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Michigan Monograph Series in Japanese Studies #79
Red Roofs and Other Stories (Volume 79)
Tanizaki Jun'ichiro (1886–1965), the author of Naomi; A Cat, a Man, and Two Women; and The Makioka Sisters, was one of the great writers of the twentieth century. The four stories in this volume date from the first and second decades of Tanizaki’s long career and reflect themes that appear throughout his work: exoticism, sexuality, sadomasochism, contrasts between traditional and modern societies, disparities between appearance and reality, the power of dreams, amorality, an interest in cinema, and a fascination with the techniques of storytelling.
The stories—translated into English here for the first time—are: “The Strange Case of Tomoda and Matsunaga” (“Tomoda to Matsunaga no hanashi,” 1926), “A Night in Qinhuai” (“Shinwai no yo,” 1919), “The Magician” (“Majutsushi,” 1917), and “Red Roofs” (“Akai yane,” 1925).
The stories—translated into English here for the first time—are: “The Strange Case of Tomoda and Matsunaga” (“Tomoda to Matsunaga no hanashi,” 1926), “A Night in Qinhuai” (“Shinwai no yo,” 1919), “The Magician” (“Majutsushi,” 1917), and “Red Roofs” (“Akai yane,” 1925).
176 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1926
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About the author
Jun'ichirō Tanizaki
596 books2,191 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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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 27, 2020
Four disparate short stories by one of Japan's greatest writers make up this collection. Written between 1917 and 1926, they're told with a blend of realism and fabulism. And in all four Tanizaki explores from different angles the pursuits and pitfalls of pleasure. The first story, “The Strange Case of Tomoda and Matsunaga,” is similar in a way to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and well crafted. Next is “A Night in Qinhuai,” which seems like a personal essay and takes us on a late-night search for a suitable brothel. Again a craving for the exotic pushes the narrative forward, and it's rather disturbing in its descriptions of dismal endless backstreets and a man's hunger to satiate his desire. Then in “The Magician” things get weird. I like this one for how bizarre and intense it gets, unlike anything I'd read before by the author. The final story, “Red Roofs,” brings the reader back to realism, and it's unique in that it revolves around a woman, whereas most of Tanizaki's works are centered on male characters. The story felt somewhat aimless at the beginning, but it comes together by the end. Felt, too, a bit like Haruki Murakami, or Tanazaki's novel Quicksand. Overall, the collection is great writing with a variety of narrative styles and compelling characters.
April 4, 2017
Four early stories, published for the first time in translation. The Magician (1917), an experiment in Modernism, is my least favorite of the four. A Night in Qinhuai (1919), a dark (figuratively and literally) late night brothel crawl through the suburbs of Nanjing, is a great story, I would say among his best. Simple but incredibly atmospheric. Red Roofs (1925) is a day in the life of a Modern Girl femme fatale and her male victims, young and old, similar in many ways to the novel-length Naomi (published serially in 1924), but told from the woman’s point of view. The Strange Case of Tomoda and Matsunaga (1926) is an allegorical mystery story about Japan’s East vs. West personality split, very well set up, perhaps not so well resolved. I recommend the collection to all readers for A Night in Qinhuai and to Tanizaki fans for the other three stories.
November 10, 2018
"The Magician" was a fascinating story and "The Strange Case of Tomoda and Matsunaga" was interesting to read but I didn't enjoy the other stories that much. I still think that the author had very good writing skills.
May 2, 2019
Liked the concepts of the stories and they are fairly out there and ambitious for its time. But I didn't find all of the stories particularly insightful. Pretty fun and mindless read though.
November 26, 2017
This collection of Tanizaki's shorter work veers from detective work to fever dream to a more familiar account of a young woman's love life. The Strange Case of Tomoda and Matsunaga is charged with sexual liberation and the specter of infidelity: the obverse and reverse of a pitiable man torn between lusts and duty. Although I'm quite satisfied with the ending, I admit that I wanted something more horrific to be the seed of this strange set of coincidences. However, this too is part of Tanizaki's work. A sense of never being satisfied is part of how we are meant to view the characters; their hunger and dissatisfaction becomes our hunger and dissatisfaction.
A Night in Qinhuai I found interesting because it speaks most clearly about the ephemeral nature of lust and possession, how searching for something in an illicit way is enjoyable in and of itself, and once that search becomes a source of frustration, the object of desire seems to vanish almost into thin air.
The Magician is perhaps my favorite work in this collection, because its examination of desire borders almost on the supernatural. Tanizaki gives such power to those who enchant and entice, and such freedom to those who submit, even as they know this 'freedom' is an illusion, just as much as the desire.
Red Roofs is a more familiar kind of work from Tanizaki, and seems to forecast his later novels with their selfish, petulant female characters who nonetheless rule the lives of those around them. He hints at how this behavior seems selfish, but is in itself a kind of prison, and we feel Mayuko's increasing agitation keenly as the trap she has made for herself closes around her.
All in all, a lovely set of work that shows his early breadth and interests.
A Night in Qinhuai I found interesting because it speaks most clearly about the ephemeral nature of lust and possession, how searching for something in an illicit way is enjoyable in and of itself, and once that search becomes a source of frustration, the object of desire seems to vanish almost into thin air.
The Magician is perhaps my favorite work in this collection, because its examination of desire borders almost on the supernatural. Tanizaki gives such power to those who enchant and entice, and such freedom to those who submit, even as they know this 'freedom' is an illusion, just as much as the desire.
Red Roofs is a more familiar kind of work from Tanizaki, and seems to forecast his later novels with their selfish, petulant female characters who nonetheless rule the lives of those around them. He hints at how this behavior seems selfish, but is in itself a kind of prison, and we feel Mayuko's increasing agitation keenly as the trap she has made for herself closes around her.
All in all, a lovely set of work that shows his early breadth and interests.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews