My students often ask me what fiction books I would recommend them to read. I have thought hard about this question. Because I am not reading Japanese fiction books myself. I find it difficult to understand the sophisticated proses writer use in storytelling.
Therefore, up to now, I have always told my students that maybe it's good to start with non-fiction books in topics you are interested in. For e.g. housewives may pick up books on cooking, travel guidebooks, flower arrangements, etc. Working adults may be interested in financial management books, public speaking, etc.
But recently, I think perhaps learners can start off with the English translations of Japanese classics. It will be a familiar storyline but understood in a different language will give different feelings and emotions. A good one to start off will be Botchan by Natsume Soseki.
Natsume Soseki books translated into English
What do you think? Any recommendations and suggestions are highly welcomed by email:)
