Manufacturing Modern Japanese Literature

“Edward Mack pulls the Japanese literary field out of the regressive myth of autonomous art and into the realms of social discourse and material practice. He compels us to reconsider the role of literary production and publishing in constructing concepts of cultural authority, national identity, and empire. Manufacturing Modern Japanese Literature is a rich, rewarding work.” - Ann Sherif, author of Japan’s Cold War: Media, Literature, and the Law

“[T]houghtful and careful. . . . [A]n . . . excellent work of scholarship which pulls together analytical strands from print culture and literature and offers a meaningful contribution to English-language scholarship. I heartily recommend it.” - Andrew Kamei-Dyche, SHARP News

“Manufacturing Modern Japanese Literature provides a compelling sociological critique of the institution of literature in early twentieth-century Japan. . . . The problems Mack deals with in Manufacturing Modern Japanese Literature remain urgent concerns today, and his compelling study gives us some of the tools we need to grapple with them effectively.” - Michael K. Bourdaghs, Journal of Japanese Studies

“This book is a must read book for people who are studying about Japanese literature or people interested to know more about the birth of the modern Japanese publishing industry. The author researched the subject thoroughly and gives us deep understanding of how the Japanese modern literature was born. . . . [I]t is very enjoyable to read. Even each footnote is packed with insightful details that give more vivid picture of the ‘manufacturing’ process of modern literature. It is an excellent and unique English language resource for an important period of Japan’s literature history.” - Naoko Maeda Rodolitz, Publishing Research Quarterly