The two novelettes by contemporary Japanese writer Taijun Takeda that are contained in this book were chosen for their overall excellence to be included in our current Library of Japanese Literature series. Both stories are relatively modern, one dealing with an incident of cannibalism in Hokkaido during World War II and the other about the Japanese who lived in Shanghai following the defeat.This Outcast Generation, according to the translators," is basically an existentialist novel and it reminds of Camus, but it is of course Japanese in essence."

The story tells of the life of a man who as a member of a defeated nation living in a foreign country, feels no responsibility to anyone but himself--and this only in relation to food and water. Eventually, the hero is given the chance to initiate a change in his aimless life and he acts, for mankind or for love, in committing what is meant to be a Dostoyevskian axe-type murder.

Translator Goldstein calls Luminous Moss "a real tour-de-force. I know nothing like it in any literature, though of course the problem of cannibalism has been treated by others."

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

Store Description

A former bricks and mortar store, now a niche seller of harder-to-find titles.

Visit Seller's Storefront

Seller's business information

Chelsea Books
QC, Canada

Sale & Shipping Terms

Terms of Sale

Shipping Terms

Shipping rates from Canada to U.S.A.

Shipping rates from Canada to U.S.A.
Order quantity	7 to 14 business days	4 to 6 business days
First item	US$ 20.00	US$ 40.00

Delivery times are set by sellers and vary by carrier and location. Orders passing through Customs may face delays and buyers are responsible for any associated duties or fees. Sellers may contact you regarding additional charges to cover any increased costs to ship your items.