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A Cat a Man and Two Women Japan Modern Writers Junichiro Tanizaki Books

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A Cat a Man and Two Women Japan Modern Writers Junichiro Tanizaki Books

Irony is too mild a word to describe the twists, surprises, and reversals which bring this book so alive that it feels as if it was written by a contemporary author. The characters, each of whom is beautifully delineated and brought to life, not only feel real but reflect the universal concerns of all people, regardless of class or culture. Originally published in 1935-36, the book is as witty, relevant – and, in places, even darkly humorous – as any recent book I can think of, and the novella, which gives the book its title, and the two stories, with all the imagery they conjure up, constantly reinforce the impression that the author is smirking in the background as we read. Though readers often characterize Japanese literary fiction as being restrained and refined, Junichiro Tanizaki’s exuberance bursts those bounds and challenges stereotypes, both in tone and in subject matter.

In these three stories, Tanizaki focuses on ordinary people, not aristocrats, trying to get by, a focus which allows the author to use colloquial language and write about earthy and sometimes inelegant subjects. “A Cat, A Man, and Two Women,” the main selection, features Shozo, a man who has little idea of who he is, no insights at all into the thinking of his family members, and even less ambition, a man manipulated by his mother, his first wife Shinako, and his second wife Fukuku. Each night he feeds Lily mackerel freshly prepared and marinated by his new wife, who doesn’t realize, at first, that she is actually preparing them for her husband’s cat. The machinations of all the people involved in this story and the full weakness of Shozo soon become more obvious. The conclusion guarantees that everyone who reads this will conclude, if they already don’t know this from their own experience, that “Cats rule.”

“The Little Kingdom,” tells of Kaijima Shokichi, a thirty-six year-old primary school teacher who has never attained his goals. Unable to cope with pressures of daily life in the city, and with his seventh child on the way, he moves to the countryside where he teaches fifth grade. A new student’s arrival begins the action. Numakura Shokichi soon takes over the playground, and eventually becomes king of the playground. Soon even Kaijima must take note. “Professor Rado,” the most bizarre and absurd of the stories, is also the kinkiest. A reporter arrives at Professor Rado’s house for an open-ended interview. When Rado appears, he wears filthy clothing, his eyes are puffy, his flesh is swollen, and he constantly belches. When the professor is leaving, he sees a young girl in nightclothes bathing, and when he peeks into the study from the outside, what he sees is shocking, even to him. Later contact reveals that the professor does, indeed, have an “unusual” lifestyle.

Ultimately, all three stories concern themselves with the subjects of dominance and subservience, with power and how to achieve and use it, and with the psychology which makes dominance over others both possible and plausible. Whether Tanizaki is using a kind of dark humor, as he does in “A Cat, A Man, and Two Women,” a psychological approach as he does in “The Little Kingdom,” or a bizarre erotic interlude, as he does in “Professor Rado,” his themes are similar, his execution is unparalleled, and his characters and their behavior are unforgettable.


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A Cat a Man and Two Women Japan Modern Writers Junichiro Tanizaki Books Reviews

What I know about Japan I've learned through its literature and its cinema. My knowledge is therefore imperfect, secondhand. It seems that one cannot love what one does not know well, yet I never miss a chance to proclaim my love for Japan and its culture. I was especially eager to read this book, which combines three of my interests Japan, cats, and teaching. I do not necessarily worship Tanizaki (I'm more of a Kawabata person), but his works never fail to amaze me. Comprising a novella and two short stories published between 1918 and 1936, _A Cat, A Man, and Two Women_ affords the reader the opportunity to sample Tanizaki's short fiction from his early years up to the appearance of his translation of _The Tale of Genji_.

The three stories included in the volume are not tightly related. They simply represent work that had not been translated to English before. One might nevertheless point to a satirical purpose (more marked in the novella and in the last story than in the middle one) as a common denominator. I will comment briefly on the tales included.

* A Cat, a Man, and Two Women (1936) The title piece presents not a love triangle, but a "love square," with a twist. The central character is Lily, who happens to be a feline. Shozo, the man of the title, is obsessed with this cat, to the point that he neglects the women in his life. The story of a divorce, _A Cat, a Man, and Two Women_ shows how three human beings interact with an animal as they look for affection, power, and revenge. In keeping with the mechanics of the novella, the tale is not mainly concerned with plot, but rather with the presentation and reexamination of a given situation (the "love square"). The story reminded me of Colette's excellent novella _The Cat_, which was published in 1933.

* The Little Kingdom (1918) The story of primary school teacher Kaijima Shokichi, whose large family is faced with poverty and sickness. The sensei experiences an awakening of sorts with the arrival of new student Numakura, who manages to establish himself as an authority among his classmates. Numakura's influence grows until it surpasses Kaijima's. If _A Cat_ is about manipulation and jealousy, "The Little Kingdom" is about power. The less obviously satirical of the tales in the collection, it nevertheless inspires questions about society's hierarchical structure. It would be interesting to compare this story with that other Japanese classic about a teacher, Natsume Soseki's _Botchan_ (1906).

* Professor Rado (two parts, published in 1925 and 1928) An exploration of the relationship between a journalist and the professor he tries to interview. This is the most clearly humorous of the stories. It also includes the elements of sexual obsession and fetishism that are familiar to readers of "The Tattooer," _The Key_ (1956), and _Diary of a Mad Old Man_ (1961). Probably the weakest of the pieces, it still managed to capture my interest.

Originally published in 1990, this collection was reissued by New Directions in 2016, probably as a result of increasing interest in the short fiction of Tanizaki. This collection may not reach the artistic heights of _Seven Japanese Tales_, but the works included are memorable and thought-provoking. The novella _A Cat, a Man, and Two Women_ is simply exquisite at once unusual and believable. The book as a whole may resonate more with those already familiar with Tanizaki's work.

My next Tanizaki will be _The Reed Cutter and Captain Shigemoto's Mother_.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the book!
100% satisfied
Loved this cute little novel. Brilliant in its simplicity.
This short novel has shown a new light on the relationship between me and my cat...I highly recommend this book to all cat owners! )
I have always been a fan of Tanizaki's writing so I am biased. While the novella, A Cat, A Man, and Two Women (and the other two short stories) are quite light-hearted in nature, his prose permeates on every page.
Irony is too mild a word to describe the twists, surprises, and reversals which bring this book so alive that it feels as if it was written by a contemporary author. The characters, each of whom is beautifully delineated and brought to life, not only feel real but reflect the universal concerns of all people, regardless of class or culture. Originally published in 1935-36, the book is as witty, relevant – and, in places, even darkly humorous – as any recent book I can think of, and the novella, which gives the book its title, and the two stories, with all the imagery they conjure up, constantly reinforce the impression that the author is smirking in the background as we read. Though readers often characterize Japanese literary fiction as being restrained and refined, Junichiro Tanizaki’s exuberance bursts those bounds and challenges stereotypes, both in tone and in subject matter.

In these three stories, Tanizaki focuses on ordinary people, not aristocrats, trying to get by, a focus which allows the author to use colloquial language and write about earthy and sometimes inelegant subjects. “A Cat, A Man, and Two Women,” the main selection, features Shozo, a man who has little idea of who he is, no insights at all into the thinking of his family members, and even less ambition, a man manipulated by his mother, his first wife Shinako, and his second wife Fukuku. Each night he feeds Lily mackerel freshly prepared and marinated by his new wife, who doesn’t realize, at first, that she is actually preparing them for her husband’s cat. The machinations of all the people involved in this story and the full weakness of Shozo soon become more obvious. The conclusion guarantees that everyone who reads this will conclude, if they already don’t know this from their own experience, that “Cats rule.”

“The Little Kingdom,” tells of Kaijima Shokichi, a thirty-six year-old primary school teacher who has never attained his goals. Unable to cope with pressures of daily life in the city, and with his seventh child on the way, he moves to the countryside where he teaches fifth grade. A new student’s arrival begins the action. Numakura Shokichi soon takes over the playground, and eventually becomes king of the playground. Soon even Kaijima must take note. “Professor Rado,” the most bizarre and absurd of the stories, is also the kinkiest. A reporter arrives at Professor Rado’s house for an open-ended interview. When Rado appears, he wears filthy clothing, his eyes are puffy, his flesh is swollen, and he constantly belches. When the professor is leaving, he sees a young girl in nightclothes bathing, and when he peeks into the study from the outside, what he sees is shocking, even to him. Later contact reveals that the professor does, indeed, have an “unusual” lifestyle.

Ultimately, all three stories concern themselves with the subjects of dominance and subservience, with power and how to achieve and use it, and with the psychology which makes dominance over others both possible and plausible. Whether Tanizaki is using a kind of dark humor, as he does in “A Cat, A Man, and Two Women,” a psychological approach as he does in “The Little Kingdom,” or a bizarre erotic interlude, as he does in “Professor Rado,” his themes are similar, his execution is unparalleled, and his characters and their behavior are unforgettable.