I purchased this softcover (c.1972) today at Second Story Books in Rockville, Maryland, after just finishing Soseki's novel Kokoro.

I'm now reading this book for the February 2016 TIOLI Challenge on LibraryThing to read a book of modern Japanese fiction (in rolling order) (column 1 of 3 columns of authors of Modern Japanese fiction on Wikipedia).

This is the kind of novel I would recommend only to others who enjoy reading contemporary Japanese novels. It's very slow-moving and delves deeply into a quiet husband-wife relationship throughout the entire narrative. The story begins with the couple, now in their sixties and living a meager existence in Tokyo. The husband Sosuke and the wife Oyone learn that Koroko, Sosuke's much younger brother must stop his university studies because of lack of money that their uncle frivolously lost. Koroko moves into the couple's house and upsets the delicate balance of the couple's life.

I found that I was reading this book extremely slowly so as to take in Sosuke's mood as the story was mainly from his point of view. He has a very close relationship with his wife whom he met and became friends with a situation which later became most uncomfortable. Hazy references to that time period appear late in the book but provide the impetus to read more to see if this is clarified further in the story.

Several parts of the book had special significance for Sosuke: his brother's being forced to give up his studies, his wife's illness, his landlord Saeki's friendship, and his attempt to engage in the practice of zazen (Zen medication) at a retreat. It was quite a ride to experience these with Sosuke. I thought the ending of this book was very realistic, and think I might have handled his problems the same way, had I been a Japanese man in his situation 100 years ago.

I love reading books by this author! I was sad to learn that this book is a trilogy of which I started with book 3. Now I have to go back and get books 1 and 2. That will make me happy!

Happy reading!

I selected this book from the Little Free Library of Twinbrook (#7720) to travel elsewhere...

I'm releasing this book at Tonic in Washington, DC, in conjunction with a meet-up of BCinDC, my local BookCrossing group.

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Happy reading!

Picked up from BC in DC Bookcrossing meet up at Tonic in DC.
This will join my stack of to be read books. I may have another Japanese book ahead of this one. We'll see.

This book is being released at the BookCrossing table hosted by BCinDC members at the 2023 Gaithersburg Book Festival.

Welcome to BookCrossing!
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Thanks.

I'm sorry no one chose this softcover at the Gaithersburg Book Festival, but I brought it home hoping to keep it traveling until it will find its next reader.

Enjoy the book!

I selected this book from the Little Free Library of Twinbrook (#7720) to travel elsewhere.