The Pleasures of Japanese Literature

The Pleasures of Japanese Literature is a short nonfiction work by Donald Keene, which deals with Japanese aesthetics and literature; it is intended to be less academic and encyclopedic than his other works dealing with Japanese literature such as Seeds in the Heart, but better as an introduction for students and laymen. This aim is unsurprising, as Keene notes in his introduction that "This book originated as five lectures, three delivered at the New York Public Library in the spring of 1986, the fourth at the University of California at Los Angeles in 1986, and the last at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in 1987.....The lectures - and this book - were intended for a general audience..." (from the first page of the Preface). Keene also states that he intended to "provide the Western reader - the man who enjoyed the great works of the Western literary heritage - with an introduction to some of the things which I have found most beautiful and remarkable in Japanese literature" Donald Keene.

Chapters
Specifically, its five chapters deal with:
 * 1) Japanese Aesthetics - (wabi, mono no aware, etc.)
 * 2) Japanese Poetry - (classical waka, some renga and haiku)
 * 3) The Uses of Japanese Poetry
 * 4) Japanese Fiction - (Tsurezuregusa, Yoshida Kenkō, Biography of Eight Dogs)
 * 5) Japanese Theater - (Noh, Kabuki, Bunraku)

Critical Reception
"The Pleasures of Japanese Literature" was positively accepted by the public with reviews stating that "...its material is often presented in an engagingly down-to-earth way..." and "...I would not wish the book to be other than it is". It is also acknowledged as being a "...beautifully produced book [where] one hears the seasoned, occasionally bemused voice of a scholar with an exceptional understanding of the culture he is both observing and living." Furthermore it is noted that the uneasy task of showing Japanese traditional beauty was "successfully attained." This praise aligns with much of the feedback Keene has received on his literary works. It is widely accepted that Donald Keene is considered "...the leading interpreter of that nation's literature to the Western World."

Historical Context
Keene's piece was published in 1988, a time period marked by the growing interest in Japanese culture and literature in the West. It is stated that, "Japan's culture had become thoroughly international by the end of the 1990s." As a renowned scholar of Japanese literature, Keene's writings helped foster a greater understanding and appreciation of Japanese literary traditions. It was noted that the Pleasures of Japanese Literature demonstrates that "...the rich artistic and social traditions of Japan can be indeed be understood by readers from [the West]."

The time period in which the Pleasures of Japanese Literature was written, stressed the reader's inner lives instead of the narrator's consciousness. Literature strived to affirm national identity and tradition, with an emphasis on historical narratives. Keene's book reflects this by demonstrating the traditional aspects of "...Japan that continue to endure today." While there was also a growth in the portrayal of women's roles, the struggle of ordinary people in a highly technological advanced world as well as Japanese identity in a modern context, Keene's literature focuses on prevailing traditions.