On the eve of war the Makioka family, representative of an old
merchant class, found themselves on the financial and social
decline. Their initial refusal to recognize this is proclaimed by a
finicky attitude to the marriage proposals for the hand of Yukiko,
now thirty. She is the epitome of Japanese womanhood-fragile,
silent and obedient. She rejects the Western mannerisms and ideals
of the youngest sister, Tacko, who is waiting impatiently for
Yukiko's marriage so that her own secret, unacceptable, liaison
might be acknowledged. The two live at the house of Schiko, the
third sister, whose concern and love prevent her from forcing them
to abide by tradition and live at the house of the eldest sister,
Tsuroko, who has now moved to Tokyo- away from the pressure of
pretense, away from tradition and away from the responsibility of
ruling the collateral branches of the Makioka family. As the
nubility of Yukiko, and therefore her younger sister, decreases,
desperate recuperative measures are taken at the expense of
protocol and honor. A suitable man is found just as Taeko's
illegitimate pregnancy threatens to invalidate the preparations.
All ends well, however. Poised and perceptive, the book expresses
similar themes of the previous book Some ?? Nettles - dying
tradition and dying aristocracy. (Kirkus Reviews)
Tanizaki's masterpiece is the story of four sisters, and the
declining fortunes of a traditional Japanese family. It is a loving
and nostalgic recreation of the sumptuous, intricate upper-class
life of Osaka immediately before World War Two. With surgical
precision, Tanizaki lays bare the sinews of pride, and brings a
vanished era to vibrant life.
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