Skip to main content
In Light of Shadows

In Light of Shadows

By Izumi, Kyoka

Published by University of Hawaii Press

English 192 pages 2004 ISBN 9780824845582
Estimated reading time: 3 h 31 min
PDF

About this book

In Light of Shadows is the long-awaited second volume of short fiction by the Meiji-Taishô writer Izumi Kyôka. It includes the famous novella Uta andon (A story by lantern light), the bizarre, antipsychological story "Mayu kakushi no rei" (A quiet obsession), and Kyôka’s hauntingly erotic final work, "Rukôshinsô" (The heartvine), as well as critical discussions of each of these three tales. Translator Charles Inouye places Kyôka’s "literature of shadows" (kage no bungaku) within a worldwide gothic tradition even as he refines its Japanese context. Underscoring Kyôka’s relevance for a contemporary international audience, Inouye adjusts Tanizaki Jun’ichirô’s evaluation of Kyôka as the most Japanese of authors by demonstrating how the writer’s paradigm of the suffering heroine can be linked to his exposure to Christianity, to a beautiful American woman, and to the aesthetic of blood sacrifice. In Light of Shadows masterfully conveys the magical allusiveness and elliptical style of this extraordinary writer, who Mishima Yukio called "the only genius of modern Japanese letters."

Availability

In Light of Shadows is available as PDF at 13 online bookshops. Bookshops carrying it include Association of University Presses - Tienda FILUNI, Bajalibros Argentina, Bajalibros Latam.

Language
English
Share

Frequently asked questions

In what formats is In Light of Shadows available?
In Light of Shadows is available as PDF at 13 online bookshops.
Where can I buy In Light of Shadows?
You can buy In Light of Shadows at Association of University Presses - Tienda FILUNI, Bajalibros Argentina, Bajalibros Latam. Compare every option in the list on this page.
How long does it take to read In Light of Shadows?
At an average reading pace, In Light of Shadows takes about 3 h 31 min to read (192 pages).

Ratings & reviews

No ratings yet. Be the first to review this book.

Sign in to rate and review this book.

Comments

Sign in to join the conversation.

No comments yet.