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The Fall of Language in the Age of English by Minae Mizumura (2015, Hardcover)
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About this product
Product Identifiers
PublisherColumbia University Press
ISBN-100231163029
ISBN-139780231163026
eBay Product ID (ePID)201597397
Product Key Features
Number of Pages240 Pages
Publication NameFall of Language in the Age of English
LanguageEnglish
SubjectEuropean / French, Asian / Japanese, General, American / General, Japanese
Publication Year2015
TypeLanguage Course
Subject AreaLiterary Criticism, Foreign Language Study, Language Arts & Disciplines
AuthorMinae Mizumura
FormatHardcover
Dimensions
Item Height1 in
Item Weight17.9 Oz
Item Length9.3 in
Item Width6.3 in
Additional Product Features
Intended AudienceScholarly & Professional
LCCN2014-022521
Dewey Edition23
TitleLeadingThe
ReviewsA call to arms for everyone: for all non-native English speakers to embrace and champion literature in their own languages, and for English speakers to be that little less arrogant in their use of their mother tongue, which just happens to have become the world's universal language., This powerful, insightful work analyzes the predicament of world languages and literatures in an age when English has become the universal language of science and the default language of the internet.... Rich, profound meditation on language and literature., The Fall of Language in the Age of English provocatively participates in current debates on world literature, translation, reading and writing in the age of global English and Internet, bringing forward a new and illuminating perspective on the translingual formation of national languages and the now endangered arch of modern literature. Written from the viewpoint of a noted Japanese novelist as well as from a wider theoretical and historical perspective., Mizumura traces how the myth of the 'national language,' a pure upwelling of political character, coincided with the flowering of the nation-state-and, even more fascinatingly, of the novel itself.... 'Language' may be in the book's title, but Mizumura has really crafted a conservationist's plea for literature ., A stirring call to consciousness about the role of language.... For English speakers, the book presents an important opportunity to walk in someone else's shoes., In The Fall Of Language in the Age of English , Minae Mizumura shows, better than anyone ever has, how English is wrecking other languages - reducing even great literary languages, including Japanese and French, to local dialects - and makes a vigorous case for the superiority of the written over the spoken word., Mizumura traces how the myth of the 'national language,' a pure upwelling of political character, coincided with the flowering of the nation-state--and, even more fascinatingly, of the novel itself. . . . 'Language' may be in the book's title, but Mizumura has really crafted a conservationist's plea for literature ., The Fall of Language in the Age of English is-or at least can be-valuable to any literature-interested reader. Certainly, it is an interesting personal introduction to aspects of Japanese writing, and its transitions across recent centuries, as Japan's own position internationally has shifted., In The Fall of Language , however, Mizumura wryly notes that the plot of The Golden Demon was later discovered to be a rehash of an American dime novel. From the beginning, she suggests, modern Japanese fiction was born out of an engagement with English literature--an engagement that her own work continues. Even readers who have no particular interest in that literary history will find in Mizumura a fascinating example of how a writer can be at the same time imaginatively cosmopolitan and linguistically rooted., Mizumura traces how the myth of the 'national language,' a pure upwelling of political character, coincided with the flowering of the nation-state--and, even more fascinatingly, of the novel itself.... 'Language' may be in the book's title, but Mizumura has really crafted a conservationist's plea for literature ., A dazzling rumination on the decline of local languages, most particularly of Japanese, in a world overshadowed by English. Moving effortlessly between theory and personal reflection, Mizumura's lament -- linguistic and social in equal measure -- is broadly informed, closely reasoned, and -- in a manner that recalls her beloved Jane Austen -- at once earnest and full of mischief., The care with which Mizumura has crafted this book . . . [makes] the reading of it a pleasure, allowing for wit and personality to shine., Mizumura has crafted a book that stimulates thought, excites passions, and encourages debate. For these alone, it is well worth a read., The Fall of Language in the Age of English is--or at least can be--valuable to any literature-interested reader. Certainly, it is an interesting personal introduction to aspects of Japanese writing, and its transitions across recent centuries, as Japan's own position internationally has shifted., The Fall of Language in the Age of English provocatively participates in current debates on world literature, translation, reading, and writing in the age of global English and the Internet, bringing forward a new and illuminating perspective on the translingual formation of national languages and the now endangered arc of modern literature. It is written from the viewpoint of a noted Japanese novelist as well as from a wider theoretical and historical perspective., This powerful, insightful work analyzes the predicament of world languages and literatures in an age when English has become the universal language of science and the default language of the internet. . . . Rich, profound meditation on language and literature., In The Fall Of Language in the Age of English , Minae Mizumura shows, better than anyone ever has, how English is wrecking other languages -- reducing even great literary languages, including Japanese and French, to local dialects -- and makes a vigorous case for the superiority of the written over the spoken word., Persuasive, elegantly written. . . . [ The Fall of Language in the Age of English ] is highly deserving of attention, from English and Japanese speakers alike, as well as from anyone concerned about literature's past and future., Translators Juliet Winter Carpenter and Mari Yoshihara have done a superb job of rendering [the text] into clear, readable English., Mizumura traces how the myth of the "national language," a pure upwelling of political character, coincided with the flowering of the nation-state--and, even more fascinatingly, of the novel itself.... "Language" may be in the book's title, but Mizumura has really crafted a conservationist's plea for literature ., A dazzling rumination on the decline of local languages, most particularly Japanese, in a world overshadowed by English. Moving effortlessly between theory and personal reflection, Minae Mizumura's lament-linguistic and social in equal measure-is broadly informed, closely reasoned, and-in a manner that recalls her beloved Jane Austen-at once earnest and full of mischief., The care with which Mizumura has crafted this book... [makes] the reading of it a pleasure, allowing for wit and personality to shine., A dazzling rumination on the decline of local languages, most particularly Japanese, in a world overshadowed by English. Moving effortlessly between theory and personal reflection, Minae Mizumura's lament--linguistic and social in equal measure--is broadly informed, closely reasoned, and--in a manner that recalls her beloved Jane Austen--at once earnest and full of mischief., There is incredibly smart stuff in here. . . . Mizumura's ability to weave together so many strands of history (lingual, academic, economic, geopolitical) paints a clear picture of the evolution of Japanese literature, with commentary on the rest of the globe being a pleasant byproduct., There is incredibly smart stuff in here... Mizumura's ability to weave together so many strands of history (lingual, academic, economic, geopolitical) paints a clear picture of the evolution of Japanese literature, with commentary on the rest of the globe being a pleasant byproduct., A stirring call to consciousness about the role of language. . . . For English speakers, the book presents an important opportunity to walk in someone else's shoes., The best book I had ever read about translation and international literature--and the best illustration I had ever seen of how English corrodes even the great literary languages, including French and Japanese., Persuasive, elegantly written.... [ The Fall of Language in the Age of English ] is highly deserving of attention, from English and Japanese speakers alike, as well as from anyone concerned about literature's past and future.
Grade FromCollege Graduate Student
Dewey Decimal495.609/051
Table Of ContentPreface to the English Edition Introduction, by Mari Yoshihara and Juliet Winters Carpenter 1. Under the Blue Sky of Iowa: Those Who Write in Their Own Language 2. From Par Avion to Via Air Mail: The Fall of French 3. People Around the World Writing in External Languages 4. The Birth of Japanese as a National Language 5. The Miracle of Modern Japanese Literature 6. English and National Languages in the Internet Age 7. The Future of National Languages Notes Selected Bibliography Index
SynopsisWinner of the Kobayashi Hideo Award, The Fall of Language in the Age of English lays bare the struggle to retain the brilliance of one's own language in this period of English-language dominance. Born in Tokyo but raised and educated in the United States, Minae Mizumura acknowledges the value of a universal language in the pursuit of knowledge yet also embraces the different ways of understanding offered by multiple tongues. She warns against losing this precious diversity. Universal languages have always played a pivotal role in advancing human societies, Mizumura shows, but in the globalized world of the Internet, English is fast becoming the sole common language of humanity. The process is unstoppable, and striving for total language equality is delusional--and yet, particular kinds of knowledge can be gained only through writings in specific languages. Mizumura calls these writings "texts" and their ultimate form "literature." Only through literature and, more fundamentally, through the diverse languages that give birth to a variety of literatures, can we nurture and enrich humanity. Incorporating her own experiences as a writer and a lover of language and embedding a parallel history of Japanese, Mizumura offers an intimate look at the phenomena of individual and national expression.
LC Classification NumberPL523.5.M5813 2015
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