I was browsing the bookshop about a year ago when I stumbled onto this book that went through the novels of famous writers line by line, giving you explanations on how each sentence is translated. Anyone know?

Also if there are similar resources that could help an intermediate, Drone through endless sentences (with explanations served on a platter), please recommend them to me. many thanks

Cheers,

Probably "Breaking Into Japanese Literature" (7 classic short stories) or "Exploring Japanese Literature" (3 longer passages from Mishima, Kawabata, and Tanizaki).

I have reservations about those books, particularly "Breaking Into Japanese Literature," because there is no reason to "break into" Japanese literature with an author as old and difficult as Soseki when you could be reading a contemporary novel instead; I assume the choice of the texts was driven by what's in the public domain. ("Exploring Japanese Literature" has slightly more modern authors and might be a better place to start, but those guys are still pretty difficult).

I highly recommend the two "Read Real Japanese" books -- there's one with short essays and one with contemporary short stories. It's a really good selection of material for those who are still getting comfortable with reading works for native speakers.

"Breaking Into Japanese Literature", Exploring Japanese Literature" and the "Read Real Japanese" series are what came into my mind too.

"Read Real Japanese" would be closer though, as it does go through every sentence, then includes more in-depth grammatical explanations for each page on the back. Also includes CDs of audio versions for all the stories/essays, which is wonderful for learners.

"Breaking Into Japanese Literature" and "Exploring Japanese Literature" are better suited for more advanced readers. Rather than for someone who hasn't read any Japanese literature at all, I think it's best for people who are well versed in the modern language, but just not used to older works of literature (the stories were indeed chosen because they were in public domain). Having the word lists and notes of which words are archaic, etc. is a great aid for people just jumping into older works.

An intermediate student could certainly get through the two books since there are word lists at the bottom of each page, and the grammar itself isn't that difficult, but the vocabulary used by authors like Mishima or Tanizaki is quite advanced and not something most intermediate students are ever going to come across.

I'll pick up the two "Read Real Japanese" books. Thanks a ton.

Been really rough trying to read the more irregular writing of an actual writer. I found that I could only read visual novels with simple, structured sentences (they look like model sentences in a text book).

There's also "Reading Japanese with a Smile". It's got 9 funny or strange short stories (with translations / explanations) from a weekly magazine. I haven't read through all of it, but the stories are pretty short so I find it handy when I don't have a lot of time.

http://www.amazon.com/Reading-Japanese-S...499028481X

I actually think that Soseki is easier than some modern authors; of course there is archaic vocab but for a learner, any literature is going to have unknown vocabulary so it's not too bad.

+1 for the Read Real Japanese series.

I bought the essay part of the series about a month ago at Kinokuniya in San Jose for only $18 (it was printed in the U.S.), but with no CD. I just bought the fiction part at Maruzen in Sendai last night, and it includes the audio CD and a Japanese-English dictionary of almost all the words used in the book as well as notes on usage (i.e. grammar, colloquialisms, etc.). However, the book was priced at ￥2,730, which I would assume is because of the supplementary material.

In terms of the material itself, I find the essays and short stories included in the series engaging and easy to grasp. Sometimes I become anxious waiting for a moment to open up one of the books and simply enjoy some reading. The series is definitely a great transition from the beginner to intermediate stage. Perfect for after Core2k/KO2001 and Tae Kim or the Genki series. Highly recommended.

+1 for "Reading Japanese with a Smile"

I have just read it. It is excellent for lower intemediate level. It is difficult at this level to find printed material to read, as you don't have rikaichan and there are so many words we don't know yet. Reading with a dictionary feels like "decoding" more that reading.
"Each story is accompanied by a translation, faithfully done and easy to follow. Then, sentence by sentence, follows a short gloss of each word and phrase, a reverse derivation of each declined verb and adjective, detailed notes on vocabulary and grammar, and information and commentary on the cultural background."

http://www.japanandstuff.com/page13/page13.html

it's only 10 bucks.

http://www.amazon.com/Reading-Japanese-S...448&sr=8-1

any suggestions for more books like this? (apart from the Read Real Japanese Series)

Breaking into Japanese Literature.

Nothing special, but it does introduce you to 夏目漱石, which is nice.