I came into this as someone who had never read Japanese writing apart from manga. It is very interesting to see how different, yet vaguely similar modern Japanese writing is to western writing. At the same time the new translations of Japanese classics feel as if they are in a class of their own. You can feel the influence of the classics on the modern writings included in this anthology. I initially assumed each writing would relate to music in some way, but more often than not, the work itself left me with the same feeling of listening to a new song. Thoughts of "I must find this album and listen to all of the songs." I very much appreciate this introduction to an entirely new genre of literature.


☆》Thank you NetGalley and Stone Bridge Press for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.《☆

Applause! Applause! "Monkey", a literary magazine's Music Issue will tug at the heartstrings, right out of the gate, starting from the "musical monkey" on the cover. An amazing variety of genres are translated into English. These include poetry, short stories, graphic vignettes, microfiction and a Noh play. The use of music in the background, during the translation process, is deemed good for some, not for all. Thank you Stone Bridge Press and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.