Saiichi Maruya (丸谷 才一 Maruya Saiichi, born August 27, 1925[1]) is a Japanese author and literary critic.[2]
Maruya was mobilized into the Japanese Army in 1945 when still a high-school student. After the war's end, he completed his high school studies in Niigata, then in 1947 entered the University of Tokyo to major in English literature. There he discovered James Joyce whose works became deeply influential in his writing. After completing his degree, he taught English literature at Kokugakuin University and then at the University of Tokyo. During this time he wrote a series of novels including Ehoba No kao O sakete (エホバ の 顔 を さけて, 1958), Kanata E (彼方 へ, 1962), and Sasamakura (笹まくら, Grass for My Pillow, 1966). He translated Joyce's Ulysses[3] in collaboration with Takamatsu Yūichi and Nagai Reiji (1964), and A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man in 1969.
In 1968 Maruya won the Akutagawa Prize for Toshi No nokori (年 の 残り, The Rest of the Year). In 1972 he published Tatta hitori No hanran (たった ひとり の 反乱, Singular Rebellion), one of his finest works, for which he won the Tanizaki Prize.
His criticism and essays include Go-Toba In (後鳥羽 院, The Retired Emperor Go-Toba, 1973), Nihon bungakushi hayawakari (日本 文学史 早わかり, A Quick Guide to Japanese Literary History, 1976), Asobi jikan (遊び 時間, Play Time, 1976) and Chūshingura to wa nani ka (忠臣蔵 と は 何 か, What Is the Chūshingura?, 1984).