The Death of a Certain Woman
The Death of a Certain Woman
Yasushi Inoue
Translated by J. Martin Holman
Stories that speak to the moment of childhood when the world of adults is as seductive as it is forbidden, by one of Japan’s foremost literary figures.
A father’s affair is first revealed to his son as he watches a local play. A group of young village boys form a lovers’ suicide patrol and stumble upon different illicit activities instead. Gossip spreads when the mistress of an out-of-town contractor arrives in the village. Thirty years later, a narrator recalls the allure and mystery of the young woman—and the mystery surrounding her death.
Observed sidelong and suffused with the powerful melancholy of inexperience, The Death of a Certain Woman collects ten stories by Yasushi Inoue—winner of the Akutagawa Prize, Japan’s highest literary honor—that speak to a moment of childhood when the world of adults is as seductive as it is forbidden and as brutal as it is full of pleasures unknown.
Yasushi Inoue (1907–1991) worked as a journalist and literary editor for many years, beginning his prolific career as an author in 1949 with the novel Bullfight. He went on to publish fifty novels and 150 short stories, both historical and contemporary. In 1976 Inoue was presented with the Order of Culture, the highest honor granted for artistic merit in Japan.
praise for the death of a certain woman
"A haunting, unerring collection. More people should know about Inoue!"—Ed Park, author of Same Bed Different Dreams
★ "Marvelous... [Inoue's] stories offer indelible glimpses of a bygone world that fades along with the characters’ youth. Readers will find much to savor."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
★ "Holman smoothly captures Inoue's casual, occasionally reminiscing tone, particularly in narratives that are revealed to be memories of decades-ago events... Inoue's stories linger and resonate."—Terry Hong, Booklist (starred review)
praise for yasushi inoue
“Inoue wrote compassionately, but without a hint of sentimentality.”—Times Literary Supplement
“Such is his empathy at times that he transforms the study of human nature into profound art... Outstanding.”—Eileen Battersby, The Irish Times
“Superb… a straightforward depiction of urban life expands into a rich, philosophical exploration of human agency and choice.”—The Independent
“A disarmingly simple tale of ambition and entrepreneurial daring… written in tight, confident prose…”—David Pilling, Financial Times
“Graceful... Masterfully understated prose.”—The New York Times
product info
Publication Date: January 19, 2027
Fiction
Paperback | 5.25 x 8 | 164 pages
Rights: WE
9798893380729