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The Makioka Sisters
In Osaka in the years immediately before World War II, four aristocratic women try to preserve a way of life that is vanishing. As told by Junichiro Tanizaki, the story of the Makioka sisters forms what is arguably the greatest Japanese novel of the twentieth century, a poignant yet unsparing portrait of a family–and an entire society–sliding into the abyss of modernity.
Tsuruko, the eldest sister, clings obstinately to the prestige of her family name even as her husband prepares to move their household to Tokyo, where that name means nothing. Sachiko compromises valiantly to secure the future of her younger sisters. The unmarried Yukiko is a hostage to her family’s exacting standards, while the spirited Taeko rebels by flinging herself into scandalous romantic alliances. Filled with vignettes of upper-class Japanese life and capturing both the decorum and the heartache of its protagonist, The Makioka Sisters is a classic of international literature.
Tsuruko, the eldest sister, clings obstinately to the prestige of her family name even as her husband prepares to move their household to Tokyo, where that name means nothing. Sachiko compromises valiantly to secure the future of her younger sisters. The unmarried Yukiko is a hostage to her family’s exacting standards, while the spirited Taeko rebels by flinging herself into scandalous romantic alliances. Filled with vignettes of upper-class Japanese life and capturing both the decorum and the heartache of its protagonist, The Makioka Sisters is a classic of international literature.
530 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1948
About the author
Jun'ichirō Tanizaki
529 books1,851 followersJun'ichirō Tanizaki (谷崎 潤一郎) was a Japanese author, and one of the major writers of modern Japanese literature, perhaps the most popular Japanese novelist after Natsume Sōseki.
Some of his works present a rather shocking world of sexuality and destructive erotic obsessions; others, less sensational, subtly portray the dynamics of family life in the context of the rapid changes in 20th-century Japanese society.
Frequently his stories are narrated in the context of a search for cultural identity in which constructions of "the West" and "Japanese tradition" are juxtaposed. The results are complex, ironic, demure, and provocative.
Some of his works present a rather shocking world of sexuality and destructive erotic obsessions; others, less sensational, subtly portray the dynamics of family life in the context of the rapid changes in 20th-century Japanese society.
Frequently his stories are narrated in the context of a search for cultural identity in which constructions of "the West" and "Japanese tradition" are juxtaposed. The results are complex, ironic, demure, and provocative.
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November 2, 2016
Let me hide at least a petal
In the sleeve of my flower-viewing robe,
That I may remember the spring.
Five years ago, we planted two trees in our enclosed garden, a gingko biloba, which bright yellow unique fan-shaped leaves beguile in autumn , and a cherry tree, for its refined and daintily colored blossoms in spring.
Although some of our relatives at first criticized the choice of the Gingko, skeptical and worried about its stature in our miniature garden, the mighty Gingko is now firmly established without further contestation. The poor cherry tree is still looked upon as an unfortunate choice, and now and then some of our relatives try to impel me to cut it down and replace it by another tree, mostly ‘because the period of blossoming is so short’.
Junichiro Tanizaki (1886-1965), one of Japan’s major 20th century writers, probably wouldn’t have agreed with my relatives. I’d like to think that he might have understood our aspiration to bring together these highly symbolic trees adjacently on one spot, introducing aesthetical and philosophical contrast in the garden. As Tanizaki profusely elucidates in The Makioka Sisters, contrasts mirror the complexity of reality, at times even render reality tolerable, or at least fascinating.
The gingko tree, venerated in the East as a sacred tree, figures as a symbol of changelessness and is associated with longevity. Some trees even survived the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. The tree is an ancient ‘living fossil’, nearly indestructible, and has inspired Goethe and the Art Nouveau architecture in Nancy and Prague – two cities we both loved and visited a few times. The cherry blossoms in turn symbolize the fragility of beauty and the brevity of life. The transient nature of the soft white-pink petals intensifies the delicate beauty, bringing sadness too, reminding of mortality.
With The Makioka Sisters Tanizaki wrote an eulogy to impermanence, soaked in the Japanese cultural and aesthetical concept and Zen mood of Mono no aware, a sense of melancholic resignation and sorrow for loss.
Called Tanizaki’s magnum opus, the novel chronicles the lives of four sisters belonging to a wealthy Osaka merchant family in decline, set in the years preceding WWII, 1936-1941. The two oldest sisters, Tsuruko and Sachiko, are married and settled, while the two youngest sisters, Yukiko and Taeko, have still to be taken care of by arranging a suitable marriage for them.
Utterly picky and snobbish at first, the family gradually realizes that there aren’t that many fish in the sea left, and a catch has to be done, quickly – before the prevalent asset of the aging Yukiko [she is approaching 30 in the beginning of the novel!], her traditional Kyotian beauty, fades away. As an utterly timid and incommunicative person, stubborn and silent, never showing her feelings, she becomes a nuisance to the family, an embarrassing obstacle for the chances of the youngest sister Taeko to get properly married. The sense of urgency is even increasing now the westernized and non-conformist Taeko disregards the traditional family values and concerns by her blatant promiscuity, having various scandalous love affairs and persistently damaging the reputation of her family. Rebellious by principle, artistic and clever Taeko represents social change in Japan, a shift to individualism and personal choice. She is a proto-feminist modern woman, determined to take control of her own destiny by working.
However most of the events revolve around the numerous attempts to marry off Yukiko, the novel’s most highlighted protagonist is the second sister, Sachiko. Tender-hearted, gullible and overly sensitive, she has practically taken the full responsibility for her two younger sisters after the death of their parents, while according to the mores, this task, including marrying both women off to a suitable spouse, is in fact the one of the oldest sister, Tsuruko and her husband Tatsuo, who is now head of the family. As much as the novel illustrates the function of and roles in the family within this privileged class, it also paints the ‘portrait of a marriage’, showing the benefits of the traditional arranged marriage like the one of Sachiko and Teinosuke, which is a prosperous alliance of warmth, support, understanding and sympathy. Perhaps it is even an affectionate one, even if romantic love is not a theme in the traditional marriage business (basically fixed on risk analysis) or in this novel. No sight into the inner thought processes of the characters is granted to the reader however, as Tanizaki focusses on the larger scale changes in the traditional Japanese society, describing the experiences and tribulations of his characters in a detached narrative style.
While on the surface an engrossing family saga with a touch of soapy plot features, the novel left me with the nagging feeling there are multiple layers to this novel barely fathomable to a western eye only by a whisker acquainted with Japanese culture, history and literature. Looking for familiar ground, Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice unsurprisingly came to mind – the marriage issues – but none of the four sisters is endowed with Elisabeth’s Bennet’s wit and charm – and Thomas Mann’s Buddenbrooks– the decline of a merchant family – but in The Makioka Sisters, only a few years of the lives of one generation are at stake. Various intriguing analyses of manifold facets of the novel, of which the list seems endless, have been made, so one could spend hours in the lasting legacy of Tanizaki’s novel. Call me weird, but I fancy how a detail plucked from a conversation triggers a delightful comparison of middle class women’s education in Japan and Russia through the lens of Western piano music like Chopin.
Written partly during WWII, the military censors soon halted the on-going serialized publication of the novel – the declined state of the too feminine world it reflected was considered unpatriotic at a time ultra-nationalism, imperialist expansion and military optimism were paramount. In 1943 a military censorship board dismissed the novel as a work about ‘the soft, effeminate and grossly individualistic lives of women’ – which pretty much is undeniably the case. The novel evocates a hyper-feminine, elegant world of leisure, traditional dancing, calligraphy, sewing of clothes, making of dolls, the meticulous and intricate descriptions of clothing, (kimono’s, obi’s…), visits to the beauty parlor, hairstyle and make-up, music making on traditional instruments like the toko and the shamisen, visits to the Kabuki theatre…..It depicts a comfortable, overly protected, almost decadently elegant life on a moment the authorities demanded austerity.
Tanizaki, at first infatuated by modernity and the West and influenced by writers like Poe, Wilde and Baudelaire, turned to more traditional Japanese aesthetics and traditional culture when he moved to the Kansai region in 1923, the cultural and historical heart of Japan, resulting in three translations of the 11th century The Tale of Genji he wrote in modern Japanese.
The gracefulness of the sisters’ way of life reflects Tanizaki’s renewed admiration for the traditional aesthetical way of life and culture of the Kansai region (in the south-central region of Japan’s main island Honshu). Except from the oldest sister Tsuruko, who moves with her husband and six children to Tokyo for work, The Makioka’s lives mainly happen in the triangle amongst the cities of Osaka, Kobe and Kyoto.
Some exquisitely depicted scenes, like the yearly excursion of Sachiko’s household to the cherry blossoms of Kyoto and a night devoted to a firefly hunt, are of a breathtaking beauty. The smooth and elegant prose seduces effortlessly, even more when overlooking the proverbial cultural barbs.
Representing the fragility and brevity of life, both the cherry blossoms and the fireflies are poignant symbols for the fleeting of time, the transience of beauty, the predominant awareness of Panta Rei and of inevitable social, economic and cultural change this novel exudes in every sentence – change which is undesirable and regrettable in some ways.
Although this novel is often called an epic elegy mourning the waning and loss of traditional Japanese values and mores, Tanizaki most of the time uses a subtle brush to paint the vanishing world as known by the sisters. He questions their desperate clinging to the old rituals by means of hyperbolic description in a slightly ironic tone, observing the gauche behaviour of the family when they put out all the stops to market Yukiko. There is no unequivocal idealization of the traditions or cultural practices, nor are they represented as superior to the more modernized and westernized way of life in Japan. Tanizaki is aware that the formality of ancient traditions can rigidly restrain and suffocate - in particular women’s – individual lives. However Tanizaki bequeaths the youngest sister Taeko - representing the Japanese moga or modern working girl - with a less harsh predicament than late 19th century literary heroines like Emma Bovary or Anna Karenina suffered for their social and sexual transgressions, one could discuss Taeko’s fate and wonder if her misfortune has to be considered a punishment for ill behavior, morally or socially.
To my ears, Tanizaki’s voice sounded more prosaic and less melancholic than Yasunari Kawabata’s. The Makioka’s decline is predominantly economic and subsequently social, as the impoverishment of the family means they have to rethink their way of life –even have to work!- and cannot uphold all the duties of their social class, like organizing a memorial ceremony of the parents with the grandeur which is expected of them.
There is some ambivalence in Tanizaki’s pessimistic view on his society. On the one hand he is lamenting the past, glorifying the successful arranged marriages of Tsuruko and Sachiko, contrasting this harmonious bliss with the bleak ending of the progressive path Taeko – and by extension Japan, by modernization and westernization – chose. On the other hand he is suggesting that the old ways do not avail anymore, and that Japan has to outgrow its oppressive traditions, hinting at the unhappiness of Yukiko, albeit her obedience to the traditions. Neither Yukiko or Taeko are happy or rewarded. By highlighting these frictions between the individual’s quest for freedom and civilization’s contrary demand for conformity, self-repression and self-effacement, Tanizaki acknowledges a certain Unbehagen in der Kultur and divulges the modernity of his insights.
Pondering about this novel, which fascinatingly contrasts and blends past and present, modernity and tradition, East and West, I visited the Japanese garden in Hasselt last Sunday. Listening to the guide talking about the ancient tradition of Hanami, the picnicking under the blooming cherry trees, richly flooded with sake, it occurred that the cherry blossoms have been affected with less innocent connotations in the past; during WWII the cherry blossoms took on a new, grim meaning, as kamikaze pilots used to paint cherry blossoms on their aircrafts, identifying themselves with the short- lived petals when they departed on their suicide missions.
Tout passe, tout casse, tout lasse.
Images: Botanical garden Meise/Catching Fireflies by Chikanobu (1890)/toko instrument/Japanese garden, Hasselt
In the sleeve of my flower-viewing robe,
That I may remember the spring.
Five years ago, we planted two trees in our enclosed garden, a gingko biloba, which bright yellow unique fan-shaped leaves beguile in autumn , and a cherry tree, for its refined and daintily colored blossoms in spring.
Although some of our relatives at first criticized the choice of the Gingko, skeptical and worried about its stature in our miniature garden, the mighty Gingko is now firmly established without further contestation. The poor cherry tree is still looked upon as an unfortunate choice, and now and then some of our relatives try to impel me to cut it down and replace it by another tree, mostly ‘because the period of blossoming is so short’.
Junichiro Tanizaki (1886-1965), one of Japan’s major 20th century writers, probably wouldn’t have agreed with my relatives. I’d like to think that he might have understood our aspiration to bring together these highly symbolic trees adjacently on one spot, introducing aesthetical and philosophical contrast in the garden. As Tanizaki profusely elucidates in The Makioka Sisters, contrasts mirror the complexity of reality, at times even render reality tolerable, or at least fascinating.
The gingko tree, venerated in the East as a sacred tree, figures as a symbol of changelessness and is associated with longevity. Some trees even survived the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. The tree is an ancient ‘living fossil’, nearly indestructible, and has inspired Goethe and the Art Nouveau architecture in Nancy and Prague – two cities we both loved and visited a few times. The cherry blossoms in turn symbolize the fragility of beauty and the brevity of life. The transient nature of the soft white-pink petals intensifies the delicate beauty, bringing sadness too, reminding of mortality.
With The Makioka Sisters Tanizaki wrote an eulogy to impermanence, soaked in the Japanese cultural and aesthetical concept and Zen mood of Mono no aware, a sense of melancholic resignation and sorrow for loss.
Called Tanizaki’s magnum opus, the novel chronicles the lives of four sisters belonging to a wealthy Osaka merchant family in decline, set in the years preceding WWII, 1936-1941. The two oldest sisters, Tsuruko and Sachiko, are married and settled, while the two youngest sisters, Yukiko and Taeko, have still to be taken care of by arranging a suitable marriage for them.
Utterly picky and snobbish at first, the family gradually realizes that there aren’t that many fish in the sea left, and a catch has to be done, quickly – before the prevalent asset of the aging Yukiko [she is approaching 30 in the beginning of the novel!], her traditional Kyotian beauty, fades away. As an utterly timid and incommunicative person, stubborn and silent, never showing her feelings, she becomes a nuisance to the family, an embarrassing obstacle for the chances of the youngest sister Taeko to get properly married. The sense of urgency is even increasing now the westernized and non-conformist Taeko disregards the traditional family values and concerns by her blatant promiscuity, having various scandalous love affairs and persistently damaging the reputation of her family. Rebellious by principle, artistic and clever Taeko represents social change in Japan, a shift to individualism and personal choice. She is a proto-feminist modern woman, determined to take control of her own destiny by working.
However most of the events revolve around the numerous attempts to marry off Yukiko, the novel’s most highlighted protagonist is the second sister, Sachiko. Tender-hearted, gullible and overly sensitive, she has practically taken the full responsibility for her two younger sisters after the death of their parents, while according to the mores, this task, including marrying both women off to a suitable spouse, is in fact the one of the oldest sister, Tsuruko and her husband Tatsuo, who is now head of the family. As much as the novel illustrates the function of and roles in the family within this privileged class, it also paints the ‘portrait of a marriage’, showing the benefits of the traditional arranged marriage like the one of Sachiko and Teinosuke, which is a prosperous alliance of warmth, support, understanding and sympathy. Perhaps it is even an affectionate one, even if romantic love is not a theme in the traditional marriage business (basically fixed on risk analysis) or in this novel. No sight into the inner thought processes of the characters is granted to the reader however, as Tanizaki focusses on the larger scale changes in the traditional Japanese society, describing the experiences and tribulations of his characters in a detached narrative style.
While on the surface an engrossing family saga with a touch of soapy plot features, the novel left me with the nagging feeling there are multiple layers to this novel barely fathomable to a western eye only by a whisker acquainted with Japanese culture, history and literature. Looking for familiar ground, Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice unsurprisingly came to mind – the marriage issues – but none of the four sisters is endowed with Elisabeth’s Bennet’s wit and charm – and Thomas Mann’s Buddenbrooks– the decline of a merchant family – but in The Makioka Sisters, only a few years of the lives of one generation are at stake. Various intriguing analyses of manifold facets of the novel, of which the list seems endless, have been made, so one could spend hours in the lasting legacy of Tanizaki’s novel. Call me weird, but I fancy how a detail plucked from a conversation triggers a delightful comparison of middle class women’s education in Japan and Russia through the lens of Western piano music like Chopin.
Written partly during WWII, the military censors soon halted the on-going serialized publication of the novel – the declined state of the too feminine world it reflected was considered unpatriotic at a time ultra-nationalism, imperialist expansion and military optimism were paramount. In 1943 a military censorship board dismissed the novel as a work about ‘the soft, effeminate and grossly individualistic lives of women’ – which pretty much is undeniably the case. The novel evocates a hyper-feminine, elegant world of leisure, traditional dancing, calligraphy, sewing of clothes, making of dolls, the meticulous and intricate descriptions of clothing, (kimono’s, obi’s…), visits to the beauty parlor, hairstyle and make-up, music making on traditional instruments like the toko and the shamisen, visits to the Kabuki theatre…..It depicts a comfortable, overly protected, almost decadently elegant life on a moment the authorities demanded austerity.
Tanizaki, at first infatuated by modernity and the West and influenced by writers like Poe, Wilde and Baudelaire, turned to more traditional Japanese aesthetics and traditional culture when he moved to the Kansai region in 1923, the cultural and historical heart of Japan, resulting in three translations of the 11th century The Tale of Genji he wrote in modern Japanese.
The gracefulness of the sisters’ way of life reflects Tanizaki’s renewed admiration for the traditional aesthetical way of life and culture of the Kansai region (in the south-central region of Japan’s main island Honshu). Except from the oldest sister Tsuruko, who moves with her husband and six children to Tokyo for work, The Makioka’s lives mainly happen in the triangle amongst the cities of Osaka, Kobe and Kyoto.
Some exquisitely depicted scenes, like the yearly excursion of Sachiko’s household to the cherry blossoms of Kyoto and a night devoted to a firefly hunt, are of a breathtaking beauty. The smooth and elegant prose seduces effortlessly, even more when overlooking the proverbial cultural barbs.
Down into the grasses on the bank, and there, in the delicate moment before the last light goes, were fireflies, gliding out over the water, in low arcs like the sweep of grasses. On down the river, on and on, were fireflies, lines of them wavering out from this bank and the other and back again, sketching their uncertain tracks of light down close to the surface of the water, hidden from outside by the grasses. In the last moment of light, with darkness creeping up from the water and the moving plumes of grass still faintly outlined, there, far as the river stretched- an infinite number of little lines in two long rows on either side, quiet, unearthly. Sachiko could see it all even now, here inside with her eyes closed. Surely that was the impressive moment of the evening, the moment that made the firefly hunt worth-while.
And when Sachiko was asked what flower she liked best, there was no hesitation in her answer: the cherry blossom. All these hundreds of years, from the days of the oldest poetry collections, there have been poems about cherry blossoms. The ancients waited for cherry blossoms, grieved when they were gone, and lamented their passing in countless poems. How very ordinary the poems had seemed to Sachiko when she read them as a girl, but now she knew, as well as one could know, that grieving over fallen cherry blossoms was more than a fad or a convention. the family – Sachiko, her husband and daughter, her two younger sisters – had for some years now been going to Kyoto in the spring to see the cherry blossoms. The excursion had become a fixed annual observance.(…) For Sachiko there was, besides pleasant sorrow for the cherry blossoms, sorrow for her sisters and the passing of their youth. (…) As the season approached, there would be reports on when the cherries were likely to be in full bloom. With each breeze and each shower their concern for the cherries would grow. (…) The cherries of the Heian Shrine were left to the last because they, of all the cherries in Kyoto, were the most beautiful. Now that the great weeping cherry in Gion was dying and its blossoms were growing paler each year, what was left to stand for the Kyoto spring if not the cherries in the Heian Shrine? And so, coming back from the western suburbs on the afternoon of the second day, and picking that moment of regret when the spring sun was about to set, they would pause, a little tired, under the trailing branches, and look fondly at each tree – on around the lake, by the approach to a bridge, by a bend in the path, under the caves of the gallery. And until the cherries came the following year, they could close their eyes and see again the color and line of a trailing branch.(…) Sachiko and Etsuko, turned away from the camera, were looking out over the rippled surface of the lake from under this same cherry tree, and the two rapt figures, mother and daughter, with cherry petals falling on the gay kimono of the little girl, seemed the very incarnation of regret for the passing of spring. Ever since, they had made it a point to stand under the same tree and look out over the pond, have their picture taken.
Representing the fragility and brevity of life, both the cherry blossoms and the fireflies are poignant symbols for the fleeting of time, the transience of beauty, the predominant awareness of Panta Rei and of inevitable social, economic and cultural change this novel exudes in every sentence – change which is undesirable and regrettable in some ways.
Although this novel is often called an epic elegy mourning the waning and loss of traditional Japanese values and mores, Tanizaki most of the time uses a subtle brush to paint the vanishing world as known by the sisters. He questions their desperate clinging to the old rituals by means of hyperbolic description in a slightly ironic tone, observing the gauche behaviour of the family when they put out all the stops to market Yukiko. There is no unequivocal idealization of the traditions or cultural practices, nor are they represented as superior to the more modernized and westernized way of life in Japan. Tanizaki is aware that the formality of ancient traditions can rigidly restrain and suffocate - in particular women’s – individual lives. However Tanizaki bequeaths the youngest sister Taeko - representing the Japanese moga or modern working girl - with a less harsh predicament than late 19th century literary heroines like Emma Bovary or Anna Karenina suffered for their social and sexual transgressions, one could discuss Taeko’s fate and wonder if her misfortune has to be considered a punishment for ill behavior, morally or socially.
To my ears, Tanizaki’s voice sounded more prosaic and less melancholic than Yasunari Kawabata’s. The Makioka’s decline is predominantly economic and subsequently social, as the impoverishment of the family means they have to rethink their way of life –even have to work!- and cannot uphold all the duties of their social class, like organizing a memorial ceremony of the parents with the grandeur which is expected of them.
There is some ambivalence in Tanizaki’s pessimistic view on his society. On the one hand he is lamenting the past, glorifying the successful arranged marriages of Tsuruko and Sachiko, contrasting this harmonious bliss with the bleak ending of the progressive path Taeko – and by extension Japan, by modernization and westernization – chose. On the other hand he is suggesting that the old ways do not avail anymore, and that Japan has to outgrow its oppressive traditions, hinting at the unhappiness of Yukiko, albeit her obedience to the traditions. Neither Yukiko or Taeko are happy or rewarded. By highlighting these frictions between the individual’s quest for freedom and civilization’s contrary demand for conformity, self-repression and self-effacement, Tanizaki acknowledges a certain Unbehagen in der Kultur and divulges the modernity of his insights.
Pondering about this novel, which fascinatingly contrasts and blends past and present, modernity and tradition, East and West, I visited the Japanese garden in Hasselt last Sunday. Listening to the guide talking about the ancient tradition of Hanami, the picnicking under the blooming cherry trees, richly flooded with sake, it occurred that the cherry blossoms have been affected with less innocent connotations in the past; during WWII the cherry blossoms took on a new, grim meaning, as kamikaze pilots used to paint cherry blossoms on their aircrafts, identifying themselves with the short- lived petals when they departed on their suicide missions.
Tout passe, tout casse, tout lasse.
Images: Botanical garden Meise/Catching Fireflies by Chikanobu (1890)/toko instrument/Japanese garden, Hasselt
September 5, 2019
A sweeping, propulsive masterpiece, the story of four sisters with divergent paths in a Japan caught between two eras in the late 1930s. When I first read this, ten years ago, I was drawn to the setpieces, particularly the famous, dramatic flood scene. And those are indeed great, but the subtleties - the book's focus on the body decaying, on western mores seeping their way into a family that wants to hold on to traditional values, the steady humor - make this a masterpiece.
It is in some ways a chamber novel, a series of small dramas told in rooms, as the Makiokas try to marry off Yukiko, the 3rd of 4 sisters. But natural disasters, war overseas, and cruelties lurk. It is a bit of Jane Austen and a bit of Tolstoy in one, with Tanizaki's keen eye for detail (those flower descriptions) setting it apart. You find your loyalties shifting among the sisters, as you read. Each is frustrating, each is wonderful. How like life.
It is in some ways a chamber novel, a series of small dramas told in rooms, as the Makiokas try to marry off Yukiko, the 3rd of 4 sisters. But natural disasters, war overseas, and cruelties lurk. It is a bit of Jane Austen and a bit of Tolstoy in one, with Tanizaki's keen eye for detail (those flower descriptions) setting it apart. You find your loyalties shifting among the sisters, as you read. Each is frustrating, each is wonderful. How like life.
October 22, 2017
The yearly peregrination to the natural spectacle of the cherry blossoming in Kyoto is a millenary tradition in Japan. The symbolism attached to that ritual renders the transience of beauty. The constant collision between the explosion of exuberant vitality and the withering that precedes the inevitable defoliation marks the unrelenting passage of time and the virtuous circle of life rekindled from the ashes.
It’s through the annual expeditions that The Makioka Sisters take to witness such a natural display that the history of a generation, that the end of an era and the beginning of borrowed, almost imposed, modernity is presented in detailed scenes of domestic life in a traditional Japanese family.
Evoking the naturalistic undertone of the European nineteenth century literature, the Makioka Sisters emerge as aristocratic female protagonists with a family name in steadfast decline that compose a novel of manners in a cannon of four voices. The younger sisters, subservient Yukiko and free-spirited Taeko, see the seasons go by but still remain unmarried branded by an unfortunate scandal that took place ten years ago. A delicate and precise narration of the intricate obstacles the Makioka family endures to find suitable partners for the unwed sisters following a strict morality that equals the status of law becomes the main plotline and sets the action for the background tragedy that is about to unfold.
Like in the pointillism technique, words color this story like a fresco painting with small dots of color through the nuanced description of everyday life scenes: the choice of the right kimono for each occasion and its appropriate complements, the recurrent miais where suitors are introduced to the reluctant sisters, the outings to the Kabuki theatre or the trips to Tokyo and its hostile urbanity, the apparently casual dialogues between the members of the Makioka households; every scene acquires the steady rhythm of a repetitive routine, which sometimes verges the tedious, but emulates the circular pattern of the changing seasons and eludes linear storytelling along with the patience of readers more used to action packed books.
The characters, even though unscathed on the surface, show the cracks on the walls of their sophisticated poises in small trivialities that can easily go unnoticed by the westernized eye, which in turn augurs the gradual fading of the ancestral heritage of the Japanese empire. The world as the Makiokas know it, the world of rigid social protocols where the family is the central axis that keeps the wheel of society running smoothly, is about to collapse due to the tragic events of WWII, which Tanizaki only refers to by passing as the “China Incidents”.
The Nazi alliance is represented by the friendship between the Makiokas and the Stlotz, their German neighbors, but Tanizaki avoids issuing direct value judgments on history or glorifying an objectionable social system that severely limited the free will of women and remains a dignified paradigm of discretion, infusing the required tone in the story to allow the reader to reach his own conclusions.
Nothing is explicit, awareness is reached in semidarkness and in the end, the inner turbulences that shake the Makioka family echo the outward disruption of an era on the verge of disappearing, something that can be envisioned in the prosaic and rather abrupt ending that Tanizaki uses to close this nostalgic ode to a world that no longer exists in reality, only in words.
The petals of the cherry blossoms might fall like tiny butterflies settling to earth, the morning dew on weeping branches might remind us of unshed tears, and with the senses scrambled, the reader won't know whether he is mourning the loss of the old or welcoming the new that keeps the sense of loneliness suspended in time, running much deeper than mere nostalgia, for there is a certain amount of unknowable depth in Japanese literature that will always remain half in the shadows, making it unfathomable, and pure, at once.
Cherry trees in the Philosopher’s Path (Kyoto) during summertime.
It’s through the annual expeditions that The Makioka Sisters take to witness such a natural display that the history of a generation, that the end of an era and the beginning of borrowed, almost imposed, modernity is presented in detailed scenes of domestic life in a traditional Japanese family.
Evoking the naturalistic undertone of the European nineteenth century literature, the Makioka Sisters emerge as aristocratic female protagonists with a family name in steadfast decline that compose a novel of manners in a cannon of four voices. The younger sisters, subservient Yukiko and free-spirited Taeko, see the seasons go by but still remain unmarried branded by an unfortunate scandal that took place ten years ago. A delicate and precise narration of the intricate obstacles the Makioka family endures to find suitable partners for the unwed sisters following a strict morality that equals the status of law becomes the main plotline and sets the action for the background tragedy that is about to unfold.
Like in the pointillism technique, words color this story like a fresco painting with small dots of color through the nuanced description of everyday life scenes: the choice of the right kimono for each occasion and its appropriate complements, the recurrent miais where suitors are introduced to the reluctant sisters, the outings to the Kabuki theatre or the trips to Tokyo and its hostile urbanity, the apparently casual dialogues between the members of the Makioka households; every scene acquires the steady rhythm of a repetitive routine, which sometimes verges the tedious, but emulates the circular pattern of the changing seasons and eludes linear storytelling along with the patience of readers more used to action packed books.
The characters, even though unscathed on the surface, show the cracks on the walls of their sophisticated poises in small trivialities that can easily go unnoticed by the westernized eye, which in turn augurs the gradual fading of the ancestral heritage of the Japanese empire. The world as the Makiokas know it, the world of rigid social protocols where the family is the central axis that keeps the wheel of society running smoothly, is about to collapse due to the tragic events of WWII, which Tanizaki only refers to by passing as the “China Incidents”.
The Nazi alliance is represented by the friendship between the Makiokas and the Stlotz, their German neighbors, but Tanizaki avoids issuing direct value judgments on history or glorifying an objectionable social system that severely limited the free will of women and remains a dignified paradigm of discretion, infusing the required tone in the story to allow the reader to reach his own conclusions.
Nothing is explicit, awareness is reached in semidarkness and in the end, the inner turbulences that shake the Makioka family echo the outward disruption of an era on the verge of disappearing, something that can be envisioned in the prosaic and rather abrupt ending that Tanizaki uses to close this nostalgic ode to a world that no longer exists in reality, only in words.
The petals of the cherry blossoms might fall like tiny butterflies settling to earth, the morning dew on weeping branches might remind us of unshed tears, and with the senses scrambled, the reader won't know whether he is mourning the loss of the old or welcoming the new that keeps the sense of loneliness suspended in time, running much deeper than mere nostalgia, for there is a certain amount of unknowable depth in Japanese literature that will always remain half in the shadows, making it unfathomable, and pure, at once.
Cherry trees in the Philosopher’s Path (Kyoto) during summertime.
March 10, 2022
“The ancients waited for cherry blossoms, grieved when they were gone, and lamented their passing in countless poems. How very ordinary the poems had seemed to Sachiko when she read them as a girl, but now she knew, as well as one could know, that grieving over fallen cherry blossoms was more than a fad or convention.”
The Makioka Sisters by Junichiro Tanizaki revolves around the once aristocratic and wealthy Makioka family, namely the sisters Tsuruko, Sachiko, Yukiko, Taeko (fondly referred to as “Koi-san” as per custom, meaning “small daughter”), who despite having lost most of their wealth over time, strive to maintain a way of life and uphold the traditional customs of an era slowly fading into history. The novel spans the period between the autumn of 1936 to April 1941. It is a slow-paced and detail-oriented depiction of life in Japanese polite society in the years leading up to WW2. The narrative alludes to historically significant events occurring in that period such as the “China Incident” namely the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Kobe flood of 1938, and the references to the tensions in Europe.
“Meanwhile the world was shaken by new developments in Europe. In May came the German invasion of the Low Countries and the tragedy of Dunkirk, and in June, upon the French surrender, an armistice was signed at Compiègne.”
The eldest Makioka sister, Tsuruko is married to Tatsuo, who works in a bank and after her father’s demise is the head of the family as per Japanese custom. He has also taken the Makioka name. They constitute the “main house” in Osaka and are traditionally regarded as the head of the family who yields authority over the other branches. Sachiko, the second eldest sister is married to Teinosuke, an accountant who has also taken the Makioka name. Together they maintain the Ashiya house on the outskirts of Osaka. Most of the story is described from Sachiko’s perspective. Though tradition dictates that the unmarried sisters live in the “main house”, both Yukiko and Taeko prefer to live with Sachiko’s family in Ashiya, where they are welcome though this is a matter that leads to some tense interactions between Sachiko and her older sister. As per custom, Taeko cannot marry before her elder sister Yukiko who is pushing thirty at the beginning of the novel . Yukiko is yet to find a husband mostly on account of the Makiokas rejecting multiple proposals because the prospective grooms' families were not found suitable in stature, a condition that they are forced to relax in the subsequent years as the proposals for Yukiko’s hand in marriage dwindle over time. The focal point of this novel is the search for a suitable groom for Yukiko - a match that meets the Makioka’s standards, the selection, the meetings, in-depth background investigations and familial consent of the main house.
The author paints a vivid picture of the customs, beliefs, traditions, gender roles as well as the temperament, vanity and class consciousness that was representative of that era. The characterizations of the sisters is superb. The two older sisters, married and settled remain stuck in tradition and prioritize their family standing and all its glory which has long since dimmed considerably. As the story progresses we see a moment when Yukiko is rejected by a suitor that it dawns on Sachiko that their fortunes have truly changed with the realization that they would have to change with the times.
“Never before had the Makiokas been so humbled. Always they had felt that the advantage was with them, that the other side was courting their favor—always it had been their role to judge the man and find him lacking. This time their position had been weak from the start. For the first time they were branded the losers.”
Yukiko, whose marriage (or rather search for a groom) is the focal point of the novel is a graceful quiet, obedient sister whose presence is felt but whose voice is either unheard or drowned out by those of her more vocal sisters. She is also bound by tradition, trusting her elder sisters and brothers-in-law with the responsibility of finding a suitable match and sits through a miai (a formal meeting between a prospective bride and groom) several times. However, despite her fine manners and quiet nature she can convey much through her “tepid” responses and often surprising non-cooperation in interacting with her prospective grooms. Takeo, the youngest who has never experienced the full fame and wealth of the family, is more willful than the other sisters. She has a mind of her own and does not hesitate to do as she pleases and is often the cause of much embarrassment and concern for her older sisters. One incident that is referred to a few times in the narrative is the “newspaper incident” - when the local newspapers carried the story of her elopement with her beau, Okubata but got her name mixed up with Yukiko’s (which was later clarified). The family assumes this to be another reason for which Yukiko’s proposals are fewer than expected. Taeko is ambitious and industrious and attempts to carve a profession for herself - be it earning a living doll making or training as a seamstress , while juggling her romantic relationships. She embodies a modern spirit that is in stark contrast with the mindset of her more traditional sisters and is representative of the changing times and the shift in societal norms and strictures.
Junichiro Tanizaki’s The Makioka Sisters is a beautiful novel, meant to be read slowly. Vivid imagery and fluid narrative make this an easy if quiet read. Though it might seem tedious for many readers, I enjoyed the detailed depictions of the contrasting personalities, the beautiful descriptions of the different places, the cherry blossoms and dragonflies,Japanese culture and customs and the relationship between the sisters. This is a novel I had been meaning to read for a long time and I am glad I finally picked it up.
The Makioka Sisters by Junichiro Tanizaki revolves around the once aristocratic and wealthy Makioka family, namely the sisters Tsuruko, Sachiko, Yukiko, Taeko (fondly referred to as “Koi-san” as per custom, meaning “small daughter”), who despite having lost most of their wealth over time, strive to maintain a way of life and uphold the traditional customs of an era slowly fading into history. The novel spans the period between the autumn of 1936 to April 1941. It is a slow-paced and detail-oriented depiction of life in Japanese polite society in the years leading up to WW2. The narrative alludes to historically significant events occurring in that period such as the “China Incident” namely the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Kobe flood of 1938, and the references to the tensions in Europe.
“Meanwhile the world was shaken by new developments in Europe. In May came the German invasion of the Low Countries and the tragedy of Dunkirk, and in June, upon the French surrender, an armistice was signed at Compiègne.”
The eldest Makioka sister, Tsuruko is married to Tatsuo, who works in a bank and after her father’s demise is the head of the family as per Japanese custom. He has also taken the Makioka name. They constitute the “main house” in Osaka and are traditionally regarded as the head of the family who yields authority over the other branches. Sachiko, the second eldest sister is married to Teinosuke, an accountant who has also taken the Makioka name. Together they maintain the Ashiya house on the outskirts of Osaka. Most of the story is described from Sachiko’s perspective. Though tradition dictates that the unmarried sisters live in the “main house”, both Yukiko and Taeko prefer to live with Sachiko’s family in Ashiya, where they are welcome though this is a matter that leads to some tense interactions between Sachiko and her older sister. As per custom, Taeko cannot marry before her elder sister Yukiko who is pushing thirty at the beginning of the novel . Yukiko is yet to find a husband mostly on account of the Makiokas rejecting multiple proposals because the prospective grooms' families were not found suitable in stature, a condition that they are forced to relax in the subsequent years as the proposals for Yukiko’s hand in marriage dwindle over time. The focal point of this novel is the search for a suitable groom for Yukiko - a match that meets the Makioka’s standards, the selection, the meetings, in-depth background investigations and familial consent of the main house.
The author paints a vivid picture of the customs, beliefs, traditions, gender roles as well as the temperament, vanity and class consciousness that was representative of that era. The characterizations of the sisters is superb. The two older sisters, married and settled remain stuck in tradition and prioritize their family standing and all its glory which has long since dimmed considerably. As the story progresses we see a moment when Yukiko is rejected by a suitor that it dawns on Sachiko that their fortunes have truly changed with the realization that they would have to change with the times.
“Never before had the Makiokas been so humbled. Always they had felt that the advantage was with them, that the other side was courting their favor—always it had been their role to judge the man and find him lacking. This time their position had been weak from the start. For the first time they were branded the losers.”
Yukiko, whose marriage (or rather search for a groom) is the focal point of the novel is a graceful quiet, obedient sister whose presence is felt but whose voice is either unheard or drowned out by those of her more vocal sisters. She is also bound by tradition, trusting her elder sisters and brothers-in-law with the responsibility of finding a suitable match and sits through a miai (a formal meeting between a prospective bride and groom) several times. However, despite her fine manners and quiet nature she can convey much through her “tepid” responses and often surprising non-cooperation in interacting with her prospective grooms. Takeo, the youngest who has never experienced the full fame and wealth of the family, is more willful than the other sisters. She has a mind of her own and does not hesitate to do as she pleases and is often the cause of much embarrassment and concern for her older sisters. One incident that is referred to a few times in the narrative is the “newspaper incident” - when the local newspapers carried the story of her elopement with her beau, Okubata but got her name mixed up with Yukiko’s (which was later clarified). The family assumes this to be another reason for which Yukiko’s proposals are fewer than expected. Taeko is ambitious and industrious and attempts to carve a profession for herself - be it earning a living doll making or training as a seamstress , while juggling her romantic relationships. She embodies a modern spirit that is in stark contrast with the mindset of her more traditional sisters and is representative of the changing times and the shift in societal norms and strictures.
Junichiro Tanizaki’s The Makioka Sisters is a beautiful novel, meant to be read slowly. Vivid imagery and fluid narrative make this an easy if quiet read. Though it might seem tedious for many readers, I enjoyed the detailed depictions of the contrasting personalities, the beautiful descriptions of the different places, the cherry blossoms and dragonflies,Japanese culture and customs and the relationship between the sisters. This is a novel I had been meaning to read for a long time and I am glad I finally picked it up.
August 18, 2022
This was an extraordinary Japanese historical novel
— an upper class family saga….between the years of 1936 to 1941
Four sisters lived in Osaka, Japan.
The story is centered around the family finding a husband for Yukiko to marry.
Plenty of drama to keep any family-saga-reader interested.
The emotional complexities of the arranged marriages are perplexing and a little maddening
There is a large cast of characters. Many of the Japanese names sound similar—(not impossible to keep straight) >> unless you do what I did.
I put the book down for a few days. Thank god I took notes — I had to review ‘who-was-who’ before I could continue reading.
Overall — once the reader is comfortable with all the Japanese names (each sister is uniquely distinct) — it’s kinda ‘comfort’ reading….
seamless —
causal intimate writing.
Wonderful old fashion storytelling of sorts…. beautiful history, culture, social issues, character intrigue — and family dynamics full of traditions and superstitions.
I enjoyed it — but I don’t even want to attempt trying to write a more complete detail review. I have pages of notes and excerpts highlighted —
but—
I’m a little drained with personal concerns these days —
which will likely compromise my reviews for awhile.
note:
Years ago I paid for a hard copy through Amazon. After waiting 2 months for the arrival—they eventually told me it wasn’t available.
There is no kindle download available.
Soooo….
After seeing that Daniel read this book recently I wondered how he got a copy.
Apple ebooks for $9.99. (great tip Daniel).
Although I still prefer reading on my kindle device than my mini iPad — all worked well enough.
Recommend to those who enjoy Japanese literature
and family sagas.
— an upper class family saga….between the years of 1936 to 1941
Four sisters lived in Osaka, Japan.
The story is centered around the family finding a husband for Yukiko to marry.
Plenty of drama to keep any family-saga-reader interested.
The emotional complexities of the arranged marriages are perplexing and a little maddening
There is a large cast of characters. Many of the Japanese names sound similar—(not impossible to keep straight) >> unless you do what I did.
I put the book down for a few days. Thank god I took notes — I had to review ‘who-was-who’ before I could continue reading.
Overall — once the reader is comfortable with all the Japanese names (each sister is uniquely distinct) — it’s kinda ‘comfort’ reading….
seamless —
causal intimate writing.
Wonderful old fashion storytelling of sorts…. beautiful history, culture, social issues, character intrigue — and family dynamics full of traditions and superstitions.
I enjoyed it — but I don’t even want to attempt trying to write a more complete detail review. I have pages of notes and excerpts highlighted —
but—
I’m a little drained with personal concerns these days —
which will likely compromise my reviews for awhile.
note:
Years ago I paid for a hard copy through Amazon. After waiting 2 months for the arrival—they eventually told me it wasn’t available.
There is no kindle download available.
Soooo….
After seeing that Daniel read this book recently I wondered how he got a copy.
Apple ebooks for $9.99. (great tip Daniel).
Although I still prefer reading on my kindle device than my mini iPad — all worked well enough.
Recommend to those who enjoy Japanese literature
and family sagas.
September 14, 2017
My 'better late than never' review.
Several weeks ago, I put out a request for a recommendation of a good Japanese book to read. My good friend Marita immediately popped up with The Makioka Sisters. This recommendation was seconded by friend Silvia Cachia. I read their reviews and ordered the book, then forgot about it.
Then I became frustrated with the slowness of my current reading choices and complained on GR that I felt like I was stuck in a bog. Friend Travelin piped in with, "Go random." On my way out the door, I ran into the mailman who handed me a package from The Book Depository (no endorsement intended). That struck me as pretty "random". I had several books on order.
So here I am. An excellent novel. Extremely well written and translated. The story moves along well and at times is positively captivating.
I got my thoughts together and sat down to write what I hoped would be a pretty good review based on the fact that I loved the book and had written a few notes while reading the book. But then I read my friend Ilse's review. It looked a little familiar. Of course, there was the review I wanted to write. But it was better than anything that I could have written. It had all of my ideas but so much more, much, much more. And the writing was wonderful. And she had added beautiful pictures (I would love to have Fireflies up on my wall in my reading room.). She even had what I thought were brilliant references to Jane Austin and Thomas Mann which I had planned to use as an opener to my review. So if you want to read what I think of The Makioka Sisters, read Ilse's brilliant review and think that somewhere in that glowing brilliance are a few embers that would have been my review.
BUT WAIT, I would like to tell you a little about what this book brought to mind while I was reading it (if you're not already reading Ilse's review).
Yes the book is about that favourite subject of earlier Japanese writers, cultural change and its efforts on individuals. I love the theme and will continue to read these books. What struck me about The Makioka Sisters was that the story was strongly centred on an extended family and its struggles with that change. And, despite the fact that it was about a Japanese family in the mid 1940s, a few years before my appearance on this planet, I empathized, I understood and I related what I read to my own experiences.
Today, with our ever changing technology and constant pressures, financial, political and consumer, we see our young often floundering off in directions that deeply offend us. And yet, speaking for myself at least, we are, like Sachiko, who finds herself in the role of guardian of the values, weak and ineffective. Finally, again like Sachiko, we accept a hollow spectre of what we once held to be sacred.
Those values that we have tried to defend in families as parents, and even as children, have so little basis. They are nothing but conventions of our society and, for all of the Sturm und Drang we experience, in the final analysis, we are left worn and torn but still intact no matter what is left of our values.
Perhaps, as in the Makioka Sisters, we are best off to let those family values go in the name of maintaining the family.
I have recently gone through yet another family crisis with yet another deeply held value going the way of the passenger pigeon. In the final analysis, the family is magically still firmly together held that way by mutual love and caring. I cannot really expect more in our ever changing world. The option of fighting for the value and splintering the family is unacceptable.
Several weeks ago, I put out a request for a recommendation of a good Japanese book to read. My good friend Marita immediately popped up with The Makioka Sisters. This recommendation was seconded by friend Silvia Cachia. I read their reviews and ordered the book, then forgot about it.
Then I became frustrated with the slowness of my current reading choices and complained on GR that I felt like I was stuck in a bog. Friend Travelin piped in with, "Go random." On my way out the door, I ran into the mailman who handed me a package from The Book Depository (no endorsement intended). That struck me as pretty "random". I had several books on order.
So here I am. An excellent novel. Extremely well written and translated. The story moves along well and at times is positively captivating.
I got my thoughts together and sat down to write what I hoped would be a pretty good review based on the fact that I loved the book and had written a few notes while reading the book. But then I read my friend Ilse's review. It looked a little familiar. Of course, there was the review I wanted to write. But it was better than anything that I could have written. It had all of my ideas but so much more, much, much more. And the writing was wonderful. And she had added beautiful pictures (I would love to have Fireflies up on my wall in my reading room.). She even had what I thought were brilliant references to Jane Austin and Thomas Mann which I had planned to use as an opener to my review. So if you want to read what I think of The Makioka Sisters, read Ilse's brilliant review and think that somewhere in that glowing brilliance are a few embers that would have been my review.
BUT WAIT, I would like to tell you a little about what this book brought to mind while I was reading it (if you're not already reading Ilse's review).
Yes the book is about that favourite subject of earlier Japanese writers, cultural change and its efforts on individuals. I love the theme and will continue to read these books. What struck me about The Makioka Sisters was that the story was strongly centred on an extended family and its struggles with that change. And, despite the fact that it was about a Japanese family in the mid 1940s, a few years before my appearance on this planet, I empathized, I understood and I related what I read to my own experiences.
Today, with our ever changing technology and constant pressures, financial, political and consumer, we see our young often floundering off in directions that deeply offend us. And yet, speaking for myself at least, we are, like Sachiko, who finds herself in the role of guardian of the values, weak and ineffective. Finally, again like Sachiko, we accept a hollow spectre of what we once held to be sacred.
Those values that we have tried to defend in families as parents, and even as children, have so little basis. They are nothing but conventions of our society and, for all of the Sturm und Drang we experience, in the final analysis, we are left worn and torn but still intact no matter what is left of our values.
Perhaps, as in the Makioka Sisters, we are best off to let those family values go in the name of maintaining the family.
I have recently gone through yet another family crisis with yet another deeply held value going the way of the passenger pigeon. In the final analysis, the family is magically still firmly together held that way by mutual love and caring. I cannot really expect more in our ever changing world. The option of fighting for the value and splintering the family is unacceptable.
February 26, 2016
Çok, çok güzeldi!
Ancak bir yanımda buruldu. Sebebi elbette Tanizaki'nin Türkçe'ye çevrilmiş eserlerinin hepsini okuduğum için. Umut ediyorum ki, H. Murakami'nin tüm dünyada yarattığı zelzele biraz daha sürer ve insanların Japon Edebiyatı'na ilgileri artar. Ayrıca Japon gelenekselliğine sırtını dönmüş bir yazarla bu istihdamın sağlanması ise ironik ve düşündürücü.
"Nazlı Kar" gelecek olursam öncelikle Esin Esen tarafından yapılan çeviri mükemmel ötesi. Kitabın kapak tasarımından tutunda, düzeltmelerine kadar, baskı kalitesine kadar her şey çok büyük özenle gerçekleştirilmiş. İlk baskısını 2000 adet yapan bu büyük kitabın ümit ediyorum ki tekrar baskılarını görebiliriz.
Kitabın orijinal adı Sasemeyuki, Japonca'da 'çisildeyerek yağan kar' anlamına geliyormuş. Ancak bu sözcük aynı zamanda Japon söz sanatlarında; kiraz çiçeklerinin baharda dökülmesini karla karıştırmış gibi algılamaya verilen bir isimde. Bu isim çok bilinçli ve lirik bir tercih. Tek başına metaforik olarak kitabın anlattığı, aile hikayesini; baharda dökülen ve karla karıştırılan kiraz çiçeklerine benzetmiş hem de her şeyin gelip geçici olduğunu anlatan bir mantığa oturtmuş. Zira geleneksel japon hayatında büyük yeri olan kiraz çiçeklerini izleme seromonilerinin, aslında sadece estetiksel bir durumu yoktur. Aynı zamanda hayatı ve ölümü sorgulamaya götüren derin manaları vardır. Bu anlamda eşsiz bir tercih. Kitabın İngilizce adı "The Makioka Sisters". Daha önce Türkçe'ye çevrilmeyeceğini düşündüğümden, İngilizce versiyonunu okumak için birkaç girişimde bulunmuştum. Ancak İngilizce çok sistematik, lego gibi bir dil. İngilizce'nin matematiği belki H.Murakami, Kobo Abe gibi yazarları birebir karşılıyor olabilir; fakat dili sade ve lirik olan Tanizaki, Kawabata gibi yazarları karşılayamıyor bence. O yüzden bu baskının çevirisinin çok fazlasıyla tatmin edici olduğunu söyleyebilirim.
Tanizaki'nin eserlerinde ağırlıklı eğilim, insanın cinsel olarak doğal olarak sahip olduğu saplantıların incelemesidir. Bunu Naomi, Çılgın Bir İhtiyarın Güncesi, Anahtar gibi romanlarında görebiliriz. Ancak Türkçe'ye henüz kazandırılmamış bazı eserlerinde de Japon Kültürü'nün değişimi, savaş öncesi ve sonrası insanın hali, batı ile doğu sentezindeki bocalamaları üzerine kuruludur. "Nazlı Kar"da bu ikinci kategorideki en yetkin örneğidir. Hatta yazarın başyapıtı denmektedir. Çünkü Tanizaki bu eseri, dünyanın ilk romanı sayılan "Genji'nin Hikayesi" adlı dev yapıtı çağdaş Japonca'ya kazandırdıktan sonra yazmıştır. Hali ile o eserin zengin yapısını taşıdığı söyleniyor. Genji'nin Hikayesi halen Türkçe'ye kazandırılmadığı için çok isabetli görüşler öne süremeyeceğim. Kitabı bu çevirisinden sonra 1939'da yazmaya başlamış yazar; 1943'de de ilk olarak yayınlanmaya başlamış. Uzun bir roman olduğu için 3 cilt halinde yayınlamış ve son cildi de 1948'de yayınlamış.
Tanizaki, modern Japon romancılarının çoğunda olduğu gibi, karamsar bir yazar değildir. Bunu okuduğunuz eserlerinden net bir şekilde anlayabilirsiniz. Ne Mişima kadar saplantılı, ne Dazai kadar umutsuz, ne Kawabata kadar melankolik, ne Akutagava kadar problemlidir. Ne de Kenzaburo Oe gibi zor bir hayatı olmuştur. Tanizaki'nin diline de yansır bu sağlıklılığı. Ölümünün yakın olduğu zamanlarda, hastanede yatarken dahi romanlarını yazmaya ve hayata umutla bakmaya devam etmiştir. İşte "Nazlı Kar" bu noktada yazarın en gerçekçi yaklaşıma sahip, savaş yıllarında da yazıldığı için içten içe bir eleştiri taşıyan romanıdır. Bir kadın romanı olması ve onların hallerine bürünmesine rağmen, bazı şeylerden korkması ve uzak durması açıkça gözükmektedir. Elbette bunun yazdığı yıllardaki Japonya'nın içinde bulunduğu durumlarında etkisi olmuştur ama biraz sözü sakınan ve fazla iyimser bir romancı olduğunu düşünebilirsiniz. Ben içimi katranla yıkan Japon edebiyatında, bu iyimser sesin tek başına farklı ve özelliğini koruduğunu düşünüyorum.
Temelde Makioka ailesinin 4 kızı ve hayatları üzerinden bir Japon gelenekselliği senfonisi bu kitap. Tokyo'nun geliştiği, batılılaştığı halbuki Kyoto, Osaka, Kobo gibi yerlerin saflığını koruduğu zamanlarda yazılmış ve öyküde böyle bir zaman mekan çizgisine oturtulmuş. Tanizaki, bu dev öyküyü yazarken ilham aldığı şeyin eşinin ailesi olduğunu söylemiş. O yüzden bütün donelerini bu eşinin ailesinden direkt almış. Sözlü bir tarih çalışması yapıyorcasına karısından dinlediği bütün aile geleneklerini kitabına yedirmiş. Fakat güzel olan bir şey var ki o da bu ailenin Japonya'da özellikle kırsal bölgelerde yüzlerce örneğinin olması. Yani benzerlerinin yaşandığı bir sürü hikayeyi taşımış Tanizaki. Japon kadınlarının evlenme süreçleri, davranış özellikleri, erkeklerle kadınların toplumdaki konumu, batılılaşmanın Tokyo dışındaki cereyanı, kadın olmanın ikinci dünya savaşı öncesi nasıl değiştiğinin, geleneksellikten kopuşun nasıl gerçekleştiğinin vb. hepsinin hakkında bilgi sahibi olabilecek kadar ayrıntılı sunumları var.
Yazarın batılılaşma ile ilgili düşüncelerine de sahip oluyoruz. Zira kendiside batılışmaktan kaçınmamış olsa da özellikle ilk romanlarından Naomi ve sonrasında da buradaki Taeko karakteri ile sonuçlarını göstermek istemiştir. Elbette kendi grotesk kültürünün içinde bir anda farklı bir bireysellik girince bocalayan Japonya'da batılılaşma ile ilgili görüşler öne sürülmüştü. Japon sosyal hayatının tarihine bakıldığında en anlayışlı ve doğru eleştirileri Tanizaki'nin getirdiğini söyleyebiliriz.
Ayrıca kitabın kiraz çiçekleri ve ateşböceklerini izleme kısımlarında Kawabata'yı andırdığını söyleyebilirim. O işin mahareti Kawabata'nın elinde olduğundan sık sık ona gitti aklım.
Son olarakta kitapta beni en etkileyen bölüm. MAkioka ilesi ile Rus ailesinin yakınlaştıkları ve Rus ailesinin evinde bir akşam yemeği yedikleri bölümdür. Burada o yemeğe sanki bende katılmış ve iki kültürünün birbirine zıt giden bir çok ayrıntısını kendi gözlerim ile gözlemlemiş gibi oldum.
Japon Edebiyatı'nın en önemli eserlerinden biri olan Nazlı Kar'ı şiddetle öneriyorum.
Not: Japon hayatı ve kültürü ne kadar, Türk okuyucusuna orayı hissedebilmesi açısından özenle aktarılmış ve çevirilmiş olsa bile, birazcık onlar hakkında bilgi sahibi olmak için geyşalık, kimono kullanımının kültürel önemi, II.Dünya Savaşı sırası japonya gibi konuları kitaptan önce ya da kitapla beraber biraz daha ayrıntılı bilgi sahibi olmak ve kitabı daha iyi hissedebilmek için bakılmasını öneririm. Bilmeyenler için elbette.
Herkese iyi okumalar.
5/5
Ancak bir yanımda buruldu. Sebebi elbette Tanizaki'nin Türkçe'ye çevrilmiş eserlerinin hepsini okuduğum için. Umut ediyorum ki, H. Murakami'nin tüm dünyada yarattığı zelzele biraz daha sürer ve insanların Japon Edebiyatı'na ilgileri artar. Ayrıca Japon gelenekselliğine sırtını dönmüş bir yazarla bu istihdamın sağlanması ise ironik ve düşündürücü.
"Nazlı Kar" gelecek olursam öncelikle Esin Esen tarafından yapılan çeviri mükemmel ötesi. Kitabın kapak tasarımından tutunda, düzeltmelerine kadar, baskı kalitesine kadar her şey çok büyük özenle gerçekleştirilmiş. İlk baskısını 2000 adet yapan bu büyük kitabın ümit ediyorum ki tekrar baskılarını görebiliriz.
Kitabın orijinal adı Sasemeyuki, Japonca'da 'çisildeyerek yağan kar' anlamına geliyormuş. Ancak bu sözcük aynı zamanda Japon söz sanatlarında; kiraz çiçeklerinin baharda dökülmesini karla karıştırmış gibi algılamaya verilen bir isimde. Bu isim çok bilinçli ve lirik bir tercih. Tek başına metaforik olarak kitabın anlattığı, aile hikayesini; baharda dökülen ve karla karıştırılan kiraz çiçeklerine benzetmiş hem de her şeyin gelip geçici olduğunu anlatan bir mantığa oturtmuş. Zira geleneksel japon hayatında büyük yeri olan kiraz çiçeklerini izleme seromonilerinin, aslında sadece estetiksel bir durumu yoktur. Aynı zamanda hayatı ve ölümü sorgulamaya götüren derin manaları vardır. Bu anlamda eşsiz bir tercih. Kitabın İngilizce adı "The Makioka Sisters". Daha önce Türkçe'ye çevrilmeyeceğini düşündüğümden, İngilizce versiyonunu okumak için birkaç girişimde bulunmuştum. Ancak İngilizce çok sistematik, lego gibi bir dil. İngilizce'nin matematiği belki H.Murakami, Kobo Abe gibi yazarları birebir karşılıyor olabilir; fakat dili sade ve lirik olan Tanizaki, Kawabata gibi yazarları karşılayamıyor bence. O yüzden bu baskının çevirisinin çok fazlasıyla tatmin edici olduğunu söyleyebilirim.
Tanizaki'nin eserlerinde ağırlıklı eğilim, insanın cinsel olarak doğal olarak sahip olduğu saplantıların incelemesidir. Bunu Naomi, Çılgın Bir İhtiyarın Güncesi, Anahtar gibi romanlarında görebiliriz. Ancak Türkçe'ye henüz kazandırılmamış bazı eserlerinde de Japon Kültürü'nün değişimi, savaş öncesi ve sonrası insanın hali, batı ile doğu sentezindeki bocalamaları üzerine kuruludur. "Nazlı Kar"da bu ikinci kategorideki en yetkin örneğidir. Hatta yazarın başyapıtı denmektedir. Çünkü Tanizaki bu eseri, dünyanın ilk romanı sayılan "Genji'nin Hikayesi" adlı dev yapıtı çağdaş Japonca'ya kazandırdıktan sonra yazmıştır. Hali ile o eserin zengin yapısını taşıdığı söyleniyor. Genji'nin Hikayesi halen Türkçe'ye kazandırılmadığı için çok isabetli görüşler öne süremeyeceğim. Kitabı bu çevirisinden sonra 1939'da yazmaya başlamış yazar; 1943'de de ilk olarak yayınlanmaya başlamış. Uzun bir roman olduğu için 3 cilt halinde yayınlamış ve son cildi de 1948'de yayınlamış.
Tanizaki, modern Japon romancılarının çoğunda olduğu gibi, karamsar bir yazar değildir. Bunu okuduğunuz eserlerinden net bir şekilde anlayabilirsiniz. Ne Mişima kadar saplantılı, ne Dazai kadar umutsuz, ne Kawabata kadar melankolik, ne Akutagava kadar problemlidir. Ne de Kenzaburo Oe gibi zor bir hayatı olmuştur. Tanizaki'nin diline de yansır bu sağlıklılığı. Ölümünün yakın olduğu zamanlarda, hastanede yatarken dahi romanlarını yazmaya ve hayata umutla bakmaya devam etmiştir. İşte "Nazlı Kar" bu noktada yazarın en gerçekçi yaklaşıma sahip, savaş yıllarında da yazıldığı için içten içe bir eleştiri taşıyan romanıdır. Bir kadın romanı olması ve onların hallerine bürünmesine rağmen, bazı şeylerden korkması ve uzak durması açıkça gözükmektedir. Elbette bunun yazdığı yıllardaki Japonya'nın içinde bulunduğu durumlarında etkisi olmuştur ama biraz sözü sakınan ve fazla iyimser bir romancı olduğunu düşünebilirsiniz. Ben içimi katranla yıkan Japon edebiyatında, bu iyimser sesin tek başına farklı ve özelliğini koruduğunu düşünüyorum.
Temelde Makioka ailesinin 4 kızı ve hayatları üzerinden bir Japon gelenekselliği senfonisi bu kitap. Tokyo'nun geliştiği, batılılaştığı halbuki Kyoto, Osaka, Kobo gibi yerlerin saflığını koruduğu zamanlarda yazılmış ve öyküde böyle bir zaman mekan çizgisine oturtulmuş. Tanizaki, bu dev öyküyü yazarken ilham aldığı şeyin eşinin ailesi olduğunu söylemiş. O yüzden bütün donelerini bu eşinin ailesinden direkt almış. Sözlü bir tarih çalışması yapıyorcasına karısından dinlediği bütün aile geleneklerini kitabına yedirmiş. Fakat güzel olan bir şey var ki o da bu ailenin Japonya'da özellikle kırsal bölgelerde yüzlerce örneğinin olması. Yani benzerlerinin yaşandığı bir sürü hikayeyi taşımış Tanizaki. Japon kadınlarının evlenme süreçleri, davranış özellikleri, erkeklerle kadınların toplumdaki konumu, batılılaşmanın Tokyo dışındaki cereyanı, kadın olmanın ikinci dünya savaşı öncesi nasıl değiştiğinin, geleneksellikten kopuşun nasıl gerçekleştiğinin vb. hepsinin hakkında bilgi sahibi olabilecek kadar ayrıntılı sunumları var.
Yazarın batılılaşma ile ilgili düşüncelerine de sahip oluyoruz. Zira kendiside batılışmaktan kaçınmamış olsa da özellikle ilk romanlarından Naomi ve sonrasında da buradaki Taeko karakteri ile sonuçlarını göstermek istemiştir. Elbette kendi grotesk kültürünün içinde bir anda farklı bir bireysellik girince bocalayan Japonya'da batılılaşma ile ilgili görüşler öne sürülmüştü. Japon sosyal hayatının tarihine bakıldığında en anlayışlı ve doğru eleştirileri Tanizaki'nin getirdiğini söyleyebiliriz.
Ayrıca kitabın kiraz çiçekleri ve ateşböceklerini izleme kısımlarında Kawabata'yı andırdığını söyleyebilirim. O işin mahareti Kawabata'nın elinde olduğundan sık sık ona gitti aklım.
Son olarakta kitapta beni en etkileyen bölüm. MAkioka ilesi ile Rus ailesinin yakınlaştıkları ve Rus ailesinin evinde bir akşam yemeği yedikleri bölümdür. Burada o yemeğe sanki bende katılmış ve iki kültürünün birbirine zıt giden bir çok ayrıntısını kendi gözlerim ile gözlemlemiş gibi oldum.
Japon Edebiyatı'nın en önemli eserlerinden biri olan Nazlı Kar'ı şiddetle öneriyorum.
Not: Japon hayatı ve kültürü ne kadar, Türk okuyucusuna orayı hissedebilmesi açısından özenle aktarılmış ve çevirilmiş olsa bile, birazcık onlar hakkında bilgi sahibi olmak için geyşalık, kimono kullanımının kültürel önemi, II.Dünya Savaşı sırası japonya gibi konuları kitaptan önce ya da kitapla beraber biraz daha ayrıntılı bilgi sahibi olmak ve kitabı daha iyi hissedebilmek için bakılmasını öneririm. Bilmeyenler için elbette.
Herkese iyi okumalar.
5/5
August 23, 2023
My college English professor brought a rose to class one day.Our assignment was to look at the rose for twenty minutes and then describe what we saw. This enforced period of contemplation was revealing. Intense scrutiny prompted me to explore the nuances in color, variations in leaf patterns,differences in thorn growth and the interconnection of the whole flower. As I read “ The Makioka Sisters,”this long ago exercise kept flashing through my consciousness. This historical novel chronicles the fortunes of an upper middle class Japanese family between 1936-1941, meticulously observing the family dynamics. By unfolding their story, the novel expands to explore interconnections of family fortunes and societal shifts in an intricately layered narrative that is full of imagery and subtly delivered insights.
The plot focuses on the relationships of four sisters.They are members of a once prosperous merchant family in Osaka. Their father has died and the family wealth and prominence are slowly eroding. The two older sisters, Tsuruko and Sachiko, are both married.The two younger sisters, Yukiko and Taeko are still unmarried.The older sisters are tasked with arranging marriages befitting of the family’s status for the two younger sisters.
The older sisters’ endeavors are complicated by the personalities of their younger sisters and by the dictates of traditional conventions. The societal prescription demands that the marriages must be arranged in chronological sequence.Consequently, the older sister Yukiko must get married before the younger Taeko. Yukiko is refined but is reticent in making her preferences known. Taeko on the other hand, is more impatient and volatile. She is the most modern of the sisters and is the most embracing of Western culture that has started to infiltrate Japanese life.She is the most unrestrained in her impulses and affections, having previously exhibited scandalous behavior in her dealings with male admirers.
The two older sisters attempt to balance traditional demands with the differing personalities of their younger siblings. Their efforts give us a kaleidoscopic view of the family dynamics and their responses to shifting cultural norms. Each sister represents a different reaction to social mores, ranging from the most traditional older sister Tsuruko to the most liberal younger sister Taeko.Gradually the reader gains insight into each sister’s personality and becomes attuned to the complexities of the interpersonal and societal demands that are placed on them.
There is a noticeably non Western ambiance to the novel that separates the work from Western novels focused on arranged marriage. Familial relationships are governed by outward circumspection and good manners, imparting a sense of exterior isolation and occasional interior loneliness. These constraints are counterbalanced by agreed upon cultural rituals.Two of the most moving depictions in the novel are the family outings to view cherry blossoms and to participate in firefly hunting. The scenes are poignant in their beauty and are symbolically elegiac in their hinting at the impermanence of time and nature.
These emotional and symbolic episodes create a novel that becomes an intricate and delicate portrait of personal dynamics and social change. Throughout the novel there is a universal theme of tradition intersecting with youthful more modern values that will resonate with anyone who has raised children.
Ultimately, this work entrances with its slow, meditative pace and draws the reader into a subtly descriptive palette of tradition and change. The novel should not be read rapidly.Much like my assignment to contemplate a rose, this novel must be absorbed slowly in order to appreciate its textures and connections.
The plot focuses on the relationships of four sisters.They are members of a once prosperous merchant family in Osaka. Their father has died and the family wealth and prominence are slowly eroding. The two older sisters, Tsuruko and Sachiko, are both married.The two younger sisters, Yukiko and Taeko are still unmarried.The older sisters are tasked with arranging marriages befitting of the family’s status for the two younger sisters.
The older sisters’ endeavors are complicated by the personalities of their younger sisters and by the dictates of traditional conventions. The societal prescription demands that the marriages must be arranged in chronological sequence.Consequently, the older sister Yukiko must get married before the younger Taeko. Yukiko is refined but is reticent in making her preferences known. Taeko on the other hand, is more impatient and volatile. She is the most modern of the sisters and is the most embracing of Western culture that has started to infiltrate Japanese life.She is the most unrestrained in her impulses and affections, having previously exhibited scandalous behavior in her dealings with male admirers.
The two older sisters attempt to balance traditional demands with the differing personalities of their younger siblings. Their efforts give us a kaleidoscopic view of the family dynamics and their responses to shifting cultural norms. Each sister represents a different reaction to social mores, ranging from the most traditional older sister Tsuruko to the most liberal younger sister Taeko.Gradually the reader gains insight into each sister’s personality and becomes attuned to the complexities of the interpersonal and societal demands that are placed on them.
There is a noticeably non Western ambiance to the novel that separates the work from Western novels focused on arranged marriage. Familial relationships are governed by outward circumspection and good manners, imparting a sense of exterior isolation and occasional interior loneliness. These constraints are counterbalanced by agreed upon cultural rituals.Two of the most moving depictions in the novel are the family outings to view cherry blossoms and to participate in firefly hunting. The scenes are poignant in their beauty and are symbolically elegiac in their hinting at the impermanence of time and nature.
These emotional and symbolic episodes create a novel that becomes an intricate and delicate portrait of personal dynamics and social change. Throughout the novel there is a universal theme of tradition intersecting with youthful more modern values that will resonate with anyone who has raised children.
Ultimately, this work entrances with its slow, meditative pace and draws the reader into a subtly descriptive palette of tradition and change. The novel should not be read rapidly.Much like my assignment to contemplate a rose, this novel must be absorbed slowly in order to appreciate its textures and connections.
July 11, 2020
I wasn’t sure what to expect from my first time reading Tanizaki, but feeling like I was reading a cross between a Tolstoy, Wharton and Austen novel set in pre-WWII Japan was definitely not what I was expecting. And what an amazing surprise it was, to feel in somehow familiar territory whilst reading the words of a previously unknown author and to be transported into the Makioka home as the whole family tries to figure out a way to marry the third daughter, the quiet Yukiko.
There’s an elegant simplicity to the prose, which is something that draws me back again and again to early 20th century Japanese authors. And yet, what a complicated, layered world those characters live in! The highly ritualized, traditional Japanese customs are shown here being slowly but surely eroded by the Westernization of the country, the influences of foreigners changing these women – the two youngest sisters, especially. I have come to realize I love those stories where the old and the new push against each other and put characters in that ambiguous place of loving some elements of the past while also rejecting it.
As far as plots go, “The Makioka Sisters” doesn’t have much of one. The story is made up of small domestic dramas that follow each other like beads on a string, which, while not terribly exciting, still makes for an amazing and intimate read.
The once great family is now in slow decline as the war brews in the background. The eldest sisters’ respective marriages are now settled affairs that simply follow their course; they change houses, raise children who befriend foreigners, try to find a husband for the third sister - who while being compliant as old-fashioned Japanese women are wont to be, still makes this process complicated and frustrating. The youngest sister tries to emancipate herself through various forms of artistic expression, falls in love with someone the family doesn’t approve of, behaves less and less like a respectable Japanese woman ought to…
The writing and the exceptionally detailed description of the life and thoughts of the characters make this book a wonderful glimpse into a time and place that is now a thing of the past. I wonder how good Tanizaki was at capturing women's way of thinking and behaving, as his female characters are front and center here, obviously. Realistic or not is not relevant at this point, but I loved that he makes each sister character unique and quite strongly developed, even the two elder ones, who take more of a supporting part in this story than the youngest.
A lovely, quiet story about lovely but not-so-quiet women.
There’s an elegant simplicity to the prose, which is something that draws me back again and again to early 20th century Japanese authors. And yet, what a complicated, layered world those characters live in! The highly ritualized, traditional Japanese customs are shown here being slowly but surely eroded by the Westernization of the country, the influences of foreigners changing these women – the two youngest sisters, especially. I have come to realize I love those stories where the old and the new push against each other and put characters in that ambiguous place of loving some elements of the past while also rejecting it.
As far as plots go, “The Makioka Sisters” doesn’t have much of one. The story is made up of small domestic dramas that follow each other like beads on a string, which, while not terribly exciting, still makes for an amazing and intimate read.
The once great family is now in slow decline as the war brews in the background. The eldest sisters’ respective marriages are now settled affairs that simply follow their course; they change houses, raise children who befriend foreigners, try to find a husband for the third sister - who while being compliant as old-fashioned Japanese women are wont to be, still makes this process complicated and frustrating. The youngest sister tries to emancipate herself through various forms of artistic expression, falls in love with someone the family doesn’t approve of, behaves less and less like a respectable Japanese woman ought to…
The writing and the exceptionally detailed description of the life and thoughts of the characters make this book a wonderful glimpse into a time and place that is now a thing of the past. I wonder how good Tanizaki was at capturing women's way of thinking and behaving, as his female characters are front and center here, obviously. Realistic or not is not relevant at this point, but I loved that he makes each sister character unique and quite strongly developed, even the two elder ones, who take more of a supporting part in this story than the youngest.
A lovely, quiet story about lovely but not-so-quiet women.
August 25, 2023
** Spoilers below **
I've seen review after review that talks about how beautiful this novel is, how it portrays a now lost Japan, how it draws parallels with Jane Austen and the prevalent 'marriage plot' - all of which left me asking myself if that's really what this book is about. Partly that's because of my expectations: one doesn't generally get talked about as a Nobel prize candidate for writing lovely, peaceful, nostalgic fiction (admittedly, my only other Tanizaki, The Key, is very different in tone) and there are all kinds of fissures and crevices in the text that seem to point in a different direction completely.
It's important, too, to take account of the timings: the novel takes place from about 1936-1941, during Japan's war with China and ends just before Pearl Harbour brought Japan into WW2, and was written a handful of years later, completed therefore after Japan's defeat following Hiroshima and Nagasaki - events that presumably must have affected Tanizaki's intents here.
It seems to me that this is a book which sort of undoes the models it purports to be following: for all the ways it points towards Austen's Pride and Prejudice with the Bennet sisters, here the two sisters who the family want to get safely married off, both 'fail' and never become wives, albeit in different ways. Taeko with all her western modernity gets essentially turned out from the family and ends up as a 'fallen woman'; while Yukiko, the supposedly ideal Japanese woman, succeeds in scuppering all her courtships (and there are about five or six arranged marriages thrust at her throughout the book) with a kind of determined passive-aggressive stubbornness that sees her refusing to engage even socially with her potential husbands, even if that means embarrassing her family and causing them to lose face, a social sin of prime importance in Japanese culture. Even the end of the story which shows her on the way to get married finishes on this line: 'Yukiko's diarrhea persisted through the twenty-sixth, and was a problem on the train to Tokyo.' The end. Hmm, hardly Lizzie and Jane married jointly to the men of their dreams, is it?
It's worth saying, too, that this book is punctuated obsessively with illness and disease: from Sachiko who is constantly taking to her bed with colds and exhaustion, to strokes, beri-beri, jaundice, tuberculosis, scarlet fever, dysentery, anthrax, miscarriage, gangrene leading to amputation and then death, and a baby accidentally strangled at birth. It seems there's something very wrong, even rotten, in the state of the Japanese body as envisioned in this book.
At one point someone comments on how all Japanese read Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy - and War and Peace (and, indeed, Anna Karenina - we have a character called Vronsky!) is another model that this narrative could, but doesn't, follow: in fact, Japan's war with China is distanced by the Makioka family who use the constant circumlocution of 'the China Incident', just as Taeko's elopement with an unsuitable man is known by them as 'the newspaper incident'. So unpleasant, even horrific, things are covered up lexically, are marginalised within the terms of the family, and perhaps fester beneath the surface of their psyches manifesting as all that disease that fills the book?
On the surface level, then, this has the feel of a nineteenth century domestic novel: the emphasis on women's lives, the 'marriage plot' - but there are little narrative explosions that disrupt this comfortable reading: the 'national crisis' that seeps through occasionally before submerging again, the way the Makioka family get an income boost from some work picked up in the munitions industry, the fact that the final would-be bridegroom wants to be an architect but gets sidelined into work for the aeronautical industry. Even the sisters themselves start to fracture: the Tokyo family become more distanced, Sachiko gets angry with Yukiko's refusal to comply with family wishes, Taeko is sort of disowned by the family.
For all the gentle details of kimonos and calligraphy and tea ceremonies and traditional dancing and kabuki and cherry-blossom viewing, it's what's barely said that seems to have a shadowed, even monstrous presence in this book: Japanese imperial militarism, horrific massacres like the rape of Nanjing which took place invisibly in December 1937 while the Makioka family were enjoying their new year celebrations... None of these things are mentioned explicitly and the traces of war and politics are no more than a few words each time they appear before they are erased again. But I can't help feeling that there's more to this elusive, leisurely book than the nostalgic portrait that so many other readers see.
I've seen review after review that talks about how beautiful this novel is, how it portrays a now lost Japan, how it draws parallels with Jane Austen and the prevalent 'marriage plot' - all of which left me asking myself if that's really what this book is about. Partly that's because of my expectations: one doesn't generally get talked about as a Nobel prize candidate for writing lovely, peaceful, nostalgic fiction (admittedly, my only other Tanizaki, The Key, is very different in tone) and there are all kinds of fissures and crevices in the text that seem to point in a different direction completely.
It's important, too, to take account of the timings: the novel takes place from about 1936-1941, during Japan's war with China and ends just before Pearl Harbour brought Japan into WW2, and was written a handful of years later, completed therefore after Japan's defeat following Hiroshima and Nagasaki - events that presumably must have affected Tanizaki's intents here.
It seems to me that this is a book which sort of undoes the models it purports to be following: for all the ways it points towards Austen's Pride and Prejudice with the Bennet sisters, here the two sisters who the family want to get safely married off, both 'fail' and never become wives, albeit in different ways. Taeko with all her western modernity gets essentially turned out from the family and ends up as a 'fallen woman'; while Yukiko, the supposedly ideal Japanese woman, succeeds in scuppering all her courtships (and there are about five or six arranged marriages thrust at her throughout the book) with a kind of determined passive-aggressive stubbornness that sees her refusing to engage even socially with her potential husbands, even if that means embarrassing her family and causing them to lose face, a social sin of prime importance in Japanese culture. Even the end of the story which shows her on the way to get married finishes on this line: 'Yukiko's diarrhea persisted through the twenty-sixth, and was a problem on the train to Tokyo.' The end. Hmm, hardly Lizzie and Jane married jointly to the men of their dreams, is it?
It's worth saying, too, that this book is punctuated obsessively with illness and disease: from Sachiko who is constantly taking to her bed with colds and exhaustion, to strokes, beri-beri, jaundice, tuberculosis, scarlet fever, dysentery, anthrax, miscarriage, gangrene leading to amputation and then death, and a baby accidentally strangled at birth. It seems there's something very wrong, even rotten, in the state of the Japanese body as envisioned in this book.
At one point someone comments on how all Japanese read Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy - and War and Peace (and, indeed, Anna Karenina - we have a character called Vronsky!) is another model that this narrative could, but doesn't, follow: in fact, Japan's war with China is distanced by the Makioka family who use the constant circumlocution of 'the China Incident', just as Taeko's elopement with an unsuitable man is known by them as 'the newspaper incident'. So unpleasant, even horrific, things are covered up lexically, are marginalised within the terms of the family, and perhaps fester beneath the surface of their psyches manifesting as all that disease that fills the book?
On the surface level, then, this has the feel of a nineteenth century domestic novel: the emphasis on women's lives, the 'marriage plot' - but there are little narrative explosions that disrupt this comfortable reading: the 'national crisis' that seeps through occasionally before submerging again, the way the Makioka family get an income boost from some work picked up in the munitions industry, the fact that the final would-be bridegroom wants to be an architect but gets sidelined into work for the aeronautical industry. Even the sisters themselves start to fracture: the Tokyo family become more distanced, Sachiko gets angry with Yukiko's refusal to comply with family wishes, Taeko is sort of disowned by the family.
For all the gentle details of kimonos and calligraphy and tea ceremonies and traditional dancing and kabuki and cherry-blossom viewing, it's what's barely said that seems to have a shadowed, even monstrous presence in this book: Japanese imperial militarism, horrific massacres like the rape of Nanjing which took place invisibly in December 1937 while the Makioka family were enjoying their new year celebrations... None of these things are mentioned explicitly and the traces of war and politics are no more than a few words each time they appear before they are erased again. But I can't help feeling that there's more to this elusive, leisurely book than the nostalgic portrait that so many other readers see.
October 5, 2021
I'm not sure how (or why?) I made it through this novel. True, I did drag my feet, but at the time, had a lot going on and did not have much dedicated reading time...nevertheless, each evening, I couldn't wait to get to this book to laze through a few pages with the endearing (and infuriating at times) Makioka sisters!!! But why??? Nothing much really happens - well, actually a lot happens in this book, however there is really no central plot, but rather a series of events one after the other not seemingly connected in any way...and what a life of drama these ladies lead...
It must be the equivalent of oriental Downton Abbey with a smidge of Austen perhaps...there is a lot of love drama, especially where the two youngest sisters are concerned, there's natural disaters to overcome, numerous health crises, superstitions and strange traditions and customs that seem archaic even for WWII period Japan!
This novel makes it clear what women's roles were in 1930/40s Japanese society and the significant emphasis placed on class, wealth and more than anything societal status. Pressure to conform was immense. Nevertheless, it was also asounding to see how these wily women (seemingly at the mercy of their societal positions and gender) 'worked' around the men to get what the outcomes they wanted (most of the time) ... go the girls - I was mightily impressed. I guess what is unfortunate is that they needed to have 'work arounds' at all - to marry whom they desired, to pursue a career of their choosing, to decide whether to wear western or traditional clothing etc...
I must say I was sorry (though somewhat relieved) to reach the end of their saga, which did just trail off into no particular neat ending! I had become quite close to these sisters and wonder where their destinies ultimately led them in the post war years...
It must be the equivalent of oriental Downton Abbey with a smidge of Austen perhaps...there is a lot of love drama, especially where the two youngest sisters are concerned, there's natural disaters to overcome, numerous health crises, superstitions and strange traditions and customs that seem archaic even for WWII period Japan!
This novel makes it clear what women's roles were in 1930/40s Japanese society and the significant emphasis placed on class, wealth and more than anything societal status. Pressure to conform was immense. Nevertheless, it was also asounding to see how these wily women (seemingly at the mercy of their societal positions and gender) 'worked' around the men to get what the outcomes they wanted (most of the time) ... go the girls - I was mightily impressed. I guess what is unfortunate is that they needed to have 'work arounds' at all - to marry whom they desired, to pursue a career of their choosing, to decide whether to wear western or traditional clothing etc...
I must say I was sorry (though somewhat relieved) to reach the end of their saga, which did just trail off into no particular neat ending! I had become quite close to these sisters and wonder where their destinies ultimately led them in the post war years...
October 14, 2016
1930 ların Japonyası nasıldı, Japonya o yıllarda dünyaya nasıl bakardı, Japonyada insanlar nasıl yaşar ,hem gelenekçi hem yenilikçi nasıl oluyorlar gibi sorulara cevap bulduran, bu sitede bir arkadaşın yorumunda gördüğüm tavsiyeye uyarak bir harita ve not defteri ile japon müzikleri eşliğinde okurken orada yaşıyormuş gibi hissettiğim ama birtakım sorunlar nedeniyle uzuunn vadede okuduğum güzel japon kitabı
November 19, 2019
This is one of Junichiro Tanizaki's major novels covering a family of women in early 20th C Japan. It is beautifully written with extremely well fleshed out characters and an entrancing plot. It is probably my favourite Tanizaki book.
December 17, 2015
It's been such a long time since I've read a translation of the Japanese language. I had completely forgotten how calm and subtle the prose is, how patient you have to be in probing it. It's true that enough happens on the surface to make for a lengthy story, but it is the hidden depths that make the story engaging.
Most of the story is occupied with the lives of the Makioka sisters, focusing on the third sister who even at her advanced age has not yet been married. The book starts with discussion of yet another possible husband, but it is so much more than a drawn out soap opera. The main thing to remember is that no matter what trivial events are being described, they are all happening at the cusp of World War II. This event, at first only briefly referred to as the 'China Incident', grows increasingly important as more and more characters feel the effects.
All of the sisters are slow to act at the beginning, analyzing the latest events for weeks on end, spending months on decisions that in this era would barely last a day. Even the youngest sibling, who is seemingly very adventurous and self sufficient compared to her sisters, is shown to be just as stuck in the past as the rest of them. She is quickest to act in realization of the changing times, and as such is the quickest to fall victim to disaster. The story doesn't continue very far after her specific troubles are over, but all signs suggest that the other sisters will not be able to avoid the dangers of the coming war. They do not know it yet, but the world is changing into a place with no time for their old methodical approach to life, and their survival will be completely dependent on their ability to adapt.
The book is a prime example of characters not appreciating in the slightest what they have until it is gone. They move around their social spheres, content in using all their time to carefully ruminate on the smallest problems from all angles, while making apologies for the slightest supposed missteps. Any hint of the dirty facts of reality is met with immovable contempt and disapproval, and in this day and age, the intrusions of reality are usually small enough that this stubbornness is enough to make them disappear. As time continues, the characters find it increasingly difficult to continue their way of life without acknowledgement of the current wartime conditions, but they still manage to succeed till the very end of this story.
The book ends with discussion of the latest banal details of life, but sprinkled throughout are the hopes that each character has for the future. As the reader knows, soon after the end of the novel Japan would descend into chaos and misery as the war made itself known, something that the author himself was completely aware of. Writing this story in Japan from 1943-1948, he would've known full well what kind of journey he was sending his characters on. He would've experienced the worsening way of life that culminated in a final blow when Japan was bombed into surrender, and watched as even the Emperor surrendered to the demands of the outside world. His intimate descriptions of pre-WWII Japan are not only highly accurate, they clearly emphasize how traumatic the war will be to a country so slow and stubborn in its ways of life.
If he had gone on to write more, it is obvious that not even the isolated Makioka family would have been able to remain unscathed. There is little chance that any of their hopes for the future that continued beyond the novel would have been realized. What is certain is that their petty feuds and selfish desires would pale in comparison to the rampant death and destruction, and the war would trigger a mental crisis of the entire population. The days where the family of these sisters could afford to be surprised at 'hasty' actions, something commented on throughout the novel, would be at an end. Whether they survived this abrupt shove into modern times is anyone's guess.
Most of the story is occupied with the lives of the Makioka sisters, focusing on the third sister who even at her advanced age has not yet been married. The book starts with discussion of yet another possible husband, but it is so much more than a drawn out soap opera. The main thing to remember is that no matter what trivial events are being described, they are all happening at the cusp of World War II. This event, at first only briefly referred to as the 'China Incident', grows increasingly important as more and more characters feel the effects.
All of the sisters are slow to act at the beginning, analyzing the latest events for weeks on end, spending months on decisions that in this era would barely last a day. Even the youngest sibling, who is seemingly very adventurous and self sufficient compared to her sisters, is shown to be just as stuck in the past as the rest of them. She is quickest to act in realization of the changing times, and as such is the quickest to fall victim to disaster. The story doesn't continue very far after her specific troubles are over, but all signs suggest that the other sisters will not be able to avoid the dangers of the coming war. They do not know it yet, but the world is changing into a place with no time for their old methodical approach to life, and their survival will be completely dependent on their ability to adapt.
The book is a prime example of characters not appreciating in the slightest what they have until it is gone. They move around their social spheres, content in using all their time to carefully ruminate on the smallest problems from all angles, while making apologies for the slightest supposed missteps. Any hint of the dirty facts of reality is met with immovable contempt and disapproval, and in this day and age, the intrusions of reality are usually small enough that this stubbornness is enough to make them disappear. As time continues, the characters find it increasingly difficult to continue their way of life without acknowledgement of the current wartime conditions, but they still manage to succeed till the very end of this story.
The book ends with discussion of the latest banal details of life, but sprinkled throughout are the hopes that each character has for the future. As the reader knows, soon after the end of the novel Japan would descend into chaos and misery as the war made itself known, something that the author himself was completely aware of. Writing this story in Japan from 1943-1948, he would've known full well what kind of journey he was sending his characters on. He would've experienced the worsening way of life that culminated in a final blow when Japan was bombed into surrender, and watched as even the Emperor surrendered to the demands of the outside world. His intimate descriptions of pre-WWII Japan are not only highly accurate, they clearly emphasize how traumatic the war will be to a country so slow and stubborn in its ways of life.
If he had gone on to write more, it is obvious that not even the isolated Makioka family would have been able to remain unscathed. There is little chance that any of their hopes for the future that continued beyond the novel would have been realized. What is certain is that their petty feuds and selfish desires would pale in comparison to the rampant death and destruction, and the war would trigger a mental crisis of the entire population. The days where the family of these sisters could afford to be surprised at 'hasty' actions, something commented on throughout the novel, would be at an end. Whether they survived this abrupt shove into modern times is anyone's guess.
November 24, 2020
Esta maravilla de Junichiro Tanizaki transcurre entre 1936 y 1941, una época de cambio en Europa y en Asia con una guerra mundial a las puertas y en un momento en que los cambios sociales que se avecinaban en un pais como Japón, iban a ser cruciales para la desaparición del viejo mundo tradicional y rígido. La novela nos cuenta la historia en estos años de las cuatro hermanas Makioka pertenecientes a la alta clase burguesa de Osaka sin embargo a la muerte del padre, su influencia y prosperidad empieza a decaer. Las dos hermanas mayores, se casan y sus maridos adoptan el apellido Makioka para que no se pierda, y es el marido de la hermana mayor, Tsuruko quién se convierte en el cabeza de familia, con todo lo que eso implica: control absoluto de la economia familiar y control absoluto del resto de la familia, especialmente de las dos cuñadas menores, todavía solteras. El cabeza de familia convierte en su objetivo casarlas pero como la tradición y las rígidas normas de etiqueta marcan, deben ser casadas por orden de edad (y por supuesto con hombres sin tacha usando un férreo protocolo investigando estos probables partidos), asi que cuando empieza esta novela, Yukiko ya en la treintena, está en una especie de carrera contrarreloj en el camino que le marcan para la búsqueda de un marido por parte de la familia.
"-Me dicen que todavía está soltera, señorita Yukiko, -llegó una voz turbia desde un extremo de la sala- ¿Cómo puede ser?
-Llevamos retraso con respecto al tiempo establecido -dijo Taeko, siempre con un perfecto dominio de si misma- así que pensamos que ya da igual el tiempo que tardemos para encontrar a alguien realmente bueno.
-Pero están tardando demasiado tiempo.
-Oh venga, ¿alguna vez es demasiado tarde?"
Es una novela apasionante no sólo por lo bien escrita y por esta linea argumental que es como un río que guía toda la narración, sino por todo lo que deja entrever Tanizaki sobre Japón, su rígida y encorsetada alta sociedad. Es un momento clave en el sentido de que la tradición oriental se ve enfrentada a los nuevos vientos occidentales que les van influyendo y no desde el exterior, sino incluso desde el interior de la familia, porque la hermana menor, Taeko está muy abierta a la influencia occidental mientras que Yukiko es el ejemplo de la mujer japonesa típica, sumisa y frágil. Sin embargo, la narración de Tanizaki es ejemplar en la forma en que bajo esta fragilidad y sumision, se debate una rebeldia muy sútil:
"Pero la timida e introvertida Yukiko, incapaz como era de abrir la boca en presencia de extraños, poseía un temperamento fuerte que era difícil de conciliar con su aparente docilidad. Tatsuo descubrió que su cuñada, a veces, no era tan sumisa como parecía."
Es una novela lenta que se va desplegando poco a poco como uno de estos abanicos japoneses y con mucha información entre lineas, el lector tiene que bucear entre esta corrección de las apariencias para captar las tensiones familiares; y al principio el lector se puede sentir descolocado por los nombres japoneses sin saber situarlos pero no le llevará mucho tiempo controlarlos a todos como si fueran nuestros. Bajo la excusa de la carrera contrarreloj de la búsqueda de un marido para Yukiko, para que la pequeña no tenga que esperar toda una vida a casarse también, Tanizaki nos va envolviendo en lo que es Japón a través de la vida doméstica, la relación entre señores y criados, los encorsetados rituales familiares en lo referente a respetar la jerarquia masculina a la hora de tomar decisiones, las referencias a la influencia exterior sobre todo en lo que se refiere a los vientos de guerra, el declive de la clase social y de cómo se van concienciando poco a poco a lo largo de estos años, que ya no son lo que eran y que quizás deberían hacer la vista gorda a la hora de respetar las apariencias. Se centra sobre todo en la psicologia femenina con una sutilidad magistral (¿quién dijo que un hombre no puede escribir sobre mujeres sin que se vea la diferencia???): ellas están completamente controladas por los hombres de la familia pero también se las arreglan para mostrar una rebeldia desde dentro, desde sus emociones y qué bien lo describe Tanizaki.
"Tatsuo, además, se opone por completo a que se convierta del modo que sea en una mujer trabajadora. Espera que su meta sea siempre realizar una buena boda cuando llegue el momento, para convertirse en una buena esposa y madre de familia".
Crónica sobre un Japón confundido, una clase en declive zarandeada entre tradición y progreso, Oriente y Occidente (la sola elección entre vestirse con un kimono o con ropas occidentales define este cambio), entre rituales claustrofóbicos y vientos liberales, esta novela es una joya por todo lo que cuenta a través de las vidas de estas hermanas. El mundo de las apariencias donde un miembro de la familia podía ser expulsado y sacrificado por un detalle que a nosotros ahora nos podría parecer una nimiedad, donde el dinero y la clase eran lo esencial y por supuesto donde la voz femenina era completamente silenciada en beneficio del prestigio social (ellas siempre las sacrificadas), marcan a mi entender, el hilo central de la novela. Y como he comentado antes... que sea precisamente un hombre el que escriba tan bien sobre ellas, me conmueve. Esta novela fue escrita en los años 40, precisamente en una época en que los escritores japoneses lo tenían dificilísimo debido a la censura del estado e incluso esta obra fue bloqueada por el gobierno. Tanizaki distribuyó copias por su cuenta y riesgo y en secreto en su ámbito más privado. Después de la 2ª Guerra Mundial se publicó entre 1946 y 1948 en tres partes. Una de las joyas de la literatura universal.
"Mi única esperanza es que alguien se case con ella. Poco importa ya quién sea, incluso aunque hubiera de terminar en divorcio".
"-Me dicen que todavía está soltera, señorita Yukiko, -llegó una voz turbia desde un extremo de la sala- ¿Cómo puede ser?
-Llevamos retraso con respecto al tiempo establecido -dijo Taeko, siempre con un perfecto dominio de si misma- así que pensamos que ya da igual el tiempo que tardemos para encontrar a alguien realmente bueno.
-Pero están tardando demasiado tiempo.
-Oh venga, ¿alguna vez es demasiado tarde?"
Es una novela apasionante no sólo por lo bien escrita y por esta linea argumental que es como un río que guía toda la narración, sino por todo lo que deja entrever Tanizaki sobre Japón, su rígida y encorsetada alta sociedad. Es un momento clave en el sentido de que la tradición oriental se ve enfrentada a los nuevos vientos occidentales que les van influyendo y no desde el exterior, sino incluso desde el interior de la familia, porque la hermana menor, Taeko está muy abierta a la influencia occidental mientras que Yukiko es el ejemplo de la mujer japonesa típica, sumisa y frágil. Sin embargo, la narración de Tanizaki es ejemplar en la forma en que bajo esta fragilidad y sumision, se debate una rebeldia muy sútil:
"Pero la timida e introvertida Yukiko, incapaz como era de abrir la boca en presencia de extraños, poseía un temperamento fuerte que era difícil de conciliar con su aparente docilidad. Tatsuo descubrió que su cuñada, a veces, no era tan sumisa como parecía."
Es una novela lenta que se va desplegando poco a poco como uno de estos abanicos japoneses y con mucha información entre lineas, el lector tiene que bucear entre esta corrección de las apariencias para captar las tensiones familiares; y al principio el lector se puede sentir descolocado por los nombres japoneses sin saber situarlos pero no le llevará mucho tiempo controlarlos a todos como si fueran nuestros. Bajo la excusa de la carrera contrarreloj de la búsqueda de un marido para Yukiko, para que la pequeña no tenga que esperar toda una vida a casarse también, Tanizaki nos va envolviendo en lo que es Japón a través de la vida doméstica, la relación entre señores y criados, los encorsetados rituales familiares en lo referente a respetar la jerarquia masculina a la hora de tomar decisiones, las referencias a la influencia exterior sobre todo en lo que se refiere a los vientos de guerra, el declive de la clase social y de cómo se van concienciando poco a poco a lo largo de estos años, que ya no son lo que eran y que quizás deberían hacer la vista gorda a la hora de respetar las apariencias. Se centra sobre todo en la psicologia femenina con una sutilidad magistral (¿quién dijo que un hombre no puede escribir sobre mujeres sin que se vea la diferencia???): ellas están completamente controladas por los hombres de la familia pero también se las arreglan para mostrar una rebeldia desde dentro, desde sus emociones y qué bien lo describe Tanizaki.
"Tatsuo, además, se opone por completo a que se convierta del modo que sea en una mujer trabajadora. Espera que su meta sea siempre realizar una buena boda cuando llegue el momento, para convertirse en una buena esposa y madre de familia".
Crónica sobre un Japón confundido, una clase en declive zarandeada entre tradición y progreso, Oriente y Occidente (la sola elección entre vestirse con un kimono o con ropas occidentales define este cambio), entre rituales claustrofóbicos y vientos liberales, esta novela es una joya por todo lo que cuenta a través de las vidas de estas hermanas. El mundo de las apariencias donde un miembro de la familia podía ser expulsado y sacrificado por un detalle que a nosotros ahora nos podría parecer una nimiedad, donde el dinero y la clase eran lo esencial y por supuesto donde la voz femenina era completamente silenciada en beneficio del prestigio social (ellas siempre las sacrificadas), marcan a mi entender, el hilo central de la novela. Y como he comentado antes... que sea precisamente un hombre el que escriba tan bien sobre ellas, me conmueve. Esta novela fue escrita en los años 40, precisamente en una época en que los escritores japoneses lo tenían dificilísimo debido a la censura del estado e incluso esta obra fue bloqueada por el gobierno. Tanizaki distribuyó copias por su cuenta y riesgo y en secreto en su ámbito más privado. Después de la 2ª Guerra Mundial se publicó entre 1946 y 1948 en tres partes. Una de las joyas de la literatura universal.
"Mi única esperanza es que alguien se case con ella. Poco importa ya quién sea, incluso aunque hubiera de terminar en divorcio".
February 20, 2019
Simplemente maravilloso. No olvidaré nunca estas semanas pasadas en compañía de la familia Makioka. El tiempo parecía suspendido durante la lectura y solo existía para mi la vida entre las paredes de la casa familiar de Ashiya, los vagones de tren conectando Osaka y Tokio y, por supuesto, la cita anual para ver la floración de los cerezos en los jardines de Kioto. Cinco estrellas más que merecidas.
Gracias, gracias y gracias por descubrírmelo mi querida Magrat <3
Gracias, gracias y gracias por descubrírmelo mi querida Magrat <3
March 31, 2009
I really wanted (and fully expected) to love this book. I loved Tanizaki's Naomi but for reasons that I can't properly express I never found myself engrossed in this as I'd hoped to be. I'd get into for a bit, get bored, put it down for a few weeks and then pick it up again.
I can however understand why this book is so well regarded and I really keep vacillating on how to rate it. Set in Japan, it's an intimate look at a family of four sisters, their husbands, lovers or lack thereof and immediate family and friends. It's a book that deals primarily with the mundane. The last sentence of the book (and this isn't revealing anything) is about one of the character's diarrhea.
I have only read one other Tanizaki book but I gather that he frequently deals with obsession and this book is obsessively mundane. In small doses, it's truly stunning but after awhile I just didn't care that one of the sisters couldn't get a husband to save her life or that the youngest one was tramping around.
And admittedly this is my own problem, not a fault of the book's but I also had a hard time ignoring the fact that the book was published (in parts I believe) in the years immediately following WWII and takes place in the years immediately preceding the war and yet there is very little talk of the war in the book. I kept waiting for the war to rear its ugly head. Their neighbors were German and I rather foolishly thought oh, ho, that's got to mean something but it didn't. And then I started thinking about how I live in a country at war and yet it doesn't affect my life in any tangible way as far as my daily activities go. And that's I suspect precisely Tanizaki's point. Life goes on. Diarrhea happens...
I can however understand why this book is so well regarded and I really keep vacillating on how to rate it. Set in Japan, it's an intimate look at a family of four sisters, their husbands, lovers or lack thereof and immediate family and friends. It's a book that deals primarily with the mundane. The last sentence of the book (and this isn't revealing anything) is about one of the character's diarrhea.
I have only read one other Tanizaki book but I gather that he frequently deals with obsession and this book is obsessively mundane. In small doses, it's truly stunning but after awhile I just didn't care that one of the sisters couldn't get a husband to save her life or that the youngest one was tramping around.
And admittedly this is my own problem, not a fault of the book's but I also had a hard time ignoring the fact that the book was published (in parts I believe) in the years immediately following WWII and takes place in the years immediately preceding the war and yet there is very little talk of the war in the book. I kept waiting for the war to rear its ugly head. Their neighbors were German and I rather foolishly thought oh, ho, that's got to mean something but it didn't. And then I started thinking about how I live in a country at war and yet it doesn't affect my life in any tangible way as far as my daily activities go. And that's I suspect precisely Tanizaki's point. Life goes on. Diarrhea happens...
June 9, 2022
I think what I like most about this was being submerged in the world of the Makioka sisters and in Japan of the 1930s and early 40s. Every time a new place was mentioned I used Google maps - so that I was aware of the distance between Osaka and Kobe, or Ashiya - where Sachiko lives and the distance to Kyoto where they go for cherry viewing and then of course Tokyo -that cold and distant city in the east with its hard dialect. What I didn't like was I suspect the translation, sometimes it was hard work to focus on the details - the story is one of details but the consistently plain translation left something to be desired. Despite this major criticism I have given the five stars - here are my reasons.
1 - I'm not often surprised in plots; I can usually guess from the various hints and clues along the way what is going to happen, this time however, I was truly shocked when O-haru, the maid relays all the juicy, intimate details of Taeko's behaviour from the old woman who takes care of the spoilt Okubata - the man she has been seeing against her family's wishes since she was 19. I think I reeled from all the tacky details just as much as Sachiko did - but there is worse to come - if that's possible - from Taeko.
2 - Tanizaki keeps us guessing until almost the final page as to whether Yukiko's final 'miai' will actually result in a marriage. I found myself reading faster and faster, surely experiencing all the same emotions that the family were feeling. I think in the course of the story Yukiko endures five failed 'miais'. A 'miai' - is the formal meeting, usually over dinner when both families in a marriage proposal can interview the other. It is usually the result of several weeks or months of diplomatic conversations prompted by the go-between and also, there is an extensive series of investigations carried out by both families into every detail.
I felt as if the story speeded up considerably in the last third, almost as if Tanizaki himself was a little tired of all the shenanigans he puts the Makiokas through to demonstrate his point.
3 - There is a very clear and simple point. Yukiko the third sister, is shy and retiring, she always speaks in a soft voice, is afraid to use the telephone and always dresses in Japanese kimono. Takeo the youngest sister, is wayward, industrious, unafraid to tackle the outside word, but also sexually profligate and worse - if worse can be imagined. The story ends with Tankizaki clearly choosing a side. So it is clear that Yukiko and Taeko are symbolic representations of Japan old and new.
4 - The other element of the story I particularly liked is how all the detail allows us to understand the intricate and formal - at least from a western perspective - nature of family structure and all the necessary courtesies that are required. We are able to follow because of our narrator, Sachiko, she is the happily married second sister. It is Sachiko and her husband, Teinosuke who have taken on the responsible and arduous task of finding husbands for the younger two sisters. For almost the whole story each individual story is either brought to Sachiko or of necessity related to her, and so we see her thoughts on what should or shouldn't be done and how it will effect either someone inside or outside the family, and how the family is perceived by the society of Osaka and Tokyo.
As a reader you need to pay attention because the value system is not one we are familiar with, and the psychological examinations of correct form and behaviour are complex. On the other hand, it's strange how much you become involved and start to share similar reactions, for example when we learn that Taeko has asked Okubata to steal jewels from his family's shop for her, but then when questioned by Sachiko as to her numerous luxury items and what exactly her relationship with Okubata is, Taeko insists that the relationship is 'clean'.
What I primarily learnt from this submersion into the life of a Japanese family in the years 1936-41 - is something that I found very admirable. The family treats all members with a deep respect. Even when there are clear differences of opinion, the leading members of the family, in this case Sachiko and Teinosuke do everything possible to avoid arguments, unpleasantness or any possibility of a splintering, or dissolution of the family unity.
Despite all the horrors resulting from Taeko's behaviour all three elder sisters are prepared sooner or later to forgive and forget; again it is the family unit that is of foremost importance.
5 - In addition to the family structure and family politics, we also learn about Japanese culture. The Makioka family are keen supporters of the arts, in the tradition of their father, the now deceased Makioka patriarch. There are many references to famous Kabuki actors, to the Nō theatre, to poets, to artists to the skills of koto and samisen. The sisters play the piano, Etsuko, Sachiko's daughter will eventually be sent to Germany to train in music. Taeko is a traditional dancer, and all the sisters learn French and English. They visit the cinema often and watch American and English as well as Japanese films. And then there is the food - enough!
1 - I'm not often surprised in plots; I can usually guess from the various hints and clues along the way what is going to happen, this time however, I was truly shocked when O-haru, the maid relays all the juicy, intimate details of Taeko's behaviour from the old woman who takes care of the spoilt Okubata - the man she has been seeing against her family's wishes since she was 19. I think I reeled from all the tacky details just as much as Sachiko did - but there is worse to come - if that's possible - from Taeko.
2 - Tanizaki keeps us guessing until almost the final page as to whether Yukiko's final 'miai' will actually result in a marriage. I found myself reading faster and faster, surely experiencing all the same emotions that the family were feeling. I think in the course of the story Yukiko endures five failed 'miais'. A 'miai' - is the formal meeting, usually over dinner when both families in a marriage proposal can interview the other. It is usually the result of several weeks or months of diplomatic conversations prompted by the go-between and also, there is an extensive series of investigations carried out by both families into every detail.
I felt as if the story speeded up considerably in the last third, almost as if Tanizaki himself was a little tired of all the shenanigans he puts the Makiokas through to demonstrate his point.
3 - There is a very clear and simple point. Yukiko the third sister, is shy and retiring, she always speaks in a soft voice, is afraid to use the telephone and always dresses in Japanese kimono. Takeo the youngest sister, is wayward, industrious, unafraid to tackle the outside word, but also sexually profligate and worse - if worse can be imagined. The story ends with Tankizaki clearly choosing a side. So it is clear that Yukiko and Taeko are symbolic representations of Japan old and new.
4 - The other element of the story I particularly liked is how all the detail allows us to understand the intricate and formal - at least from a western perspective - nature of family structure and all the necessary courtesies that are required. We are able to follow because of our narrator, Sachiko, she is the happily married second sister. It is Sachiko and her husband, Teinosuke who have taken on the responsible and arduous task of finding husbands for the younger two sisters. For almost the whole story each individual story is either brought to Sachiko or of necessity related to her, and so we see her thoughts on what should or shouldn't be done and how it will effect either someone inside or outside the family, and how the family is perceived by the society of Osaka and Tokyo.
As a reader you need to pay attention because the value system is not one we are familiar with, and the psychological examinations of correct form and behaviour are complex. On the other hand, it's strange how much you become involved and start to share similar reactions, for example when we learn that Taeko has asked Okubata to steal jewels from his family's shop for her, but then when questioned by Sachiko as to her numerous luxury items and what exactly her relationship with Okubata is, Taeko insists that the relationship is 'clean'.
What I primarily learnt from this submersion into the life of a Japanese family in the years 1936-41 - is something that I found very admirable. The family treats all members with a deep respect. Even when there are clear differences of opinion, the leading members of the family, in this case Sachiko and Teinosuke do everything possible to avoid arguments, unpleasantness or any possibility of a splintering, or dissolution of the family unity.
Despite all the horrors resulting from Taeko's behaviour all three elder sisters are prepared sooner or later to forgive and forget; again it is the family unit that is of foremost importance.
5 - In addition to the family structure and family politics, we also learn about Japanese culture. The Makioka family are keen supporters of the arts, in the tradition of their father, the now deceased Makioka patriarch. There are many references to famous Kabuki actors, to the Nō theatre, to poets, to artists to the skills of koto and samisen. The sisters play the piano, Etsuko, Sachiko's daughter will eventually be sent to Germany to train in music. Taeko is a traditional dancer, and all the sisters learn French and English. They visit the cinema often and watch American and English as well as Japanese films. And then there is the food - enough!
September 9, 2016
Una novela maravillosa, que me ha recordado en su estilo a otras grandes historias como 'La edad de la inocencia', 'La saga de los Forsyte' o a las de Jane Austen. Eso sí, al más puro estilo oriental, pausado y extremadamente bello, poniendo atención a cada sentimiento.
De las novelas japonesas que he leído, sin duda se encuentra ya entre mis preferidas.
De las novelas japonesas que he leído, sin duda se encuentra ya entre mis preferidas.
June 7, 2022
Some time ago, I saw a list of the best Japanese novels compiled by David Mitchell (of Cloud Atlas fame). The Makioka Sisters was the first book on his list of favourites.
Naturally, I then read The Makioka Sisters and can see why it is considered a classic, and people feel it deserves a place at the top of many lists. It is a quiet novel of forceful personalities, and the tension between what is felt to be traditional and the contrasting pull of what is seen to be necessary, or contemporary.
The pre-World War II years in Japan were a potent stew of contrasts and conflicts — in the country and, as brilliantly illustrated here, within families. There are four Marioka sisters, and so, in effect, this novel is a type of quartet, with four voices, four characters who each have their own style, their own dreams and aspirations, and their own fate.
Also, I learned it is a good idea to respect David Mitchell's book recommendations!
Naturally, I then read The Makioka Sisters and can see why it is considered a classic, and people feel it deserves a place at the top of many lists. It is a quiet novel of forceful personalities, and the tension between what is felt to be traditional and the contrasting pull of what is seen to be necessary, or contemporary.
The pre-World War II years in Japan were a potent stew of contrasts and conflicts — in the country and, as brilliantly illustrated here, within families. There are four Marioka sisters, and so, in effect, this novel is a type of quartet, with four voices, four characters who each have their own style, their own dreams and aspirations, and their own fate.
Also, I learned it is a good idea to respect David Mitchell's book recommendations!
December 18, 2023
https://www.instagram.com/p/CsTqYUZrm...
A charming classic that explores the uneasy balance between pride and arrogance, tradition and modernity, and outward appearances and internal struggles. Each sister of the Makioka family adds depth and insight into the culture and changing tides of 1930’s-1940’s Japan, highlighting the conflicts between class, region, and image. This is a story that navigates the declining of fortune and status in a society that prioritizes both, but it is also a story of perseverance and family ties. It is a journey of pursuing personal interest and ambition, standing up for love, and finding ways to adapt with changing times while preserving tradition and culture. This novel is both frustrating and endearing, insightful and true to life, a fulfilling read for any fan of classic literature.
A charming classic that explores the uneasy balance between pride and arrogance, tradition and modernity, and outward appearances and internal struggles. Each sister of the Makioka family adds depth and insight into the culture and changing tides of 1930’s-1940’s Japan, highlighting the conflicts between class, region, and image. This is a story that navigates the declining of fortune and status in a society that prioritizes both, but it is also a story of perseverance and family ties. It is a journey of pursuing personal interest and ambition, standing up for love, and finding ways to adapt with changing times while preserving tradition and culture. This novel is both frustrating and endearing, insightful and true to life, a fulfilling read for any fan of classic literature.
August 3, 2012
A quiet book that portrays Japan at a time of great change, the late 1930s to early 1941, through the story of one family and their interactions with provincial and larger Japanese world. The Makioka sisters represent a culture on the brink, struggling to retain it's traditional identity in the face of change both internal and international. The modern world is coming whether this family wants it or not.
This is not a novel for those looking for adventure or action. It's for those who want character, good writing, a picture of a society on the cusp of change and a family coping with old traditions in this world. I continue to be surprised by the wonderful Asian writing I'm discovering this year.
Highly recommended.
This is not a novel for those looking for adventure or action. It's for those who want character, good writing, a picture of a society on the cusp of change and a family coping with old traditions in this world. I continue to be surprised by the wonderful Asian writing I'm discovering this year.
Highly recommended.
December 22, 2020
3,5. Tanizaki es uno de los autores de más grande nombre en Japón y también uno de los que más ha sido publicado en nuestro país. Tenemos muchos de sus libros traducidos y eso es una gozada, porque pasa con poquitos autores nipones. Mi primer acercamiento al autor fue el año pasado con "Arenas Movedizas", que fue un relato perturbador que me encantó. Es completamente opuesto al tipo de libro que me he encontrado con "Las hermanas Makioka".
Desde que fui conciente de la existencia de "Las hermanas Makioka" supe que tenía que leerlo. Las historias de hermanas me flipan y fue imposible no pensar en que fuera un Mujercitas a la japonesa. Cuatro hermanas en el Japón en los momentos previos a la Segunda Guerra Mundial. La cosa pintaba increíble. Y debo decir que aunque lo he disfrutado, no ha sido tan redondo como mis expectativas creían que serían, ni de cerca.
La historia nos va a hablar de cuatro hermanas de una familia que pervive del nombre que un día tuvo, y vive a expensas de no perder el honor que ese apellido aún les aporta. Las hermanas son Tsuruko, Sachiko, Yukiko y Taeko. Tsuruko la mayor, casada desde hace años con Tatsuo y con 6 hijos, es la hermana más apartada. Sumisa ante su marido, es la que más sufre la falta de dinero que los últimos años han traído con ellos. Sachicko solo ha tenido una hija llamada Etsuko con Teinosuke, en los doce años que llevan casados. Yukiko, timida e introvertida, lleva años solapando intentos de matrimonio fallidos y su mala suerte empieza a pesar en la familia. Por último tenemos a Taeko, la más moderna de la familia, sueña con vivir de su propio trabajo y anhela esa independencia que la machista sociedad nipona de la época le prohibie a la mujer.
Rápidamente nos daremos cuenta de que el peso de la historia recae en Sachiko, y que pasa sus días tratando de mantener a la familia unida, pero sobre todo, tratando de aparentar y mantener un ideal de familia que no permita las habladurías. Tsuruko, al ser la única de las hermanas que vive en otro sitio, queda en un segundo plano desde el inicio y solo aparece en contadas ocasiones. Yukiko es un personaje que me ha descolocado mucho, a ratos parecía fuerte y quería hacer su voluntad, y otros se me antojaba sumisa y que solo quería encajar en el ideal de mujer recatada de la época.
Sin ningún tipo de duda el mejor personaje es la hermana menor, Taeko. Luchadora e independiente. Vive para hacer su voluntad, trabaja, estudia, aprende baile, mantiene relaciones con hombres que ella elige, no sus familiares. Esto le hace llevarse fatal con sus dos cuñados, que son los que, al morir el padre de las Makioka, mandan en la familia. En este sistema machista tan jerarquizado, los maridos de la herederas son los que mandan y todo es suyo. Según que momentos dan mucha impotencia. Taeko es constantemente tratada como una mala mujer, casi una apestada por querer vivir su vida. No sé si el autor quiso mostrar lo injustamente que la sociedad trata a Taeko o si realmente la pensaba como un personaje criticable, pero ha sido el único personaje me ha hecho empatizar en toda la novela. Su rebeldía en la búsqueda de su libertad ha sido el punto fuerte de la novela, sin ningún tipo de dudas.
La historia se centra mucho en los posibles matrimonios de Yukiko, en como Sachiko sufre por ella y como también sufre por lo indómito del carácter de Taeko. Como Tsuruko pasa de las tres, salvo cuando su marido quiere apartentar y les ordena cosas. Esperaba encontar más unión de hermanas y no he encontrado ese cariño real entre ellas. Eso me ha aguado la fiesta un poco debo admitir. Incluso Sachiko, que parecía ser las más sentimental de las hermanas, antepone el que diran al bienestar de sus hermanas. También creía que les pillaría la guerra por derecho, y habría algo de drama, pero no ha sido así. El final me ha dejado a cuadros. No lo he entendido, la verdad.
Después de mucho analizar sus pros y sus contras he decidido dejarle las 3,5 estrellas. He disfrutado mucho la descripción de la sociedad que hace y como muestra toda esa hipocresia de mantener el estatus a toda costa, aunque te estés muriendo de hambre en secreto, pero le ha faltado algo para terminar de ganarme. Eso sí, Taeko es un personaje espectacular. Tanizaki es un autor imprescindible.
Desde que fui conciente de la existencia de "Las hermanas Makioka" supe que tenía que leerlo. Las historias de hermanas me flipan y fue imposible no pensar en que fuera un Mujercitas a la japonesa. Cuatro hermanas en el Japón en los momentos previos a la Segunda Guerra Mundial. La cosa pintaba increíble. Y debo decir que aunque lo he disfrutado, no ha sido tan redondo como mis expectativas creían que serían, ni de cerca.
La historia nos va a hablar de cuatro hermanas de una familia que pervive del nombre que un día tuvo, y vive a expensas de no perder el honor que ese apellido aún les aporta. Las hermanas son Tsuruko, Sachiko, Yukiko y Taeko. Tsuruko la mayor, casada desde hace años con Tatsuo y con 6 hijos, es la hermana más apartada. Sumisa ante su marido, es la que más sufre la falta de dinero que los últimos años han traído con ellos. Sachicko solo ha tenido una hija llamada Etsuko con Teinosuke, en los doce años que llevan casados. Yukiko, timida e introvertida, lleva años solapando intentos de matrimonio fallidos y su mala suerte empieza a pesar en la familia. Por último tenemos a Taeko, la más moderna de la familia, sueña con vivir de su propio trabajo y anhela esa independencia que la machista sociedad nipona de la época le prohibie a la mujer.
Rápidamente nos daremos cuenta de que el peso de la historia recae en Sachiko, y que pasa sus días tratando de mantener a la familia unida, pero sobre todo, tratando de aparentar y mantener un ideal de familia que no permita las habladurías. Tsuruko, al ser la única de las hermanas que vive en otro sitio, queda en un segundo plano desde el inicio y solo aparece en contadas ocasiones. Yukiko es un personaje que me ha descolocado mucho, a ratos parecía fuerte y quería hacer su voluntad, y otros se me antojaba sumisa y que solo quería encajar en el ideal de mujer recatada de la época.
Sin ningún tipo de duda el mejor personaje es la hermana menor, Taeko. Luchadora e independiente. Vive para hacer su voluntad, trabaja, estudia, aprende baile, mantiene relaciones con hombres que ella elige, no sus familiares. Esto le hace llevarse fatal con sus dos cuñados, que son los que, al morir el padre de las Makioka, mandan en la familia. En este sistema machista tan jerarquizado, los maridos de la herederas son los que mandan y todo es suyo. Según que momentos dan mucha impotencia. Taeko es constantemente tratada como una mala mujer, casi una apestada por querer vivir su vida. No sé si el autor quiso mostrar lo injustamente que la sociedad trata a Taeko o si realmente la pensaba como un personaje criticable, pero ha sido el único personaje me ha hecho empatizar en toda la novela. Su rebeldía en la búsqueda de su libertad ha sido el punto fuerte de la novela, sin ningún tipo de dudas.
La historia se centra mucho en los posibles matrimonios de Yukiko, en como Sachiko sufre por ella y como también sufre por lo indómito del carácter de Taeko. Como Tsuruko pasa de las tres, salvo cuando su marido quiere apartentar y les ordena cosas. Esperaba encontar más unión de hermanas y no he encontrado ese cariño real entre ellas. Eso me ha aguado la fiesta un poco debo admitir. Incluso Sachiko, que parecía ser las más sentimental de las hermanas, antepone el que diran al bienestar de sus hermanas. También creía que les pillaría la guerra por derecho, y habría algo de drama, pero no ha sido así. El final me ha dejado a cuadros. No lo he entendido, la verdad.
Después de mucho analizar sus pros y sus contras he decidido dejarle las 3,5 estrellas. He disfrutado mucho la descripción de la sociedad que hace y como muestra toda esa hipocresia de mantener el estatus a toda costa, aunque te estés muriendo de hambre en secreto, pero le ha faltado algo para terminar de ganarme. Eso sí, Taeko es un personaje espectacular. Tanizaki es un autor imprescindible.
October 31, 2020
I had only been familiar with Tanizaki's small classic "In Praise of Shadows" (I've reviewed here on GR)--a window into Japanese traditional culture/aesthetics I absolutely treasure--but had not read any of his fiction. The Makioka Sisters is a beautiful novel set just on the brink of WWII in Japan, the story of four sisters of an old but down at heels Osaka family, the Makiokas, and their efforts to marry off the third sister so that the fourth one too can marry...
Gently-paced and fully detailed, I was enraptured with the yearly rounds of Japanese life and the interactions between these four women, their lives intimately illustrating issues of social class, family obligation, honor and tradition, and the way individual desire, personality and talents interact with that framework. Then add in generalized trends to modernization and westernization already in play in the 1930's, when the book is set--just on the brink of WWII. There are faint intimations of war--'The China Incident' is mentioned a couple of times, Manchuria becomes a place a businessman might be reposted, there are German next door neighbors who return to Europe because of rumors of war--and eventually the war begins, but everything seen distantly, as if through a fogged window.
These times are like the cherry blossoms the sisters gather to view every spring, the bloom only lasting three days--the Japanese name of the novel is Light Snow, which refers to the impermanency of falling cherry blossoms. The poignancy of these sisters struggling with their personal problems within a tradition which only partly outmoded is heightened--as we know and they do not, that it will all be erased by disaster.
The story is told from the point of view of the well-married second sister, Sachiko, who lives in the outskirts of Osaka with her nice husband Teinosuke, as she works as a bridge between the 'main house'--the home of the eldest sister Tsuruko and her husband Tatsuo, the titular head of the family, through which all permissions must come--and the two unmarried sisters, Yukiko, the quiet, traditional third who needs to be married before the most Westernized, headstrong, and individualist artist-sister Taeko, can marry. The 'plot' of the book hangs on Yukiko's on and off marriage prospects, but really, it is a deep slice of lost time.
Written between 1943 and '46--that is, during and just after WW2--and first published in America in 1957, The Makioka Sisters is a masterpiece--Tanizaki was one of six writers proposed for the Nobel Prize the year before his death in 1965.
Gently-paced and fully detailed, I was enraptured with the yearly rounds of Japanese life and the interactions between these four women, their lives intimately illustrating issues of social class, family obligation, honor and tradition, and the way individual desire, personality and talents interact with that framework. Then add in generalized trends to modernization and westernization already in play in the 1930's, when the book is set--just on the brink of WWII. There are faint intimations of war--'The China Incident' is mentioned a couple of times, Manchuria becomes a place a businessman might be reposted, there are German next door neighbors who return to Europe because of rumors of war--and eventually the war begins, but everything seen distantly, as if through a fogged window.
These times are like the cherry blossoms the sisters gather to view every spring, the bloom only lasting three days--the Japanese name of the novel is Light Snow, which refers to the impermanency of falling cherry blossoms. The poignancy of these sisters struggling with their personal problems within a tradition which only partly outmoded is heightened--as we know and they do not, that it will all be erased by disaster.
The story is told from the point of view of the well-married second sister, Sachiko, who lives in the outskirts of Osaka with her nice husband Teinosuke, as she works as a bridge between the 'main house'--the home of the eldest sister Tsuruko and her husband Tatsuo, the titular head of the family, through which all permissions must come--and the two unmarried sisters, Yukiko, the quiet, traditional third who needs to be married before the most Westernized, headstrong, and individualist artist-sister Taeko, can marry. The 'plot' of the book hangs on Yukiko's on and off marriage prospects, but really, it is a deep slice of lost time.
Written between 1943 and '46--that is, during and just after WW2--and first published in America in 1957, The Makioka Sisters is a masterpiece--Tanizaki was one of six writers proposed for the Nobel Prize the year before his death in 1965.
April 21, 2016
“The cherries in the Heian Shrine…of all the cherries in Kyoto, were the most beautiful. Now that the great weeping cherry in Gion was dying and its blossoms were growing paler each year, what was left to stand for the Kyoto spring if not the cherries in the Heian Shrine?”
I really enjoyed this Japanese classic. In it, four Kyoto sisters attempt to navigate the waves of change that are rapidly engulfing Japan prior to WWII. The Makiokas are an old, wealthy Osaka family, that soon find themselves backpedaling in a changing society where self-made fortunes and worldliness are the new norms. With two unmarried sisters on their hands, the two oldest and most traditional sisters struggle to find a suitable husband for Yukiko, while simultaneously trying to quash the independent streak in Taeko, the youngest.
A gentle paced book, Tanizaki slowly unveils the comings and going of the two households. The minute details reminded me of an Ozu film, and when I finally finished the book, I honestly had forgotten that I was reading a work of fiction. It seemed so real! My only issue was the last paragraph; it’s the reason why I struggled for almost two weeks to sit down and write a review! The ending was a bit abrupt to say the least. Tanizaki probably had more to write, and I feel strongly about that because what author would end a novel on this note:
“Yukiko’s diarrhea persisted through the twenty-sixth, and was a problem on the train to Tokyo.”
January 3, 2021
The Principal Characters
--The Makioka Sisters
--The Makioka Sisters
November 24, 2020
Esta maravilla de Junichiro Tanizaki transcurre entre 1936 y 1941, una época de cambio en Europa y en Asia con una guerra mundial a las puertas y en un momento en que los cambios sociales que se avecinaban en un pais como Japón, iban a ser cruciales para la desaparición del viejo mundo tradicional y rígido. La novela nos cuenta la historia en estos años de las cuatro hermanas Makioka pertenecientes a la alta clase burguesa de Osaka sin embargo a la muerte del padre, su influencia y prosperidad empieza a decaer. Las dos hermanas mayores, se casan y sus maridos adoptan el apellido Makioka para que no se pierda, y es el marido de la hermana mayor, Tsuruko quién se convierte en el cabeza de familia, con todo lo que eso implica: control absoluto de la economia familiar y control absoluto del resto de la familia, especialmente de las dos cuñadas menores, todavía solteras. El cabeza de familia convierte en su objetivo casarlas pero como la tradición y las rígidas normas de etiqueta marcan, deben ser casadas por orden de edad (y por supuesto con hombres sin tacha usando un férreo protocolo investigando estos probables partidos), asi que cuando empieza esta novela, Yukiko ya en la treintena, está en una especie de carrera contrarreloj en el camino que le marcan para la búsqueda de un marido por parte de la familia.
"-Me dicen que todavía está soltera, señorita Yukiko, -llegó una voz turbia desde un extremo de la sala- ¿Cómo puede ser?
-Llevamos retraso con respecto al tiempo establecido -dijo Taeko, siempre con un perfecto dominio de si misma- así que pensamos que ya da igual el tiempo que tardemos para encontrar a alguien realmente bueno.
-Pero están tardando demasiado tiempo.
-Oh venga, ¿alguna vez es demasiado tarde?"
Es una novela apasionante no sólo por lo bien escrita y por esta linea argumental que es como un río que guía toda la narración, sino por todo lo que deja entrever Tanizaki sobre Japón, su rígida y encorsetada alta sociedad. Es un momento clave en el sentido de que la tradición oriental se ve enfrentada a los nuevos vientos occidentales que les van influyendo y no desde el exterior, sino incluso desde el interior de la familia, porque la hermana menor, Taeko está muy abierta a la influencia occidental mientras que Yukiko es el ejemplo de la mujer japonesa típica, sumisa y frágil. Sin embargo, la narración de Tanizaki es ejemplar en la forma en que bajo esta fragilidad y sumision, se debate una rebeldia muy sútil:
"Pero la timida e introvertida Yukiko, incapaz como era de abrir la boca en presencia de extraños, poseía un temperamento fuerte que era difícil de conciliar con su aparente docilidad. Tatsuo descubrió que su cuñada, a veces, no era tan sumisa como parecía."
Es una novela lenta que se va desplegando poco a poco como uno de estos abanicos japoneses y con mucha información entre lineas, el lector tiene que bucear entre esta corrección de las apariencias para captar las tensiones familiares; y al principio el lector se puede sentir descolocado por los nombres japoneses sin saber situarlos pero no le llevará mucho tiempo controlarlos a todos como si fueran nuestros. Bajo la excusa de la carrera contrarreloj de la búsqueda de un marido para Yukiko, para que la pequeña no tenga que esperar toda una vida a casarse también, Tanizaki nos va envolviendo en lo que es Japón a través de la vida doméstica, la relación entre señores y criados, los encorsetados rituales familiares en lo referente a respetar la jerarquia masculina a la hora de tomar decisiones, las referencias a la influencia exterior sobre todo en lo que se refiere a los vientos de guerra, el declive de la clase social y de cómo se van concienciando poco a poco a lo largo de estos años, que ya no son lo que eran y que quizás deberían hacer la vista gorda a la hora de respetar las apariencias. Se centra sobre todo en la psicologia femenina con una sutilidad magistral (¿quién dijo que un hombre no puede escribir sobre mujeres sin que se vea la diferencia???): ellas están completamente controladas por los hombres de la familia pero también se las arreglan para mostrar una rebeldia desde dentro, desde sus emociones y qué bien lo describe Tanizaki.
"Tatsuo, además, se opone por completo a que se convierta del modo que sea en una mujer trabajadora. Espera que su meta sea siempre realizar una buena boda cuando llegue el momento, para convertirse en una buena esposa y madre de familia".
Crónica sobre un Japón confundido, una clase en declive zarandeada entre tradición y progreso, Oriente y Occidente (la sola elección entre vestirse con un kimono o con ropas occidentales define este cambio), entre rituales claustrofóbicos y vientos liberales, esta novela es una joya por todo lo que cuenta a través de las vidas de estas hermanas. El mundo de las apariencias donde un miembro de la familia podía ser expulsado y sacrificado por un detalle que a nosotros ahora nos podría parecer una nimiedad, donde el dinero y la clase eran lo esencial y por supuesto donde la voz femenina era completamente silenciada en beneficio del prestigio social (ellas siempre las sacrificadas), marcan a mi entender, el hilo central de la novela. Y como he comentado antes... que sea precisamente un hombre el que escriba tan bien sobre ellas, me conmueve. Esta novela fue escrita en los años 40, precisamente en una época en que los escritores japoneses lo tenían dificilísimo debido a la censura del estado e incluso esta obra fue bloqueada por el gobierno. Tanizaki distribuyó copias por su cuenta y riesgo y en secreto en su ámbito más privado. Después de la 2ª Guerra Mundial se publicó entre 1946 y 1948 en tres partes. Una de las joyas de la literatura universal.
"Mi única esperanza es que alguien se case con ella. Poco importa ya quién sea, incluso aunque hubiera de terminar en divorcio".
"-Me dicen que todavía está soltera, señorita Yukiko, -llegó una voz turbia desde un extremo de la sala- ¿Cómo puede ser?
-Llevamos retraso con respecto al tiempo establecido -dijo Taeko, siempre con un perfecto dominio de si misma- así que pensamos que ya da igual el tiempo que tardemos para encontrar a alguien realmente bueno.
-Pero están tardando demasiado tiempo.
-Oh venga, ¿alguna vez es demasiado tarde?"
Es una novela apasionante no sólo por lo bien escrita y por esta linea argumental que es como un río que guía toda la narración, sino por todo lo que deja entrever Tanizaki sobre Japón, su rígida y encorsetada alta sociedad. Es un momento clave en el sentido de que la tradición oriental se ve enfrentada a los nuevos vientos occidentales que les van influyendo y no desde el exterior, sino incluso desde el interior de la familia, porque la hermana menor, Taeko está muy abierta a la influencia occidental mientras que Yukiko es el ejemplo de la mujer japonesa típica, sumisa y frágil. Sin embargo, la narración de Tanizaki es ejemplar en la forma en que bajo esta fragilidad y sumision, se debate una rebeldia muy sútil:
"Pero la timida e introvertida Yukiko, incapaz como era de abrir la boca en presencia de extraños, poseía un temperamento fuerte que era difícil de conciliar con su aparente docilidad. Tatsuo descubrió que su cuñada, a veces, no era tan sumisa como parecía."
Es una novela lenta que se va desplegando poco a poco como uno de estos abanicos japoneses y con mucha información entre lineas, el lector tiene que bucear entre esta corrección de las apariencias para captar las tensiones familiares; y al principio el lector se puede sentir descolocado por los nombres japoneses sin saber situarlos pero no le llevará mucho tiempo controlarlos a todos como si fueran nuestros. Bajo la excusa de la carrera contrarreloj de la búsqueda de un marido para Yukiko, para que la pequeña no tenga que esperar toda una vida a casarse también, Tanizaki nos va envolviendo en lo que es Japón a través de la vida doméstica, la relación entre señores y criados, los encorsetados rituales familiares en lo referente a respetar la jerarquia masculina a la hora de tomar decisiones, las referencias a la influencia exterior sobre todo en lo que se refiere a los vientos de guerra, el declive de la clase social y de cómo se van concienciando poco a poco a lo largo de estos años, que ya no son lo que eran y que quizás deberían hacer la vista gorda a la hora de respetar las apariencias. Se centra sobre todo en la psicologia femenina con una sutilidad magistral (¿quién dijo que un hombre no puede escribir sobre mujeres sin que se vea la diferencia???): ellas están completamente controladas por los hombres de la familia pero también se las arreglan para mostrar una rebeldia desde dentro, desde sus emociones y qué bien lo describe Tanizaki.
"Tatsuo, además, se opone por completo a que se convierta del modo que sea en una mujer trabajadora. Espera que su meta sea siempre realizar una buena boda cuando llegue el momento, para convertirse en una buena esposa y madre de familia".
Crónica sobre un Japón confundido, una clase en declive zarandeada entre tradición y progreso, Oriente y Occidente (la sola elección entre vestirse con un kimono o con ropas occidentales define este cambio), entre rituales claustrofóbicos y vientos liberales, esta novela es una joya por todo lo que cuenta a través de las vidas de estas hermanas. El mundo de las apariencias donde un miembro de la familia podía ser expulsado y sacrificado por un detalle que a nosotros ahora nos podría parecer una nimiedad, donde el dinero y la clase eran lo esencial y por supuesto donde la voz femenina era completamente silenciada en beneficio del prestigio social (ellas siempre las sacrificadas), marcan a mi entender, el hilo central de la novela. Y como he comentado antes... que sea precisamente un hombre el que escriba tan bien sobre ellas, me conmueve. Esta novela fue escrita en los años 40, precisamente en una época en que los escritores japoneses lo tenían dificilísimo debido a la censura del estado e incluso esta obra fue bloqueada por el gobierno. Tanizaki distribuyó copias por su cuenta y riesgo y en secreto en su ámbito más privado. Después de la 2ª Guerra Mundial se publicó entre 1946 y 1948 en tres partes. Una de las joyas de la literatura universal.
"Mi única esperanza es que alguien se case con ella. Poco importa ya quién sea, incluso aunque hubiera de terminar en divorcio".
May 8, 2020
Throwback review! I read this in 2014.
My impression - reading this book was like watching the immaculately beautiful woman putting on an immaculate make up.
For hours.
First you're impressed and excited but later you're definitely taking a sneak peek at your watch.
Don't get me wrong - it's a beautifully written even if rather slow paced novel, where the author definitely misses good old times that are going, going, gone, with all the traditions that are slowly changing and vanishing - by the way, if you're into Japanese traditions and culture of everyday life this is one great read for you. I very much enjoyed this part myself.
But.
No decadency, no perversion, no usual Tanizakish f***ery. I waited for that. I missed that. I missed old giggling perverted men and two faced cruel young women. But no. No innuendos, no hidden meanings. Just plain decent and realistic and morally unambiguous classic.
Well, I still managed to enjoy it. Giving it four stars though.
My impression - reading this book was like watching the immaculately beautiful woman putting on an immaculate make up.
For hours.
First you're impressed and excited but later you're definitely taking a sneak peek at your watch.
Don't get me wrong - it's a beautifully written even if rather slow paced novel, where the author definitely misses good old times that are going, going, gone, with all the traditions that are slowly changing and vanishing - by the way, if you're into Japanese traditions and culture of everyday life this is one great read for you. I very much enjoyed this part myself.
But.
No decadency, no perversion, no usual Tanizakish f***ery. I waited for that. I missed that. I missed old giggling perverted men and two faced cruel young women. But no. No innuendos, no hidden meanings. Just plain decent and realistic and morally unambiguous classic.
Well, I still managed to enjoy it. Giving it four stars though.
December 7, 2019
4/5stars
This was really a very interesting novel - it felt simultaneously very cozy and like you were peaking into 1930/40s japan and the lives of these people, but also very intense and emotional with the war aspects. It definitely could get dry in places but I really felt like these girls became my friends by the end of it!
But, for how long it was it ended in such a weird place?? Like it felt like the author ended in the middle of a chapter and turned it in. Legit ending with talking about one of the sisters having diarrhea? Am I missing 100 pages of this book???
This was really a very interesting novel - it felt simultaneously very cozy and like you were peaking into 1930/40s japan and the lives of these people, but also very intense and emotional with the war aspects. It definitely could get dry in places but I really felt like these girls became my friends by the end of it!
But, for how long it was it ended in such a weird place?? Like it felt like the author ended in the middle of a chapter and turned it in. Legit ending with talking about one of the sisters having diarrhea? Am I missing 100 pages of this book???
December 16, 2012
The Makioka Sisters (Sasame Yuki, Light Snow), first published in 1948, was written by Junichiro Tanizaki (1886-1965). Tanizaki wrote The Makioka Sisters after translating the Tale of Genji into modern Japanese and the Murasaki novel is said to have influenced his own. It tells of the declining years of the once powerful Makioka family and their last descendants, four sisters. It has been translated by Edward G. Seidensticker in 1957. Powerfully realistic, it mourns the passing of greatness while celebrating in wonderfully evocative detail the beauty of a particular time and place, Osaka in the 1930s. In its creation of beauty out of sadness it can be compared to another family saga, The Maias (1888), by the Portuguese master Eça de Queiroz (1845-1900).
Why is this long book, largely concerned with trivial family procedures, one of the finest novels written? It is not concerned with great events, causes or philosophies. It has little concern with the war Japan was fighting with China, and then the USA, when the book was first published. Indeed its characters don't think about the war, and in a positive way, which doesn't trivialise their concerns at all (most people in fact don't think about the reasons for a war: perhaps it's better that way). This doesn't mean the book is escapist or superficial, just as the concern with women's lifestyle, dress, makeup, etiquette or social vanity make it something written just for women (books and films were once made - by men - to capitalise on what were considered women's 'little' concerns). Tanizaki does that wonderful thing a great artist can do, he finds the universal in the most exact examination of the particular, and makes a work of relevance to us all. Read another family saga, The Brothers Karamazov (1880) and my candidate for the greatest novel yet written (though I'm more than cynical about the word 'great') and marvel at the many routes artists find to the universal.
My review is impossibly partial: The Makioka Sisters is the most beautiful novel I've ever read. The language (translation) is so smooth and flowing, the characters and situations so gentle and muted, yet precise and meaningful, that reading the book is like seeing the universe in a drop of water - you see, which is moving, and awareness of where and how you see brings amazement and then a real pleasure.
In this beautiful book the characters have a greater degree of reality than many real people - Tanizaki is a great master of characterisation. I know more about them than I do about most of the people I know. It is done by the accumulation of enormous amounts of detail, but detail which, trivial though it may appear, is just right. The result is the creation of a most ethereal and delicate beauty, a lovely world crumbling to extinction yet all the more precious because of its inevitable passing away.
Sachiko, the second sister and her husband Teinosuke are that rare achievement, a convincing depiction of really good and admirable people, though in no way heroic. They are very ordinary people, but their goodness, their little troubles and worries, their faults, even weaknesses, all serve to charm and captivate. Of all the characters in the book these two are the loveliest. It is a real affirmation of humanity to have created two such kind and gentle and sensitive people, and to have made them so real and convincing.
The careworn life of Tsuruko (first sister), the hesitations of Yukiko (third sister), the unhappiness of Taeko (Koi-san, fourth sister) all gain from contrast with the stability and happiness of Sachiko and Teinosuke. And what an evocation of the old ways of Japan. Changing rapidly even as Tanizaki writes of them.
Detail by detail - Etsuko's games with the German girl Rosemarie, Itakura's leather coat, the 'old one', Koi-san's mimicry and mingled love and resentment of Yukiko...there are literally thousands of details. Teinosuke's love of Spring in his garden, the vitamin injections the sisters take, the forthrightness of Itani - all, everyone, is so precise, not random at all, chosen to evoke mood, reveal character, show milieu.
So powerful and evocative has the book been - yet nothing really happens, except to Koi-san. The war approaches, the old Japan changes, Yukiko gets married - unforgettable!
I've seen advertised a TV serialisation of The Makioka Sisters, but can't imagine how it could succeed. So much of the book's effect is through language. Visually, certain scenes stand out, such as the cherry blossom viewing or the flood. The narrative though is largely uneventful, small actions that dramatically and convincingly reveal a character's state of mind, early history or personality.
Written with love, a strong love of people and place, the book creates love in the reader. Because of Tanizaki I have loved Osaka in the late 1930s and have learned to treasure and respect its people. For those hesitating to undertake reading such a 'Japanese' work as The Makioka Sisters there is the perfect bridging novel The Wind-up Bird Chronicle (Nejimaki-dori kuronikuru, 1995) by Haruki Murakami, which does mention the war - and Charlie Parker and 'hard-boiled' detective stories and Jungian archetypes and the surreal: a roller coaster of a novel and one of the best as well.
Why is this long book, largely concerned with trivial family procedures, one of the finest novels written? It is not concerned with great events, causes or philosophies. It has little concern with the war Japan was fighting with China, and then the USA, when the book was first published. Indeed its characters don't think about the war, and in a positive way, which doesn't trivialise their concerns at all (most people in fact don't think about the reasons for a war: perhaps it's better that way). This doesn't mean the book is escapist or superficial, just as the concern with women's lifestyle, dress, makeup, etiquette or social vanity make it something written just for women (books and films were once made - by men - to capitalise on what were considered women's 'little' concerns). Tanizaki does that wonderful thing a great artist can do, he finds the universal in the most exact examination of the particular, and makes a work of relevance to us all. Read another family saga, The Brothers Karamazov (1880) and my candidate for the greatest novel yet written (though I'm more than cynical about the word 'great') and marvel at the many routes artists find to the universal.
My review is impossibly partial: The Makioka Sisters is the most beautiful novel I've ever read. The language (translation) is so smooth and flowing, the characters and situations so gentle and muted, yet precise and meaningful, that reading the book is like seeing the universe in a drop of water - you see, which is moving, and awareness of where and how you see brings amazement and then a real pleasure.
In this beautiful book the characters have a greater degree of reality than many real people - Tanizaki is a great master of characterisation. I know more about them than I do about most of the people I know. It is done by the accumulation of enormous amounts of detail, but detail which, trivial though it may appear, is just right. The result is the creation of a most ethereal and delicate beauty, a lovely world crumbling to extinction yet all the more precious because of its inevitable passing away.
Sachiko, the second sister and her husband Teinosuke are that rare achievement, a convincing depiction of really good and admirable people, though in no way heroic. They are very ordinary people, but their goodness, their little troubles and worries, their faults, even weaknesses, all serve to charm and captivate. Of all the characters in the book these two are the loveliest. It is a real affirmation of humanity to have created two such kind and gentle and sensitive people, and to have made them so real and convincing.
The careworn life of Tsuruko (first sister), the hesitations of Yukiko (third sister), the unhappiness of Taeko (Koi-san, fourth sister) all gain from contrast with the stability and happiness of Sachiko and Teinosuke. And what an evocation of the old ways of Japan. Changing rapidly even as Tanizaki writes of them.
Detail by detail - Etsuko's games with the German girl Rosemarie, Itakura's leather coat, the 'old one', Koi-san's mimicry and mingled love and resentment of Yukiko...there are literally thousands of details. Teinosuke's love of Spring in his garden, the vitamin injections the sisters take, the forthrightness of Itani - all, everyone, is so precise, not random at all, chosen to evoke mood, reveal character, show milieu.
So powerful and evocative has the book been - yet nothing really happens, except to Koi-san. The war approaches, the old Japan changes, Yukiko gets married - unforgettable!
I've seen advertised a TV serialisation of The Makioka Sisters, but can't imagine how it could succeed. So much of the book's effect is through language. Visually, certain scenes stand out, such as the cherry blossom viewing or the flood. The narrative though is largely uneventful, small actions that dramatically and convincingly reveal a character's state of mind, early history or personality.
Written with love, a strong love of people and place, the book creates love in the reader. Because of Tanizaki I have loved Osaka in the late 1930s and have learned to treasure and respect its people. For those hesitating to undertake reading such a 'Japanese' work as The Makioka Sisters there is the perfect bridging novel The Wind-up Bird Chronicle (Nejimaki-dori kuronikuru, 1995) by Haruki Murakami, which does mention the war - and Charlie Parker and 'hard-boiled' detective stories and Jungian archetypes and the surreal: a roller coaster of a novel and one of the best as well.
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