have often enjoyed Yuji Sakamoto's dramas and films, especially the witty dialogues that stemmed from his sharp interpretation of mundane behaviors. his literary work carries a similar style as well. this was a breezy read, fitting for a weekend night in. but nothing particularly memorable though, so this one's closer to 3.5 stars haha
Two stories about love. One of innocence and the other of betrayal.
When I heard that this novel places these two extremes together, I was instantly drawn to this book. I was not wrong to pick up this book as the characters and plot are interesting as well.
Overall, this is an engaging and well - written piece which I thoroughly enjoyed. I would highly recommend it if you are looking for a quick read or something to read between classes.
The ending of the first part is somewhat inexplicable. In comparison, I still like 'Affair' as always, despite the overlapping parts with the quartet. The observations of daily life details and the interesting trivia are worth noting. The women in Sakamoto's works are all very spiritual, whereas the men seem foolish and passive in comparison.
I just cannot hate the epistolary novel, the first story is a little strained for me. But I really enjoy the second one whose theme is about adultery, the way these betrayed people recuperate each other is fascinating. I really appreciate his tenacity in sticking with epistolary form, the author attempts many experimental frameworks to accommodate with epistolary form, and it stretches my imagination about epistolary novel.