Fusanosuke

The quote from Karel Chapek's （カレル・チャペック） R.U.R. (1921) Japanese title 「ロボット」 - a science fiction play that introduced the word 'robot':

もし犬がしゃべれたら人間同士と同じくらい付き合いにくくなるだろう。
If dogs could talk perhaps we'd find it just as hard to get along with them as we do with people.

What I find to a very useful word here is:
付き合い --つきあい -- association; socializing; socialising; fellowship
which makes then
付き合いにくくなる -- becomes difficult to get along with

And one more word to remember
人間同士 --にんげんどうし-- mankind

A world famous book - 老人と海 --The Old Man and the Sea (1952) by アーネスト・ヘミングウェイ(Ernest Hemingway)

And couple of easy words that are made of 老人 to remember:
老人 -- ろうじん -- the aged; old person;
老人たち -- old folks
老人ホーム -- a senior residence

森ガール fashion & style BOOK

This is the fashion book for the Mori Girl type of style. The type of a girl who loves nature and being close to the nature, who wears comfortable clothes made of natural textures and who choose to be away from the civilization's beat in order to enjoy quite peace of little towns and forests.

What does this fashion book include:

• 森ガールのこと - what does "Mori Girl" stand for?

森 -- もり-- forest

• 季節のワードローブ - Wardrobe by season

ワードローブ--(n) wardrobe
季節 【きせつ】 (n,adj-no) season

• ときどき, ちくちくお裁縫 - Sometimes hand-made

ちくちく (n,vs) (on-mim) type of prickling pain; prick; prickle
裁縫 --さいほう-- (n,vs) sewing;
Google seems to provide the meaning for  ちくちくお裁縫 as "hand-made".

羊 --ひつじ-- (n) sheep;

The word "sheep" is not that useful in the daily vocabulary, I could only remember it, because of the 2 titles.

• Manga 青い羊の夢 by 立野真琴 (Tateno Makoto)

--あおいひつじのゆめ--
夢 --ゆめ-- (n) dream

Official English translation - Blue Sheep Reverie.

• Book 羊をめぐる冒険〈上〉+  羊をめぐる冒険〈下〉 by 村上春樹 ( Murakami Haruki)

--ひつじをめぐるぼうけん--

めぐる-- (1) to go around; (2) to return; (3) to surround;
冒険 --ぼうけん-- (n,vs) risk; venture; adventure

The official English translation A Wild Sheep Chase.

There is one Japanese book I REALLY want to read. It has been translated in only in French. Though my French is sufficient enough for small-talk and reading fashion magazines, I doubt I could handle a book influenced by Freudian psychoanalysis... So, either my Japanese has to improve tremendously, or I'll need to deal with French...

ドグラ・マグラ (上) + ドグラ・マグラ (下)

Novel by 夢野 久作 (Yumeno Kyūsaku), written in 1935.
All the critic loves to point that this novel is a perfect example of the modern Japanese avant-garde gothic literature. Whatever it means. And all the psychological, Freudian aspect of the plot-line. I guess, I really need to read it at least French (Dogra Magra) to have my own opinion.

There is a movie , 1988.

And there is a manga DOGLA+MAGLA by 寿たらこ (Kotobuki Tarako) supposedly loosely linked with the novel. I read the manga - it's pure kafka, and if one wishes to see it Freudian - one has enough of the innuendos.

桐野夏生 (Kirino Natsuo) wrote her crime novel Out in 1997, later on it was published in English.  I read it in English and that's really a breathtaking suspense story.  As well it's been recommended as a poignant study of modern Japanese society.
OUT 上 + OUT 下

OUT is a very convenient for Western translations, just keep it - and everyone understands.  Except not.  German translation was titled Die Umarmung des Todes (The Embrace of the Death). I honestly had not a single clue that it's supposed to be OUT, until a salesperson has shown me in their database that it's so. A really strange German book-market...

Additionally there is a movie directed by 平山秀幸, Hirayama Hideyuki (2002) and it seems there will be a Hollywood remake.

Searching amazon, I've noticed that there is a brand new book (2009) IN. I cannot help, but wonder if this new book connect to the best-seller OUT.

河合隼雄 - Kawai Hayao (1928 – 2007) was a Japanese psychologist.

I only read his one book and it has impressed me greatly  - 昔話と日本人の心 (1982)

昔話 --むかしばなし-- (n) folklore; legend; reminiscence; (P); EP
心 --こころ; しん -- (n) mind; heart; spirit; (しん) (n) core; heart; wick; marrow;

Of course, I did not read it in Japanese, but in English -The Japanese psyche: major motifs in the fairy tales of Japan .  And that's the book I'd really recommend anyone interested in Japan.