: from 1595 to 1608; first documented performance 1741 (!); first printed in 1623 (First Folio).
• Chronology of Shakespeare's plays: All's Well That Ends Well (1604–1605).
• Shakespearean comedy.
• Shakespearean problem play.

English Renaissance Literature, Drama :

• English Renaissance, 16th - 17th Centuries.
• English literature: English Renaissance (1500–1660).
• Elizabethan literature.
• English literature: Jacobean period (1603–1625).
• English Renaissance theatre.

England during Shakespeare's Time :

• Tudor period, 1485–1603.
• Elizabethan era, 1558–1603.
• Elizabethan government.
• Elizabethan Religious Settlement.
• English society: Tudor society.
• Elizabeth I (1533–1603); Queen of England and Ireland 1558–1603.
• Elizabeth I: Later years.
• Stuart period, 1603–1714.
• Jacobean era, 1603–1625.
• James VI and I (1566–1625); King of Scotland as James VI 1567–1625; King of England and Ireland as James I 1603–1625.
• Early modern Britain, 16th – 18th Centuries.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Moore, The God of the Woods (2024)

Liz Moore.
The God of the Woods.
New York: Riverhead Books (Penguin Random House), 2024.

Book Information : Publisher; Google Books; Wikipedia; GoodReads.com; Amazon.com.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author Information : Liz Moore

• Liz Moore (b. 1983), Wikipedia.
• Liz Moore, Professor and Director of the MFA Program in Creative Writing, Department of English, College of Liberal Arts, Temple University, Philadelphia.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Collins, The Moonstone (1868; 1998)

Wilkie Collins.
The Moonstone.
Edited by Sandra Kemp.
Book Series: Penguin Classics.
London: Penguin Books, 1998.

Book Information : Publisher; Google Books; Wikipedia; GoodReads.com; Amazon.com.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Editor : Sandra Kemp

• Sandra Kemp (b. 1958), Wikipedia.
• Professor Sandra Kemp, Director of The Ruskin – Museum and Research Institute, Lancaster University.
• The Ruskin, Museum and Research Institute, Lancaster University.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Some Other Recent Editions of The Moonstone :

• Wilkie Collins. The Moonstone, Third Edition. Edited by Francis O'Gorman. Oxford World's Classics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2019.
  [Publisher; Google Books; Amazon.com.]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wikipedia Articles :

• Wilkie Collins (1824 – 1889).
• The Moonstone (1868).
  [It was first published as a serial and then as a three volume book in 1868; a very modestly revised single volume edition was published in 1871, which is the text reprinted in the 1998 Penguin Classics edition.]
• Detective fiction.
• Epistolary novel.
• Sensation novel.
~~~~~~~~~~
• British literature: Victorian literature: 1837–1900.
• Victorian literature.
• English novel: Victorian novel.
~~~~~~~~~~
• Victorian era, 1837–1901.
• Society and culture of the Victorian era.
• Economy, industry, and trade of the Victorian era.
• Victorian morality.
• Women in the Victorian era.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Victorian Web :

• Wilkie Collins (1824-1889).
• The Works of Wilkie Collins (scroll down for The Moonstone).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hardy, Tess of the d'Urbervilles (1892; 2022)

Thomas Hardy.
Tess of the d'Urbervilles.
Edited by Karen Swallow Prior.
Nashville, Tennessee: B&H Publishing, 2022.

Book Information : Publisher; Google Books; Wikipedia; GoodReads.com; Amazon.com.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wikipedia Articles :

• Thomas Hardy (1840 – 1928).
• Tess of the d'Urbervilles (1891 / 1892) [first published as a serial in 1891, then in a three volume edition in 1891, then published with revisions in a one volume edition in 1892].
• Thomas Hardy's Wessex.
• British literature: Victorian literature: 1837–1900.
• Victorian literature.
• English novel: Victorian novel.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Some Other Recent Editions of Tess of the d'Urbervilles :

• Thomas Hardy. Tess of the d'Urbervilles, Second Edition. Edited by Phillip Mallett and Jane Thomas. Norton Critical Editions. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2024.
  [Publisher; Google Books; Amazon.com.]
  (A previous Norton Critical Edition edited by Scott Elledge, last published in its third edition in 1990, also exists [Amazon.com].)
• Thomas Hardy. Tess of the d'Urbervilles. Edited by Juliet Grindle and Simon Gatrell. Introduction by Penny Boumelha. Oxford World's Classics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008.
  [Publisher; Google Books; Amazon.com.]
• Thomas Hardy. Tess of the d'Urbervilles. Edited by Tim Dolin. Introduction by Margaret Randolph Higonnet. Penguin Classics. London and New York: Penguin Books, 1998, updated 2003.
  [Publisher; Google Books; Amazon.com.]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Editor : Karen Swallow Prior

• Karen Swallow Prior, her website.
• Karen Swallow Prior, Substack.
• Karen Swallow Prior, Twitter / X.
• Karen Swallow Prior, B&H Publishing.
• Karen Swallow Prior, OCLC WorldCat Entities.
• Prior, Karen Swallow, The Library of Congress, LC Name Authority File (LCNAF).
• Karen Swallow Prior. Booked: Literature in the Soul of Me. Ossining, New York: T. S. Poetry Press, 2012.
  [Publisher; Google Books; Amazon.com.]
• Karen Swallow Prior. Fierce Convictions: The Extraordinary Life of Hannah More: Poet, Reformer, Abolitionist. Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, 2014.
  [Publisher; Google Books; Amazon.com.]
• Karen Swallow Prior. On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life through Great Books. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Brazos Press (Baker Publishing Group), 2018.
  [Publisher; Google Books; Amazon.com.]
• Karen Swallow Prior. The Evangelical Imagination: How Stories, Images, and Metaphors Created a Culture in Crisis. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Brazos Press (Baker Publishing Group), 2023.
  [Publisher; Google Books; Amazon.com.]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Comments :

• Karen Swallow Prior's edition is very thorough in identifying references to Classical, Biblical, and Contemporary (19th century) literature; the "Reflection Questions" after each major section ("Phases" in Hardy's terminology) are also helpful. Readers interested in more detailed literary analysis should also consider the Norton Critical Editions versions.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Internet Discussions of Tess of the d'Urbervilles :

• David Kern, Heidi White and Karen Swallow Prior, "Tess of the D'Urbervilles: Chapters 1-5", Close Reads Podcast, Substack, 23 April 2022.
  (The above link is the first of NINE Episodes of very detailed discussions of Tess of the d'Urbervilles; I decided to include links for all episodes below. Also, note that Karen Swallow Prior participated in all of the episodes.)
  1. Tess of the d'Urbervilles: Chapters 1-5 (Phase the First).
  2. Tess of the d'Urbervilles: Chapters 6-11 (Phase the First).
  3. Tess of the d'Urbervilles: Chapters 12-15 (Phase the Second).
  4. Tess of the d'Urbervilles: Chapters 16-24 (Phase the Third).
  5. Tess of the d'Urbervilles: Chapters 25-30 (Phase the Fourth).
  6. Tess of the d'Urbervilles: Chapters 31-34 (Phase the Fourth).
  7. Tess of the d'Urbervilles: Chapters 35-44 (Phase the Fifth).
  8. Tess of the d'Urbervilles: Chapters 45-59 (Phase the Sixth and Phase the Seventh).
  9. Tess of the d'Urbervilles: Q&A.
• Tristan, "IN DEPTH BOOK REVIEW Tess of the durbevilles Classic Books Explained", Tristan and the Classics, YouTube, 02 January 2021.
  (A very concise yet thorough discussion.)
• John Burton, "Literary Critic explores Tess of The D’Urbervilles", Dr. John Burton, YouTube, 26 March 2024.
  (Also a good discussion, although he misstates a few details of the novel.)
• Katie J. Lumsden, "Tess of the D'Ubervilles | Two Weeks of Thomas Hardy", Books and Things, YouTube, 03 June 2017.
  (Katie is an expert on Nineteenth Century British Literature. For more by Katie on Thomas Hardy see her YouTube Playlist Two Weeks of Thomas Hardy.)
• Richa Bajaj and Anand Prakash, "Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the D’Ubervilles", Consortium for Educational Communication, New Delhi, India, YouTube, 12 February 2021.
  1. Lecture 1.
  2. Lecture 2.
  {Very insightful.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ogawa, The Diving Pool (1990; 2008, 2025)

Yōko Ogawa.
The Diving Pool.
Translated by Stephen Snyder.
New York: Picador (Macmillan), 2008, 2025.

Book Information : Publisher; Google Books; Wikipedia; GoodReads.com; Amazon.com.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author Information : Yōko Ogawa

• Yōko Ogawa (b. 1962), Wikipedia English.
• 小川洋子 (1962 –), Wikipedia Japan.
• Yōko Ogawa, GoodReads.com.
• Yoko Ogawa, Macmillan Publishers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Translator Information : Stephen Snyder

• Stephen Snyder, Middlebury Language Schools, Middlebury College.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wikipedia Articles :

• The book The Diving Pool contains three short stories / novellas :
  • The Diving Pool (1990)
  • Pregnancy Diary (1990)
    妊娠カレンダー [Pregnancy calendar]
  • Dormitory (1991)
• The Diving Pool (novella) was nominated for the Akutagawa Prize for the second half of 1989.
• Pregnancy Diary was awarded the Akutagawa Prize for the second half of 1990.
• The Diving Pool (2008 English translation book) was awarded the Shirley Jackson Award in the Category Best Single-Author Collection for 2008.
• Japanese literature: Postwar literature (1945–onwards), Wikipedia English.
• 昭和時代末期の文学 [History of modern Japanese literature: Literature from the end of the Showa period], Wikipedia Japan.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Internet Discussions of Yōko Ogawa and The Diving Pool :

• Stephen Snyder and Allison Markin Powell, "Yoko Ogawa Discussion", at Idlewild Books in New York City, WordsWithoutBorders channel, YouTube, 09 January 2009.
  (The translator Stephen Snyder discusses the stories in The Diving Pool and reads from The Housekeeper and the Professor.)
  1. Yoko Ogawa Discussion Part 1.
  2. Yoko Ogawa Discussion Part 2.
  3. Yoko Ogawa Discussion Part 3.
  4. Yoko Ogawa Discussion Part 4.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yoshimoto, Kitchen (1988; 1993)

Banana Yoshimoto.
Kitchen.
Translated by Megan Backus.
New York: Grove Press (Grove Atlantic), 1993.
Originally published as: キッチン ['Kitchen'], Fukutake Shoten Co., 1988.

Book Information : Publisher; Google Books; Wikipedia; GoodReads.com; Amazon.com.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author Information : Banana Yoshimoto

• Banana Yoshimoto (b. 1964), Wikipedia English.
• 吉本ばなな (1964 –), Wikipedia Japan.
• Banana Yoshimoto, GoodReads.com.
• Banana Yoshimoto, Official Siite, yoshimotobanana.com/.
• 吉本ばなな, @y_banana, Twitter / X.
• Yoshimoto Banana , @bananayoshimoto2017, Instagram.
• Banana Yoshimoto, Grove Atlantic (publishing company).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wikipedia Articles :

• The book Kitchen contains two novellas:
  • Kitchen (novel) (1988)
    キッチン (小説)
  • Moonlight Shadow (novella) (1986)
    ムーンライト・シャドウ (吉本ばなな)
• Japanese literature: Postwar literature (1945–onwards), Wikipedia English.
• 昭和時代末期の文学 [History of modern Japanese literature: Literature from the end of the Showa period], Wikipedia Japan.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Murakami, End of the World and Hard-Boiled Wonderland (1985; 2024)

Haruki Murakami.
End of the World and Hard-Boiled Wonderland.
Translated by Jay Rubin.
Book Series: Everyman's Library Contemporary Classics Series, Number 420.
New York: Everyman's Library / Alfred A. Knopf / Penguin Random House, 2024.
Originally published as: 世界の終わりとハードボイルド・ワンダーランド, Sekai no owari to Hādoboirudo Wandārando, Tokyo: Shinchosha, 1985, 1991.

Book Information : Publisher; Google Books; Wikipedia English; Wikipedia Japan; GoodReads.com; Amazon.com.

Note : The 2024 English translation by Jay Rubin is a new and complete translation of the novel. When the book was first translated into English in 1991 the publisher thought that the then-new (in English) author Murakami would be more accessible to readers if this work were heavily edited. Now that Murakami is well established and highly regarded it is thought that readers will have the patience to read a translation more representative of the original work. Nevertheless, the 1991 translation remains in-print (and may be preferred by some readers). Note also that the 1991 translation title had the two parts reversed and the 2024 translation restores the original title order. (All of this is explained in the "Translator's Afterward" to the 2024 edition.)

• Haruki Murakami. Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World. Translated by Alfred Birnbaum. Kodansha International, 1991. New York: Vintage Books (Penguin Random House), 1993.
  [Publisher; Google Books; GoodReads.com; Amazon.com.]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author Information :

• Haruki Murakami (b. 1949), Wikipedia English.
• 村上 春樹 (1949 –), Wikipedia Japan.
• Haruki Murakami, GoodReads.com.
• Haruki Murakami, Penguin Random House.
• Haruki Murakami, harukimurakami.com, Penguin Random House.
  This website has links to music playlists and reading group guides to accompany several of his works, and merch (t-shirts).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Translator Information :

• Jay Rubin (b. 1941), Wikipedia.
• Jay Rubin, "The Other World of Murakami Haruki," Japan Quarterly, volume 39, number 4, 1991.
• Jay Rubin. Haruki Murakami and the Music of Words. London: Random House UK, 2002; Vintage UK, 2005.
  [Publisher; Google Books; Wikipedia; Amazon.com.]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wikipedia Articles :

• Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World (1985), Wikipedia English.
• 世界の終りとハードボイルド・ワンダーランド [The End of the World and Hard-Boiled Wonderland] (1985), Wikipedia Japan.
• End of the World and Hard-Boiled Wonderland was awarded the Tanizaki Prize in 1985.
• 街と、その不確かな壁 [The city and its uncertain walls], a 1980 novella that provided the basis for the "End of the World" component of the 1985 novel End of the World and Hard-Boiled Wonderland. Although printed in a literary magazine in 1980 it has not been reprinted in any short story collection or collected works editions.
  That short story was also Murakami's starting point for his most recently published novel, 街とその不確かな壁 (2023), English translation The City and Its Uncertain Walls (2024).
  • Haruki Murakami. The City and Its Uncertain Walls. Translated by Philip Gabriel. New York: Alfred A. Knopf (Penguin Random House), 2024.
    [Publisher; Google Books; GoodReads.com; Amazon.com.]
• Japanese literature: Postwar literature (1945–onwards), Wikipedia English.
• 日本の近現代文学史 [History of modern Japanese literature], Wikipedia Japan.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Comments :

• Many of the websites I linked to above refer to the earlier 1991 translation by Alfred Birnbaum, especially noticeable in GoodReads.com and English Wikipedia. There are many differences in details between that older translation and the newer 2024 Jay Rubin translation that are especially noticeable in translation terminology changes. For example: (1) the name of the INKlings (1991) becomes Murks (2024); (2) the Professor/Old Scientist (1991) becomes the Doctor (2024); (3) the speaking style of the Doctor (2024) is more straightforward while in the older version he is represented as using archaic phrasing and expressions (this may have been the style in the original Japanese version of the novel but the 1991 attempt to provide a corresponding English language version was considered awkward and unsuccessful so Jay Rubin dropped that for the 2024 translation).
• To be honest, my opinions about this book lean more towards the views represented in the One Star reviews on GoodReads.com (ignoring the accusations of sexism and misogyny) while I think the Four and Five Star reviewers sound like Murakami cultists who can see no wrong in his work; the Four and Five Star reviews do a good job explaining the work but I'm dubious about its profundity and quality as a work of art. I enjoyed the two short story collections by Murakami that I have read so far (The Elephant Vanishes and after the quake). Elsewhere I have noticed that commentators on Murakami tend to say that certain of his novels are better starting points for initial encounters with Murakami and other novels are worse; perhaps End of the World and Hard-Boiled Wonderland is not a good starting point for long-form Murakami fiction.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Machado de Assis, The Looking-Glass: Essential Stories (2022)

Machado de Assis.
The Looking-Glass: Essential Stories.
Translated by Daniel Hahn.
London: Pushkin Press, 2022.

Book Information : Publisher; Google Books; GoodReads.com; Amazon.com.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author Information :

• Machado de Assis (1839 – 1908), Wikipedia.
• Machado de Assis, GoodReads.com.
• Brazilian literature: Realism, Wikipedia.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Contents of The Looking-Glass: Essential Stories :

1. The Fortune-Teller [A Cartomante], 1884.
2. The Posthumous Portrait Gallery [Galeria Postuma], 1884.
3. The Loan [O Emprestimo], 1881.
4. The Tale of the Cabriolet [Anedota do Cabriolet], 1905.
5. The Stick [O Casa da Vara], 1891.
6. The Secret Case [A Causa Secreta], 1885.
7. The Canon, or Metaphysics of Style [O Conego ou Metafisica do Estilo], 1885.
8. The Alienist [O Alienista], 1881-1882.
9. The Looking-Glass [O Espelho], 1882.
10. Midnight Man [Missa do Galo], 1893.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Other recent editions of Machado de Assis's stories in English translation :

• Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis. The Alienist and Other Stories of Nineteenth-Century Brazil. Translated by John Charles Chasteen. Hackett Classics. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, 2013.
  [Publisher; Google Books; GoodReads.com; Amazon.com]
• Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis. Stories. Translated by Rhett McNeil. Dallas: Dalkey Archive Press, 2014.
  [Publisher; Google Books; GoodReads.com; Amazon.com]
• Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis. The Collected Stories of Machado de Assis. Translated by Margaret Jull Costa and Robin Patterson. New York: Liveright (W. W. Norton & Company), 2018.
  [Publisher; Google Books; GoodReads.com; Amazon.com]
• Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis. Machado de Assis: 26 Stories. Translated by Margaret Jull Costa and Robin Patterson. New York: Liveright (W. W. Norton & Company), 2019.
  [Publisher; Google Books; GoodReads.com; Amazon.com]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~