Friendship

Mushanokoji, Saneatsu, 1885-1976Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.5

Word count: 69K words
Chapters: 7

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.友情 by Saneatsu MushanokojiAuthor: Mushanokoji, Saneatsu, 1885-1976,Language: Japanese, Class: PL: Language and Literatures: Languages and literatures of Eastern Asia, Africa, Oceania, Release Date: Jul 31, 2010

Editor's review

Friendship is a work by Mushanokōji Saneatsu, a leading figure of Japan's Shirakaba school, offered as a Japanese-language public-domain e-book by Project Gutenberg. Mushanokōji's writing is known for idealism and humanitarian concern, focusing on how individuals achieve spiritual freedom and growth within real relationships, and Friendship can be understood in this context. The electronic edition preserves the work as it was, making it suitable as an introductory text for approaching modern Japanese literature and Shirakaba thought. As you read, note the emotional tensions among the characters and the author's reflections on friendship as an ethical relationship: it is not merely a depiction of private feeling but also reflects modern Japanese intellectuals' reexamination of the relationship between self and others. Because it is a public-domain e-book, version information is minimal, and readers would do well to consult a reliable translation or relevant literary-historical materials alongside it to make up for the lack of annotation and background notes. It rewards slow reading in quiet moments, for its restrained and sincere narrative tone.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in modern Japanese literature and the Shirakaba school
Literature lovers who want to understand Mushanokōji Saneatsu's style
Researchers or students who need the Japanese original in a public-domain text
General readers who prefer short works on emotional and ethical themes

Not a good fit for

Readers unfamiliar with Japanese who have no translation to consult
Readers expecting a fully annotated, scholarly edition
Readers who only want plot-driven, fast-paced fiction

Reading tips

Learn some basic background on the Shirakaba school and Mushanokōji Saneatsu before starting; the text will read more smoothly.
Read alongside a Chinese translation, referring back and forth when Japanese expressions are difficult.
Note changes in the characters' relationships and record the author's definitions of and questions about friendship.
After finishing, read works by other Shirakaba writers and compare their idealistic temperaments.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book in Chinese or Japanese?

According to Project Gutenberg, the book is in Japanese and is a public-domain e-book. If reading Japanese is difficult, a reliable Chinese translation is recommended for comparison, with attention to differences between translation and original.

Does the electronic edition have annotations or an introduction?

This entry is a Project Gutenberg electronic text and does not appear to include annotations or an introduction. Readers can consult histories of modern Japanese literature and Shirakaba school studies to supplement background information.

Is it suitable as an introductory text to Japanese literature?

It can serve as one introductory text for approaching the Shirakaba school, but some Japanese ability or a translation is needed. With no background knowledge at all, it is best to start with a concise overview of modern Japanese literature before taking up this book.

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About the author

Mushanokoji, Saneatsu, 1885-1976 Author · Japanese · 1885–1976

Mushanokoji Saneatsu (1885–1976) was a Japanese novelist and one of the leading figures of the Shirakaba school, known for advocating humanist ideas. His works generally center on human ideals, friendship, and self-cultivation, and carry a distinct idealist tone. His representative works include Omedetaki Hito, which portrays its characters' attitudes toward love and life in a light and candid style, and Friendship, which focuses on the spiritual exchange and moral choices among young people, reflecting his concern with human goodness and sincere relationships. The Shirakaba school stands out in modern Japanese literature for its emphasis on individual dignity and love for humanity, and Mushanokoji Saneatsu's writing is a clear expression of this tendency. Public information on the specific details of his life is limited, but the themes and intellectual orientation of his works are enough to show his distinctive place in modern Japanese literature.