The Dancing Girl of Izu and Other Stories
Included in this selection of short stories are two of the author's more successful pieces. Both were first published in Japan, in 1925. The title story is about a university student's travels though Tokyo. During his trip, he meets a group of traveling entertainers and falls in love with a dancing girl. Later, he discovers that she is a child, which alters his feelings for her. "The Diary of My Sixteenth Year" details the painful relationship between a boy and his dying grandfather. An overwhelming sense of sadness and isolation permeates both these stories; at the end of each, the main character feels completely alone and unloved. The remaining stories are characterized by melancholy. The Japanese social and family relationships depicted are often vague and difficult for Westerners to understand, and much is lost in translation. For larger collections?Janis Williams, Shaker Heights P.L., OhioCopyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.