Husband and Wife Zenzai
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Summary
Most of the protagonists are the "marginal figures" of their day: a wandering puppeteer once given as payment for a load of night soil; a soft-hearted fool who loves raising money for others and will even pawn his own clothes to do it; a man who, because of horse racing, forgets jealousy and hatred and clings to his wife's lover; a thirty-three-year-old man who insists on growing his hair long yet shaves his head to fit the times... A thick air of world-weariness drifts through these works, which at once aim to defy authority and resist social convention; at the same time, Oda Sakunosuke's self-mocking humor mirrors the tears and laughter of everyday life among ordinary people.
Editor's review
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers interested in the downtown manners and commoner culture of Japan's Showa era
- Literature lovers keen to explore the complexity and reality of married relationships
- Readers who appreciate plain description and spare dialogue and prefer a coolly humorous style
- Readers who want to understand the styles of Burai-ha authors other than Dazai Osamu
Not a good fit for
- Readers seeking strong plot, fast pacing, and dramatic conflict
- Readers expecting an idealized, romanticized picture of love and marriage
Reading tips
- Read alongside the book's depictions of Osaka streets, food, and language to savor the distinctive Kansai cultural atmosphere
- Note how the author reveals character and relational tension step by step through everyday dialogue and detail
- Read in comparison with other Japanese works of the same era on family and marriage (such as those by Tanizaki Junichiro and Funabashi Seiichi)
About the publisher
Beijing Times Chinese Press takes classic works and prose miscellanies as an important publishing direction, along with foreign literature, social novels, Eastern philosophy and art books. Its catalogue includes such Chinese classics as Lu Xun's Call to Arms and Wandering, Xiao Hong's The Field of Life and Death, Zhang Dai's Reminiscences of Tao'an, Yuan Mei's Recipes from the Sui Garden and Hong Yingming's Caigentan, as well as foreign classics such as Ryunosuke Akutagawa's Rashomon. Among its translator resources is Wen Jieruo, whose translations provide reliable support for bringing foreign literary works into the Chinese-speaking world. While organizing traditional texts and reissuing classics, the press pays attention to readability and accessibility of editions, enabling ancient prose, notes and philosophical works to reach contemporary readers. Public information is limited; the above is only a brief account of the publishing directions reflected in the books held in the database.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 百无聊赖，笑闹人间——话说织田作之助
- 总序 “雕心镂魂”的异色经典
- 幽默无赖的庶民文豪——织田作之助小传与重要著作年表
- 导读 柴米油盐酱醋茶的寒暑日常
- 小说
- 广告气球
- 天衣无缝
- 赛马
- 散文
- 奋起的大阪：战灾余话
- 大阪的可能性
- 附：大阪庶民文豪的吃货散步——织田作之助文学散步
FAQ
What special meaning does the title "Meoto Zenzai" carry?
What is Oda Sakunosuke's standing in Japanese literary history?
Is this story a tragedy or a comedy?
Comments
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About the author
Oda Sakunosuke was a Japanese writer. Public information about him is limited, and details such as his dates of birth and death, education, and awards still require verification. This site holds eight of his works, including Meoto Zenzai, Sesō, The Paradox of Youth, Yakōchū, and So That Is the World, That Is You, as well as selections such as Japanese Classics of the Century (3 volumes). His writing often draws on the everyday life of ordinary city people, and he is known for close observation and a slightly ironic tone in depicting couples, families, and human relations, revealing reflections on life amid trivial social scenes. His works are commonly grouped under classics, foreign literature, and essays and miscellaneous writings, suggesting that both his fiction and his essays remain in circulation. For Chinese readers, he offers an entry point into modern Japanese urban literature, and his works still attract readers with their accessible storytelling.
Xie Pu: public information is limited, and no clear record of this author's identity or career is available. Judging from the seven works held in the collection, the writing and editorial work span two quite different fields, foreign literature and industrial technology, which is a relatively uncommon combination. In literature, the representative titles include Elegant Villainess, Solitude Experiment, Hour of Encounters with Demons, Oh Love, Love, The Couple's Fine Day, and Melancholy Bomb. Their titles often carry a grotesque, shadowy, or emotionally charged tone, suggesting engagement with modern and contemporary Japanese fiction, with themes leaning toward human nature, urban uncanny tales, and emotional entanglements; stylistically, they may combine delicate psychological depiction with dramatic narrative. On the technical side, PADS VX.2.2 Circuit Design and Simulation from Beginner to Mastery is a practical tutorial on electronic design automation software aimed at engineering beginners. Placed side by side, the two kinds of works indicate that the author has been involved both in literary translation and editing and in the compilation of technical handbooks, showing diverse interests and abilities. Because biographical material is lacking, this note can only summarize the profile presented by the works; further information remains to be verified and supplemented.
Hou Yongxin is a full-time Chinese translator of Japanese literature. A graduate of the Department of Japanese Language and Literature at Fu Jen Catholic University, she has long worked as a professional translator and enjoys seeing different worlds through translation. Her translations focus mainly on modern Japanese literature, including Izumi Kyoka's The Hour of the Demon and Tanizaki Jun'ichiro's The Elegant Villainess, and she has contributed to several volumes in the "Japanese Heterodox Literary Classics" series published by Beijing Times Chinese Press. Seven of her works are listed here; besides foreign literature, they touch on art and essays, such as Mo Zi: The Calligraphy Way of Kitaoji Rosanjin, a Japanese All-round Artist, as well as Love Oh, Love, The Loneliness Experiment, The Happy Couple, and Holiday Hobbies. Her translations span fiction, essays, and art writing, striving to match the tone of the originals and helping Chinese readers approach the diversity of Japanese literature and art.
