Ryôji Nakamura Bücher

Dieser Roman, das literarische Hauptwerk des japanischen Nobelpreisträgers Kenzaburo Oe, erzählt von den beiden Brüdern Mitsu und Takshi Nedokoro, deren unterschiedliche Lebenshaltungen ebenso aufeinanderprallen wie das alte, traditionelle und das moderne, hochindustrialisierte Japan.

From the acclaimed author of Woman in the Dunes comes Secret Rendezvous, the bizarrely erotic and comic adventures of a man searching for his missing wife in a mysteriously vast underground hospital. From the moment that an ambulance appears in the middle of the night to take his wife, who protests that she is perfectly healthy, her bewildered husband realizes that things are not as they should be. His covert explorations reveal that the enormous hospital she was taken to is home to a network of constant surveillance, outlandish sex experiments, and an array of very odd and even violent characters. Within a few days, though no closer to finding his wife, the unnamed narrator finds himself appointed the hospital’s chief of security, reporting to a man who thinks he’s a horse. With its nightmarish vision of modern medicine and modern life, Secret Rendezvous is another masterpiece from Japan’s most gifted and original writer of serious fiction.

Light and Dark, Natsume Soseki's longest and unfinished masterpiece, is a detailed exploration of haute-bourgeois manners on the brink of World War I. It presents a psychological portrait of a new marriage, achieving unprecedented depth in character revelation for its time in Japan. Soseki's work is considered the foundation of the modern Japanese novel. The story follows thirty-year-old Tsuda Yoshio, who is recovering in a clinic after surgery. He is visited by a diverse group of intimates: his flirtatious wife, O-Nobu; his critical younger sister, O-Hide, who blames O-Nobu's spending for their financial troubles; his self-effacing friend, Kobayashi, a troublemaker reminiscent of a Dostoevsky character; and Madam Yoshikawa, his employer's wife, who has her own undisclosed connection to Tsuda. Their differing interests create tension, leading to jealousy and conflict that may surprise Western readers accustomed to Japanese reticence. After leaving the clinic, Tsuda goes to a hot-springs resort for further recovery. Madam Yoshikawa reveals that Kiyoko, a woman from his dreams, is also at the inn, recovering from a miscarriage. Tsuda, avoiding O-Nobu, embarks on a journey filled with both real and symbolic challenges. He eventually meets Kiyoko, who initially tries to evade him, culminating in a poignant final scene that invites Tsuda to "explain the meaning of her smile."