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(★)(Translated by Howard Hibbett／ Titulo original : 鍵 [Kagi]／ The Key tells the story of a middle-aged couple trying to kindle passion in a loveless marriage on the verge of dissolution. Their story is told in the form of parallel diaries, in which the two record independent versions of their respective sexual adventures of the previous night.／ The Key carefully balances literary value and shock value to fully explore the topic of repressed sexual bankruptcy. The end result of this technique is to present us with a seemingly mundane marriage where mutual deception and sexual perversions are never too far away. This short novel packs a powerful emotional punch for a variety of reasons. The more graphically erotic passages transcend mere titillation and act as a cameo to the others. The net effect of this technique is to present us with a fascinating novel in which the psychological problems of a strained sexual relationship are explored in their entirety.／ The Key leaves us with a strong feeling of tension that is only alleviated by the deceptions of the two main characters, who are forced to control their sexual instincts and live their lives in a lonely lie by not fully opening up to each other. At the end of the novel, we are not even sure if they are using their recorded sexual adventures to communicate to each other so as to save their strange and strained relationship.／ ◆Junichi Tanizaki [1886-1965], widely considered one of Japan´s finest modern writers, was born in Tokyo and lived there until the earthquake of 1923. In that year he moved to the Kyoto-Osaka region, the setting for his great novel The Makioka Sisters. His most important novels and stories, many reflecting his taste for sexual perversity, his eye for social comedy, and his bitter humor, were written after his move to the Kansai. Tanizaki received the Imperial Prize for Literature in 1949. He was the first Japanese to be elected an Honorary Member of the American Academy and the National Institute of Arts and Letters.) |
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