Seven Japanese Tales
by Junichiro Tanizaki & translated by Howard Hibbett
Buy on AmazonAmong other tales of deviant love, this stands out for its particularly Japanese sensibility. It tells the story of Shunkin, a blind woman, and Sasuke, her obsessively devoted servant. The novel depicts their strange and singular bond — one which only they can understand — through a nuanced exploration of the gaps between the seen and the unseen. It reveals, in an almost tactile way, a world that transcends the visual — the sort of world that can only be rendered through the medium of the novel.
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"Among other tales of deviant love, this stands out for its particularly Japanese sensibility. It tells the story of Shunkin, a blind woman, and Sasuke, her obsessively devoted servant. The novel depicts their strange and singular bond — one which only they can understand — through a nuanced exploration of the gaps between the seen and the unseen. It reveals, in an almost tactile way, a world that transcends the visual — the sort of world that can only be rendered through the medium of the novel."
The Best 20th Century Japanese Novels · fivebooks.com