Days and Nights

Renowned Japanese women authors have been around for centuries, such as Murasaki Shikibu who wrote “The Tale of Genji” over 1000 years ago, considered to be the world’s first novel. The last few decades have seen compelling works by authors such as Banana Yoshimoto, Yoko Ogawa, and Sayaka Murata.

Going back half a century we have another group of women authors, with Hayashi Fumiko––said to be one of the most important twentieth-century Japanese woman authors––being a key representative of this group of early-modern writers. Living a life of poverty until her breakthrough as an author, Hayashi Fumiko was known for her realistic depictions of urban working-class life, especially impoverished women. Her works typically address themes such as fate, troubled relationships, and the repercussions of war.

This collection consists of a trio of stories by Hayashi Fumiko with the overarching theme of family relationships. In “Days and Nights”, a couple struggles with problems as a result of their declining business, threatening to tear their relationship apart. “The Crane’s Flute” is a fairy tale about two cranes who try to survive after being deserted by the rest of the village, which touches on themes such as the power of music and the importance of living in harmony with others. Finally, in “The Master of the Wanderer’s Tavern”, an old man tries to fill the void in his life created by his deceased wife while trying to guide his teenage daughter into adulthood.

The stories include annotations by the translator to explain relevant historical or cultural context.

Contos / Literatura Estrangeira