The Kojiki

Name: The Kojiki
Brand: Unknown
SKU: 9780231163897
Price: 56.99 NZD
Availability: InStock

An Account of Ancient Matters

By no Yasumaro Ō

Series: Translations from the Asian Classics

0.0 (0 reviews)

3.53

( 1,222 ratings, 121 reviews)

Summary

The Kojiki, Japan's oldest surviving narrative from the eighth century, chronicles the mythical origins of the Japanese islands and their ruling dynasty. Through genealogies, tales, and songs, it shapes the nation's ancient past. Gustav Heldt's translation captures the dramatic and evocative storytelling, translating names of people and places to illuminate their significance. The edition includes an introduction, glossaries, maps, and bibliographies to enrich understanding of Japan's earliest history, literature, and religion.
Read More

Format: Paperback / softback

$56⁹⁹

AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 3-4 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

The Kojiki

$56⁹⁹

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

Ideal for readers interested in Japanese literature, history, and spirituality, as well as scholars and students seeking a vital translation of a foundational cultural text.

Chronicles the mythical origins of Japan's islands and their ruling dynasty through a diverse array of genealogies, tales, and songs

Heldt's new translation of the Kojiki offers readers a powerful and beautifully written rendition of this critically important Japanese classic. General readers will find it an accessible and fascinating look into Japanese folklore. Specialists will find Heldt's interpretation of Kojiki's magic words, rich in wordplay and metaphor, deeply insightful and provocative. -- Joan Piggott, University of Southern California

Description

Japan's oldest surviving narrative, the eighth-century Kojiki, chronicles the mythical origins of its islands and their ruling dynasty through a diverse array of genealogies, tales, and songs that have helped to shape the modern nation's views of its ancient past.

Gustav Heldt's engaging new translation of this revered classic aims to make the Kojiki accessible to contemporary readers while staying true to the distinctively dramatic and evocative appeal of the original's language. It conveys the rhythms that structure the Kojiki's animated style of storytelling and translates the names of its many people and places to clarify their significance within the narrative.

An introduction, glossaries, maps, and bibliographies offer a wealth of additional information about Japan's earliest extant record of its history, literature, and religion.

Series: Translations from the Asian Classics

View all

The Original Meaning of the Yijing

By Xi Zhu

Paperback

$52⁹⁹

Available
Ships in 3-4 weeks
Lust, Commerce, and Corruption

Paperback

$70⁹⁹

Available
Ships in 3-4 weeks
Quelling the Demons' Revolt

By Guanzhong Luo

Paperback

$54⁹⁹

Available
Ships in 3-4 weeks
The Kojiki

By no Yasumaro Ō

Paperback

$56⁹⁹

Available
Ships in 3-4 weeks
The Fragrant Companions

By Li Yu

Paperback

$56⁹⁹

Available
Ships in 3-4 weeks
The Book of Swindles

By Yingyu Zhang

Paperback

$49⁹⁹

Available
Ships in 3-4 weeks
The Lotus Sutra

Paperback

$50⁹⁹

Available
Ships in 3-4 weeks
The Pillow Book of Sei Shōnagon

Paperback

$37⁹⁹

Available
Ships in 3-4 weeks
The Vimalakirti Sutra

Paperback

$106⁰⁰

Available
Ships in 2-3 weeks
Zhuangzi

Paperback

$66⁹⁹

Available
Ships in 3-4 weeks
Kūkai

By Kūkai

Paperback

$79⁹⁹

Available
Ships in 3-4 weeks
The Classic of the Way and Virtue

Paperback

$52⁹⁹

Available
Ships in 3-4 weeks

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Acclaimed scholars praise Heldt's translation for its accuracy, faithfulness, and readability. David Lurie calls it "an accomplished and approachable translation" urgently needed in English. Torquil Duthie highlights how translating names brings the narrative alive. James E. Ketelaar describes the work as "impeccable and imaginative," rendering poetry exquisitely with clear narratives. It is regarded as a master work that will inspire discussion for years.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780231163897

Publisher: Columbia University Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 09 September 2014

Country: United States

Imprint: Columbia University Press

Illustration: Maps: 2,

Contributors:

Translated by Gustav Heldt

Audience: Tertiary education

DIMENSIONS

Width: 152.0mm

Height: 229.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 312

Collections

no Yasumaro Ō Non-Fiction Religion & Spirituality Series: Translations from the Asian Classics

About the Author

O no Yasumaro (d. 723) was a nobleman of the Japanese court whose O clan ruled over an area bearing the same name near the eighth-century capital of Nara. Gustav Heldt is an associate professor of Japanese literature at the University of Virginia and the author of The Pursuit of Harmony: Poetry and Power in Early Heian Japan.