Tanizaki Junichiro wrote some strange and obsessive novels but the one heralded as a masterpiece among his works is a family epic. The Makioka Sisters, is a detailed depiction of an upper middle class family from Kansai or West Japan. Set in pre-war Japan, the tale follows four sisters and how they adapt to a rapidly changing society. Tanizaki's observations of a society soon to be transformed by war are on point.
Join us in this episode, where we discuss the Makiokas' background, their search for a suitable husband for one of the sisters, and the pain of having to keep up appearances.
This episode is part of our post-war Japanese literature cycle.
The version we are reading is translated by Edward G. Seidensticker, Vintage Books.