Japanese learners of English frequently lack confidence in their reading skills and so they are reluctant to try reading unabridged novels. As EFL learners they do not have the same cultural background information as native speaker readers do, and this inevitably makes top-down processing more difficult; bottom-up processing may also be slowed down because they are still in the process of acquiring vocabulary and grammar. However, provided they are given enough support and assistance, I believe they can read a full length novel and may even surprise themselves with how much progress they can make. It is important to select suitable material because obscure words, large amounts of dialect, and difficult idioms will cause many problems for students. Something written in clear, contemporary English is the best choice: this year I'm teaching A Pale View of Hills by Kazuo Ishiguro.