Once And Forever: The Tales Of Kenji Miyazawa

"This collection of tales by Kenji Miyazawa (a re-release of a 1993 edition, translated by John Bester) has an enchanting sense of wildness. Miyazawa (whose Night on the Galactic Railroad is considered a modern classic) lives in the details, whether in a story of frantic preparations for the expected visit of the Buddha, or a wicked joke about a suspiciously carnivorous restaurant. These tales turn familiar fairy-tale rhythms on their hands, balancing chaos and kindness, the natural and the supernatural, the unsettling and the inspiring. It will be right at home in any library of short stories or modern folklore."