Dawn to the West: Japanese Literature: Japanese Literature of the Modern Era

I'm studying Japanese letterature at university and among my various book, i think that Donald Keene is the best. Though, he sometimes may be lengthy, his style is fluent and interesting, you'll never get bored.

I bought this book to supplement a course I was taking on Japanese literature, and it was one of the few "optional" texts I ever actually read. Donald Keene is the first person to look to if you are interested in Japanese literature. Not only does he know the literaure inside and out, he puts everything in a context of history and culture that makes you appreciate the actual works even more. This book is comprehensive, well thought out, and very accessible.