Nobuo Kojima Livres

Set during the U.S. Occupation following World War II, Embracing Family is a novel of conflict--between Western and Eastern traditions, between a husband and wife, between ideals and reality. At the opening of the book, Miwa Shunsuke and his wife are trapped in a strained marriage, subtly attacking one another in a manner similar to that of the characters in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? When his wife has an affair with an American GI, Miwa is forced to come to terms with the disintegration of their relationship and the fact that his attempts to repair it only exacerbate the situation. An award-winning novel, critics have read this book as a metaphor of postwar Japanese society, in which the traditional moral and philosophical basis of Japanese culture is neglected in favor of Western conventions.

This anthology is the first extensive collection of Japanese short stories translated into English in over eight years, featuring twenty-five stories from the Showa period (1926-1989) by some of Japan's finest writers. Most stories are newly translated, showcasing the resilience of Japanese literary tradition and the ability of writers to incorporate contemporary techniques. The works reflect the tumultuous nature of modern Japanese history. Included are renowned authors like Nobel laureate Kawabata Yasunari and Endo Shusaku, alongside lesser-known but significant figures such as Kajii Motojiro and Shimao Toshio, with six stories by women writers highlighting their growing influence in postwar literature. These authors excel at crafting rich vignettes rather than expansive narratives, creating a complex portrait of human experience through interconnected scenes. The stories span various styles, from autobiographical sketches to surrealism, lyrical prose to intellectual discourse, and pastoral themes to war studies. Translated by leading younger scholars, these works appeal to diverse literary tastes and illustrate the evolution of Japanese literature over the past fifty years, demonstrating its resilience amid societal changes and technological advancements.