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(*)(Translated by Meredith McKinney, 古井由吉) (★)(Titulo original : 白髪の唄[Hakuhatsu no uta, 1966] ´NI-0553´ es mismo libro. Furui Yoshikichi´s work has long dealt with the human dramas of growing up and growing old, but by probing further into the recesses of the mind and memory, he also touches upon the deepest mysteries of human existence. And as if to balance the somber themes of madness and death, Furui shows a great sensitivity to the dark humor inherent in everyday life. ´White-haired Melody´ is no exception ; it is the record of the daily experiences of a man approaching old age. It delves into the essential but hidden nature of his daily life, employing prose that is relentless in its re-creation of detail. This novel is a meditative exploration of the strange borderland around the inner experience of aging and approaching death. Yet, rather than follow a conventional plot, the novel develops by means of an intricate weaving together through time of key expeiences of the narrator and his friends to build a compelling portrait of human experience. Those familiar with Furui´s writings will find here a fascinating new development of earlier themes. ´White-haired Melody´, a work by one of Japan´s finest contemporary novelists writing at the height of his power, is not to be missed. ◆Born in Tokyo in 1937, Furui Yoshikichi graduated from the University of Tokyo in German literature. While teaching at Kanazawa University, he translated the Austrian writers Robert Musil and Hermann Broch. He left the university in 1970 and began to establish himself as a writer. His major awards include the Akutagawa Prize in 1970 for the novella ´Yooko´, the Tanizaki Prize in 1983 for ´Asagao (Morning Glory)´, the Kawabata Prize in 1986 for ´On Nakayama Hill´, and the Mainichi Art Award in 1997 for ´The White-haired Melody´. He includes very little social commentary in his novels, preferring to look into the heart of individual characters. Meredith McKinney´s previous translations include ´The Tale of Saigyoo´, the Japanese classic ´The Pillow Book´, and Natsume Sooseki´s ´Kusamakura´, as well as the award-winning short-story collection ´Ravine and Other Stories´ by Furui Yoshikichi. She lives in Braidwood, Australia, and teaches Japanese at the Australian National University.) |
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