Seven Japanese Tales

Book Description

In these seven stories, the author of The Makioka Sisters explores the territory where love becomes self-annihilation, where the contemplation of beauty gives way to fetishism, and where tradition becomes an instrument of refined cruelty.

Customer Reviews:

Different Facets of a Gifted Writer.......2002-09-09

This collection of stories was my first exposure to Tanizaki, and I admit I was pleasantly surprised by the stories I read in "Seven Japanese Tales." Given the time period that he did most of his writing in (pre-war and wartime Japan), I did not anticipate the highly controversial subjects that appear in his stories. I was also surprised to find out that many of these stories were set in periods in Japanese history decades and sometimes centuries before his contemporary time. After seeing Tanizaki's obvious passion for stories such as "The Bridge of Dreams" and "A Blind Man's Tale" I can see how he would undertake the massive task of "translating" the ancient Tale of Genji into modern Japanese.

Getting back to this collection of tales, what impressed me most about Tanizaki's writing was his ability to completely immerse the reader in these tales, and to calmly narrate the intense and often abnormal passions of his characters. What interested me was that time and time again, the women in his stories had complete control over the men. In "A Portrait of Shunkin", an older man blinds himself for the sake of a blind musician so that she is not shamed by her disfigurement. In "The Bridge of Dreams", the narrator is devoted to his mothers (yes, mothers!) to the point that it seems as if he has aged without ever really growing up: he continues to dream about his mother and try to breast feed from his mother far after it is appropriate to do so (it is suggested that he goes even farther than this ... Freud would've loved this tale). The men in "The Tattooer" and "Aguri" seem to have their souls leeched from them by their women. "A Blind Man's Tale" is another obvious example of a man being dominated by a woman. These extremes of pain and beauty are probably accentuated the most in "The Tattooer", my favorite story of the seven.

Domination is not achieved just by the fact that they are women, but also by their intense beauty. A tattooer falls in love with a girl after just seeing her foot. Tanizaki is gifted enough to be able to describe the foot in such a manner that the reader also falls in love with the girl, by just reading about the foot. For me, this was what made Tanizaki's writing compelling: despite (or perhaps because of) a straight-forward, precise writing style, his stories were extremely passionate and sensual. Sensual is the best word I can think of. These aren't racy, graphically sexually oriented stories where the men are simply out to sleep with the women, but stories that emphasise and highlight the amazing beauty of women (and the cruelty and pain that often accompanies that beauty). In a world with a lot of sex and a lot less beauty, reading about the reverse was surprisingly refreshing. "Terror" and "The Thief" are obvious exceptions to the motif of beauty, as they deal with internalized fear and guilt, but the stories are no less powerful than his more sensual ones.

Reading these seven tales, which are amazingly diverse, and incredibly, completed in a span of time that covers nearly fifty years, and I now hope to have the chance to read a full length novel of Tanizaki's to see how he treats these themes that occur so frequently in his short stories in a novel. I have a feeling that the result could be spectacular.

a master storyteller.......2002-08-14

First published in 1963, this collection of five stories and two novellas offers a sampling of Tanizaki's work over the span of fifty years. It is a remarkable collection, and may serve as an introduction to one of modern literature's greatest storytellers.

Make no mistake: Tanizaki was a brilliant writer in the modernist tradition, of the caliber of de Maupassant, Chekov, or Stefan Zweig. Like those European masters, he explored the sexual and emotional dynamics at play in intimate relations. More specifically, Tanizaki was fascinated by subtle sadistic/ masochistic powerplays in long-term relationships between husband/wife, teacher/student, parent/child.

Each of these stories exhibits a mastery of the form. The novellas ("A Portrait of Shunkin," "A Blind Man's Tale") reveal an easy facility with the story-within-a-story form. Even the earliest and shortest narrative in this collection, "The Tattooer" (aka "The Tattoo Artist"), demonstrates Tanizaki's ability to delineate character and obsession deftly and succinctly. Like many of Tanizaki's works (most notably, "The Makkioka Sisters"), it was later adapted successfully for the screen.

Fiction will always be subject to individual tastes. Some might prefer the restraint of a Kawabata, the tortured homoeroticism of a Mishima, or Murakami's hallucinatory surrealism. But more than any of these modern Japanese masters, Tanizaki exhibits a virtuoso's finesse with narrative structures, and a profound understanding of sexual obsession.

This is an extraordinary collection. I recommend wholeheartedly not only to students of Japanese and modern literature, but to anyone hoping to write short fiction.

Another Delightful Book by Tanizaki.......2002-02-24

However, as with all short story collections it seems, there are hits and misses.

1. A portrait of Shunkin: This is the most recent of the stories collected in this volume. Written in 1959, A Portrait of Shunkin tells the story of Shunkin, a beautiful woman who became blind early in life. Shunkin because of her blindness had to give up dancing, but in order to kill time she started playing the koto and the samisen, and soon became a master. Enter Sasuke, a young man who is under tuteledge of Shunkin's father to become a pharmacist. He becomes Shunkin's personal servent, and out of his deep respect and love for her he begins to teach himself samisen, but he is eventually found out by the family. However, when it is discovered that he is actually skilled at the samisen, Shunkin herself teaches him in a very sadistic way. The story continues and tells how Shunkin and Sasuke live together. An interesting story that shows how far some people go to show their love to someone else.

2. Terror: A very short story written in 1913 about a young man who is terrified to go on trains.

3. The Bridge of Dreams: The story of a young man who loses his mother at a very young age, but soon has her replaced by a woman who looks almost exactly like his deceased mother. A very disturbing story about the obsessions some folks can have about making the living their dead loved ones. Also this story has a highly erotic mother/son incest storyline. The narrator who basically grows up accepting his step mother as his real mother suckles at his step mother's breasts when he is a high school student.

4.The Tattooer: A story written in 1910 about a tattooer who wants to create a work of art on the body of a beautiful young woman, and loses his soul in the process

5. The Thief: The story about a young man who is a theif in a dormhouse who does all he can to let his friends know that he is the thief.

6. Aguri: A strange tale of a man slowly wasting away from overindulgence, and the young girl he over indulged in. Probably the strangest story in the collection.

7. A Blind Man's Tale: A story told by Yaichi a blind masseur and his devotion to his mistress the sister of the warlord Nobunaga Oda. This is a fascinating tale, and it shows off quite well Tanizaki's love for Japanese History.

A good. Check it out.

interesting but not enough.......2002-02-02

These stories were too narrowly focused to give us Westerners a picture of Japan or of Japan that was (they were written before world war ll). On the other hand they were not interesting enough to be universal. The first story, a novella was the best but held interest primarily because of the bizarre relationshios described. Perhaps there are certain subtleties that went past me and would have been picked up by someone more specialized in Japanese literature.

Recommended for real afficionados of things Japanese to expand their knowledge

Memorable yes. . . but not for quality.......2001-12-24

Let me start by saying that I found every story in this work fun to read and enjoyable. I enjoyed Tanizaki's style and the ideals I felt he upheld in his stories. On the other hand, it was not these ideals or the actual style I find sticks in my mind, it is the twits, turns, and totally unexpected that remain with me. In "Bridge of Dreams" it is not the faulty memory I remember, but a man having sexual desires for his mother, or step-mother, or both. Many of the stories have a strong sexual overtone to them. They are still great works, and most definately not any type of literary porn, but Tanizaki often uses shock and sudden turns to gain and keep his readers attention.

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Seven Japanese Tales
Junichiro ; Howard Hibbett [translator] Tanizaki
Manufacturer: Berkley Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0425010937

Los Siete Mejores Cuentos Japoneses / the Seven Best Japanese Stories

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Los Siete Mejores Cuentos Japoneses / the Seven Best Japanese Stories
Andres Manosalva
Manufacturer: Grupo Editorial Norma
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 9580472114

Night Autopsy Room: Seven Tales of Life, Death, and Hope

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Night Autopsy Room: Seven Tales of Life, Death, and Hope
Yoshio, M.D. Sakabe
Manufacturer: Cross Cultural Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0940121204

Book Description

The author, a well-known physician, recounts the horror and sorrow of war. Set against the fascinating backdrop of historical events and social conditions in Japan before, during, and just after World War II.

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Seven Japanese Tales
Junichiro Tanizaki
Manufacturer: Alfred A. Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MQPW8M

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Seven Japanese Tales
Junichiro Tanizaki
Manufacturer: Tuttle
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NOZ1W0

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Seven Japanese Tales
Junichiro Tanizaki
Manufacturer: CHARLES E TUTTLE COMPANY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000WUEGPI

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Seven Japanese Tales

Manufacturer: Berkley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000I1D42M

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Seven Japanese Tales
Junichiro Tanizaki
Manufacturer: Berkley Medallion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000KCVRZK

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Seven Japanese Tales
Junichiro Tanizaki
Manufacturer: Berkely Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000PBXGH8

Book Description

Young Fitz, the illegitimate son of the noble Prince Chivalry, is ignored by all royalty except the devious King Shrewd, who has had him tutored him in the dark arts of the assassin. He has barely survived his first, soul-shattering mission, and returns to the court where he is thrown headfirst into the tumult of royal life. With the King near death, and Fitz's only ally off on a seemingly hopeless quest, the throne itself is threatened. Meanwhile, the treacherous Red Ship Raiders have renewed their attacks on the Six Duchies, slaughtering the inhabitants of entire seaside towns. In this time of great peril, it soon becomes clear that the fate of the kingdom may rest in Fitz's hands--and his role in its salvation may require the ultimate sacrifice.

Download Description

Young Fitz, the illegitimate son of the noble Prince Chivalry, is ignored by all royalty except the devious King Shrewd, who has had him tutored in the dark arts of the assassin. He has barely survived his first, soul-shattering mission, and returns to the court where he is thrown headfirst into the tumult of royal life.

With the King near death, and Fitz's only ally off on a seemingly hopeless quest, the throne itself is threatened. Meanwhile, the treacherous Red Ship Raiders have renewed their attacks on the Six Duchies, slaughtering the inhabitants of entire seaside towns.

In this time of great peril, it soon becomes clear that the fate of the kingdom may rest in Fitz's hands -- and his role in its salvation may require the ultimate sacrifice.

Customer Reviews:

On the edge of my seat.......2007-02-20

Again, as with Assassin's Apprentice, I was held fast by a story that constantly kept me guessing as to what was going to happen next. This series is just stunning in the ability to hold my attention and keep me wondering all day exactly where Robin Hobb is taking her characters. Every time I think I know, the outcome is exactly the opposite of what I had predicted. Sometimes it is difficult, even sad, to read this book because you desperately want something good, something he deserves to happen to FitzChivalry, and it almost never does. I'm very eager to begin the third installment in the series.

Will leave you craving for Book III.......2007-02-06

Middle books of trilogies are supposed to be worse than either book one or three but that is so not true for this book. Political drama, adventure and court politics twirl in the Kingdom of Six Duchies where an ailing King is watching his sons combat one another for the throne, or so it seems.
The villain in the form of Regal is simply hateful and that is exactly the image of him that Hobb wants conveyed; there are times when he is a bit scary (because the reader would be reading from the perspective of Fitz, the hero) but that horror is so human that it bites into you for you to feel. It is the ugliness of a ruthless heart that unfolds itself and creates a solid impression on the mind of the reader.
Once again, credit goes to Hobb for a) Excellent characters which leave nothing to desire, b) a page-turning storyline and c) and end that will leave you gasping for the third book. For me, these characteristics of the book put Hobb in the same category as George RR Martin.
HIGHLY recommended.

Brilliance part II.......2006-12-29

This is the second installment of the Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb. In this installment we find FitzChivalry, [...] son of an ex heir to the throne and king's assassin, growing up. He has become an accomplished young man with the burden of many responsibilities. The six duchies that are Fitz' home have been under furious and relentless attacks by the Red raider ships who wreak havoc on the coastline murdering, burning villages and "forging" others by through an unknown process turn people into uncaring savages bent on destruction and death.

King Shrewd is in ill health and King in waiting Verity goes off on a quest to find the mysterious elderlings, of which ancient bards's tells proclaim can save the realm. This leaves Fitz at Buckkeep with little between he and the spiteful and treacherous Prince Regal. FitzChivalry soon finds that he may be little more then a fly caught in an ever growing web of intrigue.

Robin Hobbs' continues this captivating tale and plundering the depths of Fitzchivalry's psyche: His thoughts, his motivations, and his emotions, as well as adding layers and texture to the world she has created. While the book will serve to draw one in deeper and deeper into fitz' story, it does have its moments where it can be a bit overly descriptive and plodding.

This book is a second entry in the farseer trilogy and it should be recognized as such. This trilogy is not really three seperate books in as much as it is one very long book, so one should not expect there to be big climax's at the end, but instead part of the tale that builds the momentum to the climax at the end.

This trilogy is excellent and this book is excellent. Don't let yourself miss out on something well worth your time and effort!

...kill to live [no spoilers].......2006-12-15

"The Farseer: Royal Assassin" continues "The Farseer Trilogy" as FitzChivalry explains his activities using his developing skills as an assassin and in both the Skill and Wit from a first person point of view. Being educated and working alongside the master assassin uncovers more insight into Chade's past.

King Shrewd entrusts political assignments similar to the stereotypical mobster, in a subtle and (resembling his namesake) shrewd fashion asking for resolutions to specific dilemmas. Assassinations can be avoided also with the proper advice or suitable scheme. In the meantime FitzChivalry struggles with his emotions towards childhood friend Molly. Chade, Burrich, and the King's Fool remain refreshing support characters in addition to the unexpected King-in-Waiting Verity. Wide ranges of female characters interact but without the braid tugging or whining found in other series. A couple exciting events at sea and a powerful scene at a funeral pyre identify the amazing talent of the author.

The creative plot becomes darker when Red-Ship Raiders and resulting Forged ones generate difficulties by becoming more aggressive during periods of internal strife. Strangely FitzChivalry does not intuitively observe his surrounding and solve problems like in the previous novel. Nevertheless, the book has an intense and unanticipated end.

The storyline for the most part presents respectable affection between individuals and animals but maintains the cunning of politics to be acceptable for young readers. The many people can be confusing with the odd names. A more detailed map of the significant terrains and comprehensive appendix would have been useful.

I highly recommend this series to any fan of the fantasy genre.

Thank you.

Not bad for a follow up........2006-08-17

I was very suprised at how much I liked the first book, and was eagerly anticipating reading this one. I was not overwhelmed with its greatness, but neither was I let down at the direction the story took. As with the first one, the characters are very interesting, and the plot isnt "good guy always wins" style, wich I find boring. After 'Assasins Apprentice' I find it hard to believe anyone is doubting to buy this one, but if you are, than have no fear, it will not dissapoint.

The only thing different about this from the first book, is that while the first book was only 435 pages packed full of plot and written at a fast pace, this one is around 675 pages and slower paced. The story seems to drag toward the middle of the book. I would rather it had been full of plot and dialouge and been shorter, than have it longer and slower. As far as fantasy novels go in general 700 pages is still not long I suppose.

Either way, it is a good read, and an excellent series thus far. I highly recommend it.

L'Assassin royal, tome 1 : L'Apprenti assassin

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Une série qui vous rendra accro!
Robin Hobb

L'Assassin royal, tome 1 : L'Apprenti assassin
Robin Hobb
Manufacturer: Pygmalion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 2857045603

Customer Reviews:

Une série qui vous rendra accro!.......2004-03-14

J'en suis maintenant au huitième tome de cette série et je peux vous garantir qu'elle est absolument enlevante. L'histoire se passe dans un monde à cheval entre le Moyen-Âge et le fantastique. Un peu dans la lignée du Seigneur des anneaux de Tolkien.

Le premier tome est moins rempli de rebondissements que les autres mais c'est tout simplement parce que l'auteure prend le temps de bien camper ses personnages.

C'est vraiment une série qui vaut le détour! L'essayer, c'est l'adopter!

Robin Hobb.......2003-11-22

Robin Hobb est un auteur a decouvrir, ceux et celles qui aimes le fantastique et le medieval von aime cette serie et je vous averti si vous commencer cette serie vous ne voudrez plus arreter.L'auteur reussi a nous faire imaginer les decors ainsi que les divers situation que vit les personnages.

Pour terminer je le recommande fortement

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L'Assassin royal, tome 3 : La Nef du crépuscule
Robin Hobb , and A. Mousnier-Lompré
Manufacturer: J'ai lu
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 2290316296

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L'Assassin royal, tome 5 : La Voie magique
Robin Hobb , and A. Mousnier-Lompré
Manufacturer: J'ai lu
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 2290320218

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L'Assassin royal, tome 7 : Le Prophète blanc
Robin Hobb , and A. Mousnier-Lompré
Manufacturer: Pygmalion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 2857048068

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L'Assassin royal, tome IV : Le Poison de la vengeance
Robin Hobb
Manufacturer: Pygmalion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 285704612X

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The Life and Times of Christmas Calvert...Assassin (G K Hall Nightingale Series Edition)
John William Wainwright
Manufacturer: G. K. Hall & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0783814739

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Robin Hobb - Set of 3 - Royal Assassin, Assassin's Apprentice, & Assassin's Quest (Farseer Trilogy, 1-3)
Robin Hobb
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000U104EG

Product Description

Set of 3 paperbacks by Robin Hobb in the Farseer trilogy: Assassin's Quest, Assassin's Apprentice, & Royal Assassin.

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Royal Assassin
Robin Hobb
Manufacturer: Bantam Dell Pub Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OCO3AC

Book Description

This is the third book in "The Brentford Trilogy." Once again it features the further adventures of Jim Pooley, John Omally, and all the regulars at the Flying Swan.

Customer Reviews:

I really wish I could read this wonderful sounding book.......2006-10-04

I have not read this book. Why? Although I ordered it in NOVEMBER 2005, I have yet to receive it! I have written many letters to no avail. However, I read another review for a product sold by Amazon that the purchaser had some problem with, and their problem got resolved when they wrote a bad review. That's all I'm trying to do here, really; simply get my problem resolved.

Robert Rankin at his best.......2000-04-24

East of Ealing, a part of the "infamous" 5 book Brentford trilogy, will not disappoint the fans of the series. Find out in this book whether the flying swans patrons will once again outlive the fiendish schemes of the archvillain, or even worse, will their drinking be interrupted ("mine will be a pint of large , neville"). If you're a fan, you will love this book, if you are not, you have been wasting your precious few daily hours of sobriety ....

Robert Rankin at his best.......2000-04-24

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East of Ealing
Robert Rankin
Manufacturer: CORGI BOOKS (TWLD)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000K76NIQ

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The Truth About Worldviews

A good book for small group discussion on Worldviews

The Truth About Worldviews: A Biblical Understanding Of Worldview Alternatives (Biblical Essentials Series)
James P. Eckman
Manufacturer: Crossway Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Making Sense of Your World : A Biblical Worldview

Biblical Ethics: Choosing Right in a World Gone Wrong (Biblical Essentials Series)

Naming the Elephant: Worldview As a Concept

The Universe Next Door: A Basic Worldview Catalog

Biblical Faith: Doctrines Every Christian Should Know (Biblical Essentials Series)

ASIN: 1581346727

Customer Reviews:

The Truth About Worldviews.......2006-06-19

While browsing the shelves at a local Christian bookstore last Friday, I came across _The Truth About Worldviews_ (2004, Crossway Books) by James Eckman. I know very little of the author but decided to go ahead with the purchase anyway given the book publisher, whom I've come to trust.

The appeal of _The Truth About Worldviews_, as far as I'm concerned at least, is that it's a truncated version (126 pages) of a subject (worldviews) for which there are many lengthy books available. These more ambitious works are appreciated of course, but sometimes it's just nice to read a summary of world religions without having to wade through all the nitty-gritty details and copious footnotes.

Eckman's book is "a brief survey of the major worldviews currently dominant in our world today." (p. 13) The major worldviews surveyed are postmodernism, naturalism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Shintoism, Judaism, Islam, the New Age movement, Jehovah's Witnesses, Christian Science, and Mormonism.

For each worldview, Eckman provides a brief summary of its history and theology with a view to showing how it differs from Protestant, evangelical theology. This is important to note for you potential book buyers. If you're non-Christian, the evangelical slant may be too much to bear. As Eckman reveals early on, "The overall goal is to inform and equip Christians to live and witness the truth of the gospel in this postmodern world where all worldviews are tolerated." (p. 13)

As a conservative, Protestant, evangelical Christian, my first impression of _The Truth About Worldviews_ is that it's well-written and sufficiently informative despite its brevity. Particularly helpful are the "connection points" or "bridges" at the end of each chapter, which suggest common ground Christians should find when first talking religion with people of other faiths.

For example, Eckman offers the following as one bridge when talking with Muslims: "Remember that a Muslim is a believer in god. Islam is monotheistic, and Allah shares many of the same attributes as the true God of the Bible. This is the common ground upon which a relationship can be built." (p. 82)

Something I found especially helpful in _The Truth About Worldviews_ is the chapter near the end of the book (pp. 105-118), "Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, and Eastern Orthodoxy: What's the Difference?" A year or two ago, I was leading a book discussion group on a university campus. One of the participants was a Hindu from Indian. He asked me on several occasions for a brief summary of the different streams within Christianity. I managed to find some sources for him off the Internet, but I wish I had had Eckman's treatment on the subject back then. It's a clear and understandable, yet fair, explanation of the differences between the three major offshoots of Christianity.

A good book for small group discussion on Worldviews.......2005-03-28

This is a very clear book on Worldviews from an evangelical protestant perspective. It summarizes major world religions, concisely and clearly. It has practical suggestions on how to build bridges between evangelical Christian and alternative worldviews.

It starts with Postmodernism and goes on to describe Humanism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Confucianism and Shintoism. It then draws distinction between cults and other forms of Christianity.

To get the most out of this book you will need Christian beliefs, else you might not agree with the author's viewpoint. However, if you were to have a mixed group of Christians and non-Christians it would make be useful for book reading circles and Bible study groups.

Each chapter has questions for further discussion. The most value would be obtained from the book if the group particpants augmented their analysis of the worldviews with additional research from philosophers, religious writings and the web. Obviously in 120 pages one cannot go into much depth, hence the need for more sources.

This could also be a good textbook for a course on comparative religion, particularly for Christian schools that want to present ideas from a Christian perspective.

You may not agree with the underlying beliefs of the author, but if you do study this either alone or in a group, you will understand where evangelical Christianity is coming from and how it views other worldviews. If you are a Christian it will help you find common ground with those holding other beliefs. If you are a confident, bold Christian it will help you share your beliefs with people from diverse backgrounds. It could also be useful for hiring managers and those who employ immigrants to help them understand the values, beliefs and customs of their colleagues.

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