Those who enjoy allegorical writing would enjoy "Senbazuru" and its (incomplete) sequel "Nami Chidori". It is my favourite work in this collection. This extraordinary Nobel-winning novel is considerably baffling on first reading as the plot appears to be too perverse to be reasonable. The story focuses on the traditional Japanese tea ceremony and the antique utensils it warrants and how they are passed down from one person to the next. The orphaned protagonist is mentally manipulated by the mistress of his father, who had another illicit affair with the wife of a tea ceremony practitioner, Mrs. Ota. The mistress wants to hook the protagonist up with a young girl, but instead he ends up having a affair with Mrs. Ota, who, out of guilt and shame, commits suicide. The protagonist then becomes intimate with Mrs. Ota's daughter, before eventually marrying the young virgin at the beginning. The sequel extends and reevaluates the story. This is a massive metaphorical examination on spiritual, cultural and physical inheritance, in which symbolic figures are augmented by much deeply sensuous writing. When one blindly accepts values and practices, as a lot of people from traditional societies do, one could get compulsive and obsessive to follow certain paths, even if it is morally questionable. There are two more short sequels to "Nami Chidori", and the "open ending(s)" in fact leave a big window for readers to wonder what physical and spiritual awakening of personal desires would eventually lead to. It is remarkable to see how differently Eastern and Western readers of this title interpret the themes if you search for literary criticism and book reviews online, and that is exactly why this book so fascinating.
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