Breaking into Japanese Literature: Seven Modern Classics in Parallel Text

Having spent several years studying Japanese without reading a single piece of literature, I bought this book and have found it very helpful. The size and layout of the book is attractive, with the short biographies of the authors a useful addition. The best feature is the way that all the vocabulary and kanji readings are given on the same page as the text, meaning you don't have to consult a dictionary or leaf through pages as you go. I've also listened to the sound files on the internet, which really add another dimension to the book. My only criticism is that it would have been nice to have had more variety in the stories selected, including some less Gothic in style, but this volume is well worth having. If only there were more books like this to simplify the process of reading Japanese.

Well, if you do inist you want to begin to read Japanese stories, why not start with this volume where everything is there for you.
The text is full of Kanji.
The stories selected need little background, but there is a set uup for each section and the whole thing in English.
There is some indication of the difficulty.
The stories are all apparently online as read text, though I haven't availed myself of this yet, it should make a more challenging point. Listen for reinforcement, or listen and read or listen alone and try to write it out. Should be good.
The stories are authentic and attractive.
You have all of the words listed that you need in phonetic characters and translated, so you can read without having a wide vocabulary.
Perhaps the trouble is to be discipllined enough to make sure you study/retain what you read. But it certainly seems a good method of beginning to read Japanese for language learners.

This book is great; The paper is great, the layout is great, the overall look is great, just from the feel and a quick look over the book you feel it should cost twice as much ^^. The content is awesome, Side-by-side Japanese and English with a dictionary underneath. You will need to understand a little Japanese to get the most out of the Japanese versions but the stories are interesting and rewarding even if you just read the translations. The illustrations and commentry complete this package, the only bad thing I can say is "Why aren't there any more books like this!"