Tony Malone
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tonysreadinglist.bsky.social
Tony Malone
@tonysreadinglist.bsky.social
Championing the wonders of translated fiction, one review at a time. Slightly older and more haggard than the photos suggest. Bitter at most things, really.
My latest #JanuaryInJapan reread is of Kuniko Mukōda’s 'The Woman Next Door' (translated by A. Reid Monroe-Sheridan: Kurodahan Press), an engaging set of five stories featuring ordinary people in slightly depressing lives...
tonysreadinglist.wordpress.com/2021/06/07/t...
January 30, 2026 at 10:02 AM
My final post for #JanuaryInJapan looks at Thomas Gaubatz's 'The Textual Townsman' (courtesy of Columbia University Press), a book that takes us back to the Tokugawa period and examines it through the eyes of two writers:
tonysreadinglist.wordpress.com/2026/01/29/t...
‘The Textual Townsman’ by Thomas Gaubatz (Review)
After the last couple of #JanuaryInJapan posts saw us spending time in the Heian Era, we’re skipping forward a good few centuries today for the final review post of the month, with our focus …
tonysreadinglist.wordpress.com
January 29, 2026 at 11:46 AM
Another book about 'The Tale of Genji'?! My latest #JanuaryInjapan review looks at Richard Bowring's 'Landmarks of World Literature: Murasaki Shikibu – The Tale of Genji' :)
tonysreadinglist.wordpress.com/2026/01/26/l...
‘Landmarks of World Literature: Murasaki Shikibu – The Tale of Genji’ by Richard Bowring (Review)
The Tale of Genji is rarely far from my thoughts, so as you can imagine, I was never likely to ignore it during January in Japan.  I’ve already contributed another couple of posts to my chapt…
tonysreadinglist.wordpress.com
January 26, 2026 at 11:54 AM
We're back with Genji for my latest #JanuaryInJapan post, and in Chapter 20, 'Asagao', he's once again making eyes at a woman who's trying to say no - while poor Murasaki's heart breaks back at home...
tonysreadinglist.wordpress.com/2026/01/23/t...
The Tale of Genji: 20 – Asagao
If you recall, when we left Genji at the end of our last chapter-by-chapter journey through the Tale, the Shining One was admonishing himself for flirting with a young woman he’s supposed to …
tonysreadinglist.wordpress.com
January 23, 2026 at 7:57 AM
My latest #JanuaryInJapan review takes us far into the future with Hiromi Kawakami's 'Under the Eye of the Big Bird' (translated by Asa Yoneda, published by Granta Books), a novel telling us all about the human race, and how it ends... tonysreadinglist.wordpress.com/2026/01/21/u...
January 21, 2026 at 10:25 AM
Another #JanuaryInJapan reread (see the comments for a link to my 2010 review) is of Yukio Mishima's sublime 'The Temple of the Golden Pavilion' (translated by Ivan Morris).
January 20, 2026 at 9:52 AM
Calling Haruki Murakami fans! My recent #JanuaryInJapan reread was carried out to enable a post comparing the book and film versions of 'after the quake' (translated by Jay Rubin: directed by Tsuyoshi Inoue).
January 19, 2026 at 10:01 AM
My most recent #JanuaryInJapan reread was of Shion Miura's 'The Great Passage' (translated by Juliet Carpenter), which - as is hopefully obvious from the photo - has to do with creating a dictionary.
January 18, 2026 at 9:17 AM
If you were missing some sword-fighting for #JanuaryInJapan, today's post has got you covered as we head back to the 14th/17th century with 'Chūshingura' (translated by Donald Keene), the story of revenge being best serve cold and violently ;)
tonysreadinglist.wordpress.com/2026/01/14/c...
January 14, 2026 at 7:25 AM
Reposted by Tony Malone
Check out RJL'sreading project for #JanuaryinJapan 2026. 31 days of free-to-read short stories or excerpts from novels, encompassing a short history of modern Japanese fiction. I'll post a new short story every day, and you're welcome to read along!
January in Japan 2026 - Read Japanese Literature
RJL presents a list of 31 translated Japanese short stories you can read on-line for free, organized into a brief history of modern Japanese literature.
readjapaneseliterature.com
December 31, 2025 at 7:56 PM
Reposted by Tony Malone
Yo!

I'll be in Paris tomorrow launching Ghost Mountain in French translation by Charles Roux. The launch is in L'Ecume des Pages at 7pm. I'll be interviewed by the wonderful Tim MacGabhann.

www.parislibrairies.fr/agenda-18792...
www.parislibrairies.fr
January 13, 2026 at 11:25 AM
It's Osamu Dazai time today for #JanuaryInJapan, with a slightly more feminine side than usual - take a look at my review of 'No One Knows' (translated by Ralph McCarthy, published by New Directions), a collection of fourteen stories told by women :)
tonysreadinglist.wordpress.com/2026/01/12/n...
‘No One Knows’ by Osamu Dazai (Review)
It’s two years ago now that I undertook my January in Japan project on Osamu Dazai’s No Longer Human, reading and reviewing three translations into English and pitting them against each…
tonysreadinglist.wordpress.com
January 12, 2026 at 9:50 AM
Reposted by Tony Malone
Reading from the library and indulging a few temptations from a flash book sale.

4 borrowed, 4 bought and a dozen donated, the dangers and delights of book sales.

#library #books 💙📚

clairemcalpine.com/2026/01/11/a...
A Flash Book Sale & Library Haul
Recently I attended a flash booksale at a small local English library, donating a bag of books and picking up a few temptations, despite going with the intention of not buying. New Daughters of Afr…
clairemcalpine.com
January 11, 2026 at 6:08 AM
Reposted by Tony Malone
Le Montagne Fantome by Rónán Hession -

Translated by Charles Roux and published by Les Grands Vents is out today in France in all good bookshops and libraries.

Magnifique.

@thebookseller.com
January 9, 2026 at 11:21 AM
It's #JanuaryInJapan, and I'm back on my Genji adventures - find out what happens in Chapter 19, 'Usugumo', with a look at what happens in at home and away (and in the translator's pen...):
tonysreadinglist.wordpress.com/2026/01/08/t...
January 8, 2026 at 8:59 AM
Just took a new photo of my private Genji library, ready to get started on my first chapter post for the year - quite a spread, eh... #TheTaleOfGenji
January 7, 2026 at 11:44 AM
My first new review for this year's #JanuaryInJapan has me looking at Fumiko Hayashi's 'Floating Clouds' (translated by Lane Dunlop, published by Columbia University Press), a novel of dreary lives in post-war Japan:
tonysreadinglist.wordpress.com/2026/01/06/f...
‘Floating Clouds’ by Fumiko Hayashi (Review)
Well, it’s taken a while, but I’ve finally got all of my 2025 admin out of the way, so it’s time to crack on with the reading and reviewing for 2026 – and what better way to…
tonysreadinglist.wordpress.com
January 6, 2026 at 7:39 AM
As you may (or may not) be aware, round these parts the first month of the year is #JanuaryInJapan, in which J-Lit is front and foremost in our minds (not that it isn't usually!).
January 5, 2026 at 9:59 AM
After seventeen full years of blogging, how did 2025 go? Find out in my annual State of the Blog Address ;)
tonysreadinglist.wordpress.com/2026/01/04/t...
The 2025 State of the Blog Address
After a swanky awards ceremony and a dull look at some statistics, it’s almost time to finally get 2025 out of the way and get on with 2026, but there’s one more task to tick off my to-…
tonysreadinglist.wordpress.com
January 4, 2026 at 9:26 AM
If numbers aren't your thing, keep on walking, but if you're partial to some stats, come this way for my look at what *you* all read on the blog last year :)
tonysreadinglist.wordpress.com/2026/01/03/y...
Your Favourite Posts of 2025
After the excitement of the awards ceremony, it’s time to take a step back and view things from a slightly more detached, and quantitative, angle.  You see, it’s all very well telling y…
tonysreadinglist.wordpress.com
January 3, 2026 at 7:50 AM
Part Two of my review of the year looks back at the best books from July to December :)
tonysreadinglist.wordpress.com/2025/12/31/t...
The Best of 2025 – July to December
After looking back at the best books of the first half of 2025 in yesterday’s post, today I’m wrapping up the year by taking another look at those that impressed in the second six month…
tonysreadinglist.wordpress.com
December 31, 2025 at 8:51 AM