Eight Dogs, or "Hakkenden": Part One―An Ill-Considered Jest (Cornell East Asia Series, 203) - Softcover

Bakin, Kyokutei

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1501758934 ISBN 13: 9781501758935

Publisher: Cornell East Asia Series, 2021

Synopsis

Kyokutei Bakin's Nansō Satomi hakkenden is one of the monuments of Japanese literature. This multigenerational samurai saga was one of the most popular and influential books of the nineteenth century and has been adapted many times into film, television, fiction, and comics.

An Ill-Considered Jest, the first part of Hakkenden, tells the story of the Satomi clan patriarch Yoshizane and his daughter Princess Fuse. An ill-advised comment forces Yoshizane to betroth his daughter to the family dog, creating a supernatural union that ultimately produces the Eight Dog Warriors. Princess Fuse's heroic and tragic sacrifice, and her strength, intelligence, and self-determination throughout, render her an immortal character within Japanese fiction.

Eight Dogs is the culmination of centuries of premodern Japanese tale-telling, combining aspects of historical romance, fantasy, Tokugawa-era popular fiction, and Chinese vernacular stories. Glynne Walley's lively translation conveys the witty and colorful prose of the original, producing a faithful and entertaining edition of this important literary classic.

About this title

About the Author

Glynne Walley is an Associate Professor of Japanese Literature at the University of Oregon and author of Good Dogs.

Edition details

• Publisher: Cornell East Asia Series
• Publication date: 2021
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1501758934
• ISBN 13: 9781501758935
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 348