Fine Snow

Name: Fine Snow
ISBN: 9787532753727

Jun'ichirō TanizakiShanghai Translation Publishing House · ChinaNov 2016

4.4

Word count: 391K words
Chapters: 106
ISBN: 9787532753727

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Summary

The novel centers on the four Makioka sisters of a distinguished Osaka family, with the courtship of the beautiful, gentle third sister, Yukiko, as its main thread, touching also on local customs, social events, and foreign contacts. The work is like a richly colored, elegant painted scroll, presenting the full panorama of upper-class life in modern Kansai, Japan, and is celebrated as a superb novel of manners in the classical style. The author skillfully selects and arranges episodes, vividly and truthfully portraying these characters' thoughts, feelings, and distinctive fates. The dialogue uses the Osaka dialect, giving it a distinctive flavor. Scenes such as firefly catching by the river and the great flood are rendered with splendid vividness, as if unfolding a lifelike scroll of life before the reader, offering aesthetic pleasure. The novel also provides true and detailed depiction of the customs and major social events of the Kyoto-Osaka region.

Editor's review

A masterpiece from the peak of Junichiro Tanizaki's career, The Makioka Sisters is hailed as a classic of modern Japanese literature. Centered on the four Makioka sisters of a declining merchant family in Osaka's Senba district, the novel traces their fortunes in love, marriage, family, and social change, delicately painting a portrait of upper-class life and the spirit of the times in the Kansai region during the early Showa era. With his signature aesthetic prose and keen insight, Tanizaki brings the four sisters vividly to life—the eldest, Tsuruko, steady and responsible; the second, Sachiko, tactful and accommodating; the third, Yukiko, introverted and sensitive; and the youngest, Taeko, lively and rebellious—together forming a women's portrait full of tension and warmth. The novel not only depicts the disintegration of the traditional family system under the impact of modernization but also explores in depth the conflicts and convergences between individual freedom and family duty, and between Eastern aesthetics and Western culture. Its pacing is as gentle as a flowing stream, its details as exquisite as fine brushwork, and between the lines flows a subtle beauty of mono no aware and a sense of nostalgia. For readers who love Japanese literature and care about family narratives and the passage of eras, The Makioka Sisters is not only a literary masterpiece but also a window into the social landscape and the subtle depths of human nature in the Showa era.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who love Japanese literature, especially those interested in the social landscape of the Showa era
Literature lovers who care about family narratives and women's fates and appreciate delicate psychological portrayals
Readers curious about traditional Japanese culture, aesthetic sensibilities, and the process of modernization
Readers hoping to immerse themselves in a gentle narrative pace and savor the beauty of language and emotional tension

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking fast pacing and strong plot conflicts
Readers with little interest in the social details of a specific historical period in Japan

Reading tips

Read with a calm mind and follow the narrative pace to feel the subtle shifts in the characters' emotions
Understand the characters' choices and destinies in the context of early Showa-era Japanese society
Pay attention to the differences in personality and interactions among the four sisters, and appreciate the author's deep insight into human nature and the times

About the publisher

Shanghai Translation Publishing House China · Founded in 1978

Shanghai Translation Publishing House is a Chinese publisher oriented mainly toward translation and publishing. Its publications cover foreign literature, world classics and classic works, as well as social culture, folk literature and classical poetry. The database contains 2,618 titles, including Never Let Me Go, Les Misérables (2 volumes), Don Quixote (illustrated collector's edition), The Complete Comedies of Molière (4 volumes), The Complete Novels of Kafka (3 volumes), The Collected Works of Dostoevsky (9-volume set), Reason and Persons, and Oedipus Rex (Translation Classics). Its author resources include foreign writers such as Kazuo Ishiguro, Victor Hugo, Cervantes and Molière, as well as translators such as Zheng Kelu, Sun Jiameng, Li Jianwu and Zhang Kun. The publisher has brands such as "Translation Classics Selections" and "Translation Documentary," and emphasizes translated works in foreign literature and the humanities and social sciences, while also publishing bilingual dictionaries and foreign-language educational books. Public information is limited; the above is based on the book information in the database.

版权信息
译本序
上卷
一
二
三
四
五
六
七
八
九
十
十一
十二
十三
十四
十五
十六
十七
十八
十九
二十
二十一
二十二
二十三
二十四
二十五
二十六
二十七
二十八
二十九
中卷
一
二
三
四
五
六
七
八
九
十
十一
十二
十三
十四
十五
十六
十七
十八
十九
二十
二十一
二十二
二十三
二十四
二十五
二十六
二十七
二十八
二十九
三十
三十一
三十二
三十三
三十四
三十五
下卷
一
二
三
四
五
六
七
八
九
十
十一
十二
十三
十四
十五
十六
十七
十八
十九
二十
二十一
二十二
二十三
二十四
二十五
二十六
二十七
二十八
二十九
三十
三十一
三十二
三十三
三十四
三十五
三十六
三十七

FAQ

What is the main story of The Makioka Sisters?

Centered on the four Makioka sisters of a declining aristocratic family in Osaka, the novel depicts upper-class life in the Kansai region during the early Showa era through their romances, family life, and social interactions, showing the disintegration of the traditional family amid the changes of the times and the ups and downs of individual fates.

How is Junichiro Tanizaki's writing style reflected in this book?

The author continues his aesthetic and delicate style, finely portraying characters' psychology, scenes of daily life, and natural scenery. The narrative is gentle yet full of tension, imbued throughout with a subtle beauty of mono no aware and a nostalgic atmosphere, embodying the typical qualities of Tanizaki's literature.

Which readers is this book suitable for?

It suits readers who love Japanese literature, care about family narratives and women's fates, are interested in the society and culture of the Showa era, and can appreciate a gentle narrative and delicate description. It may be less appealing to readers seeking strong plot.

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About the author

Jun'ichirō Tanizaki Author · Japanese · 1886–1965

Jun'ichirō Tanizaki was a modern Japanese novelist and a leading representative of aestheticist literature. Born in 1886 into a rice-merchant family in Tokyo, he studied in the Japanese literature department of Tokyo Imperial University before dropping out. In 1910 he made his name with the story "The Tattooer," which brought him attention in literary circles. After the Great Kanto Earthquake, he moved to the Kansai region, and his focus gradually shifted toward classical aesthetics. He left important works in both fiction and prose, including "The Makioka Sisters," "Naomi," "In Praise of Shadows," and "A Portrait of Shunkin." He also translated "The Tale of Genji" into modern Japanese, helping to spread the classical work. He died of kidney disease in 1965. His writing is delicate and refined, and he had a profound influence on modern Japanese aestheticist literature.