What do you think?
Rate this book
?????? ???
"The Hunting Gun, set in the period immediately after the Second World War, is the story of a tragic love affair and its psychological impact - not only on the lovers themselves but on all those close to them. The narrative is related from three points of view: Saiko, the guilt-ridden mistress; Shoko, her pathetic, disillusioned daughter; and Midori, the sophisticated but unhappy wife of Shoko's lover. This triangle is focused on Josuke, the husband-lover whose lonely, insular existence is symbolized by the hunting gun. Inoue displays a remarkable understanding of the psyche and an innate flair for dramatic incident, as well as a keen sympathy for the social milieu of Ashiya, an exclusive suburb of the great commerical cities of Osaka and Kobe. At once a study of everyday personal relationships and of the social and historic circumstances they mirror, The Hunting Gun remains timely and universal - a classic of modern Japanese literature."--BOOK JACKET.
112 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1949
70 people are currently reading
5,510 people want to read
About the author
Yasushi Inoue
231?books198?followersYasushi Inoue (¾®ÉϾ¸) was a Japanese writer whose range of genres included poetry, essays, short fiction, and novels.
Inoue is famous for his serious historical fiction of ancient Japan and the Asian continent, including Wind and Waves, Tun-huang, and Confucius, but his work also included semi-autobiographical novels and short fiction of great humor, pathos, and wisdom like Shirobamba and Asunaro Monogatari, which depicted the setting of the author's own life ¡ª Japan of the early to mid twentieth century ¡ª in revealing perspective.
1936 Chiba Kameo Prize --- Ruten,Á÷Üž
1950 Akutagawa Prize --- T¨gyu,êLÅ£
1957 Ministry of Education Prize for Literature --- The Roof Tile of Tempyo,Ììƽ¤ÎÝù
1959 Mainichi Press Prize --- Tun-huang,¶Ø»Í
1963 Yomiuri Prize --- F¨±t¨,ïLý
(from Wikipedia)
Inoue is famous for his serious historical fiction of ancient Japan and the Asian continent, including Wind and Waves, Tun-huang, and Confucius, but his work also included semi-autobiographical novels and short fiction of great humor, pathos, and wisdom like Shirobamba and Asunaro Monogatari, which depicted the setting of the author's own life ¡ª Japan of the early to mid twentieth century ¡ª in revealing perspective.
1936 Chiba Kameo Prize --- Ruten,Á÷Üž
1950 Akutagawa Prize --- T¨gyu,êLÅ£
1957 Ministry of Education Prize for Literature --- The Roof Tile of Tempyo,Ììƽ¤ÎÝù
1959 Mainichi Press Prize --- Tun-huang,¶Ø»Í
1963 Yomiuri Prize --- F¨±t¨,ïLý
(from Wikipedia)
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 620 reviews
May 17, 2021
DETTO NON DETTO
Frusci di vesti femminili, di porte leggere, di piedi senza scarpe che scivolano rapidi su pavimenti di legno.
Il fuoco e il gelo, il ghiaccio e l¡¯incendio.
Scrittura chiara, scorrevole, nitida, di grande eleganza, che sembra semplice, eppure capace di scandagliare nelle profondit¨¤ dell¡¯animo umano, sia maschile che femminile.
La vita ¨¨ un mistero che la scrittura tenta di svelare spingendosi oltre l¡¯apparenza.
Ma raggiunge lo scopo? Non si rafforza forse il mistero della vita col mistero della morte?
Struttura composita, affascinante, stimolante, a suo modo complessa.
Yasushi ¨¨ critico d¡¯arte, poeta e romanziere ¨C in questo breve romanzo dice di aver scritto una poesia nata in seguito a un incontro fortuito, un cacciatore col fucile in spalla, un¡¯immagine che al poeta ha ispirato solitudine.
Dopo la pubblicazione della poesia riceve una lettera dal cacciatore col fucile in spalla che si ¨¨ riconosciuto nella poesia ¨C insieme a questa lettera ne manda altre tre a lui indirizzate, vuole che il poeta le legga e si faccia un¡¯idea.
Le tre lettere sono di tre donne diverse, la nipote, la moglie, l¡¯amante, ed esprimono il dolore di amare e la felicit¨¤ di essere amate.
Esprimono tre diverse forme d¡¯amore, tre diversi segreti rivelati, ma anche tre diverse forme di addio, rivelano che c¡¯¨¨ un intreccio di vita e relazioni dietro l¡¯apparenza della solitudine.
L¡¯amore dichiarato nelle lettere contraddice la solitudine che l¡¯immagine del cacciatore col fucile in spalla ha suscitato nel poeta.
Ma gli addii la confermano, e addirittura rafforzano.
Non c¡¯¨¨ condanna per nessuno, il narratore, poeta e scrittore, non esprime giudizio.
Sembra volersi associare al silenzio dignitoso del cacciatore che cammina nel bosco col fucile in spalla.
Il narratore, poeta e scrittore, adesso sa, conosce ed ¨¨ consapevole di cosa circonda l¡¯immagine del cacciatore col fucile in spalla che si ¨¨ impressa sulla sua immaginazione, a suo modo conserva il segreto che ora condivide.
Frusci di vesti femminili, di porte leggere, di piedi senza scarpe che scivolano rapidi su pavimenti di legno.
Il fuoco e il gelo, il ghiaccio e l¡¯incendio.
Scrittura chiara, scorrevole, nitida, di grande eleganza, che sembra semplice, eppure capace di scandagliare nelle profondit¨¤ dell¡¯animo umano, sia maschile che femminile.
La vita ¨¨ un mistero che la scrittura tenta di svelare spingendosi oltre l¡¯apparenza.
Ma raggiunge lo scopo? Non si rafforza forse il mistero della vita col mistero della morte?
Struttura composita, affascinante, stimolante, a suo modo complessa.
Yasushi ¨¨ critico d¡¯arte, poeta e romanziere ¨C in questo breve romanzo dice di aver scritto una poesia nata in seguito a un incontro fortuito, un cacciatore col fucile in spalla, un¡¯immagine che al poeta ha ispirato solitudine.
Dopo la pubblicazione della poesia riceve una lettera dal cacciatore col fucile in spalla che si ¨¨ riconosciuto nella poesia ¨C insieme a questa lettera ne manda altre tre a lui indirizzate, vuole che il poeta le legga e si faccia un¡¯idea.
Le tre lettere sono di tre donne diverse, la nipote, la moglie, l¡¯amante, ed esprimono il dolore di amare e la felicit¨¤ di essere amate.
Esprimono tre diverse forme d¡¯amore, tre diversi segreti rivelati, ma anche tre diverse forme di addio, rivelano che c¡¯¨¨ un intreccio di vita e relazioni dietro l¡¯apparenza della solitudine.
L¡¯amore dichiarato nelle lettere contraddice la solitudine che l¡¯immagine del cacciatore col fucile in spalla ha suscitato nel poeta.
Ma gli addii la confermano, e addirittura rafforzano.
Non c¡¯¨¨ condanna per nessuno, il narratore, poeta e scrittore, non esprime giudizio.
Sembra volersi associare al silenzio dignitoso del cacciatore che cammina nel bosco col fucile in spalla.
Il narratore, poeta e scrittore, adesso sa, conosce ed ¨¨ consapevole di cosa circonda l¡¯immagine del cacciatore col fucile in spalla che si ¨¨ impressa sulla sua immaginazione, a suo modo conserva il segreto che ora condivide.
March 11, 2021
Me ha parecido una obra bell¨ªsima, inteligente y bell¨ªsima, profunda y bell¨ªsima, elegante y bell¨ªsima, triste y¡ s¨ª, bell¨ªsima.
La soledad en la que en el fondo todos vivimos no puede expresarse mejor con tan poco:
La soledad en la que en el fondo todos vivimos no puede expresarse mejor con tan poco:
¡°Creo que es una gran locura en el hombre el querer que otro le comprenda.¡±
March 10, 2021
What a gem of a book!!!!! ? ?
It is a very short book¡I would call it a novella¡ it has an interesting structure. The body of the book consists of 3 letters:
? One letter written by Shoko, daughter of a woman, Saiko, who had a 13-year affair with Shoko¡¯s uncle¡ªthe letter is written to Uncle (Misugi) Josuke.
? Then a letter written by Midori, Saiko¡¯s cousin, and Misugi Josuke¡¯s wife, to Misugi Josuke, letting him know she knew about his 13-year affair with Saiko.
? Then a letter written by Saiko to Misugi Josuke, letting him know that their affair was known by Midori.
Also preceding the three letters was a letter written by Misugi Josuke to the narrator of this story.
If I made the three letters appear to be very confusing, please believe me they are not. I just wanted to list all the protagonists and their relationship to one another. Fascinating and complex and intertwined relationships. It was pitch-perfect writing. ?
And finally a wonderful afterword by the novella¡¯s author, Yashushi Inoue, written in 1988, about 40 years after he wrote this in 1949. It was his first work of fiction, the other one being ¡®Bullfight¡¯ which won the Akutagawa Prize in 1950. He says in his Afterword in 1988 that since these first two works he has published 50 novels of varying lengths and 108 novellas!
He also says this:
? They say that, as the authors mature, they follow the trajectory charted by their first writings¡ªa rule to which, it seems, there are no exceptions. If this is correct, then ¡®The Hunting Gun¡¯ and ¡°Bullfight¡¯ carry within them, alongside their youthful ungainliness, something fundamental from which I have never been able to break free. For this reason, I believe I am more fully present in their pages than in any of my other texts.
? Just as men are born under lucky or unlucky stars, so, too, literary works are more or blessed by fortune. Some arrive in the world perfectly formed; others are born sickly. Certain works achieve celebrity, while others languish in the shadows, condemned to huddle all their lives in an out of-the-way corner. Whether or not a work meets with success is to some extent a matter of caprice. Works the author approves of are ignored, and vice versa. The destinies of literary works are as fickle as those of men. Among the works I have published, some have had the good fortune to be much discussed, while others were forgotten almost as soon as they saw the light of day.
Sadly , only 10 of his works appear to have been translated into English: arggghhhhhhh ?¡ª
Happily it look like a number of them are available at this wonderful website, Open Library, including ¡®The Hunting Gun¡¯ (a different translated version than mine¡ªmine is translated by Michael Emmerich): whoo-hoo! ? ?
Brief bio on him from The New York Review of Books, :
Yasushi Inoue (1907-1991) was born on Hokkaid¨, Japan¡¯s northernmost island, the eldest child of an army medical officer. After a youth devoted to poetry and judo, Inoue sat, unsuccessfully, for the entrance exam to the Kyushu Imperial University Medical School. He would go on to study philosophy and literature at Kyoto Imperial University, writing his thesis on Paul Val¨¦ry. In 1935, newly married and with an infant daughter, Inoue became an arts reporter for the Osaka edition of the Mainichi News. Following the Second World War, during which he briefly served in north China, he published two short novels, The Hunting Gun and The Bullfight (winner of the Akutagawa Prize for literature). In 1951 Inoue resigned from the newspaper and devoted himself to literature, becoming a best-selling and tremendously prolific author in multiple genres. Among his books translated into English are The Hunting Gun, The Roof Tile of Tempy¨, and The Blue Wolf: A Novel of the Life of Chinggis Khan. In 1976 the emperor of Japan presented Inoue with the Order of Culture, the highest honor granted for artistic merit in Japan.
Reviews:
?
?
?
?
It is a very short book¡I would call it a novella¡ it has an interesting structure. The body of the book consists of 3 letters:
? One letter written by Shoko, daughter of a woman, Saiko, who had a 13-year affair with Shoko¡¯s uncle¡ªthe letter is written to Uncle (Misugi) Josuke.
? Then a letter written by Midori, Saiko¡¯s cousin, and Misugi Josuke¡¯s wife, to Misugi Josuke, letting him know she knew about his 13-year affair with Saiko.
? Then a letter written by Saiko to Misugi Josuke, letting him know that their affair was known by Midori.
Also preceding the three letters was a letter written by Misugi Josuke to the narrator of this story.
If I made the three letters appear to be very confusing, please believe me they are not. I just wanted to list all the protagonists and their relationship to one another. Fascinating and complex and intertwined relationships. It was pitch-perfect writing. ?
And finally a wonderful afterword by the novella¡¯s author, Yashushi Inoue, written in 1988, about 40 years after he wrote this in 1949. It was his first work of fiction, the other one being ¡®Bullfight¡¯ which won the Akutagawa Prize in 1950. He says in his Afterword in 1988 that since these first two works he has published 50 novels of varying lengths and 108 novellas!
He also says this:
? They say that, as the authors mature, they follow the trajectory charted by their first writings¡ªa rule to which, it seems, there are no exceptions. If this is correct, then ¡®The Hunting Gun¡¯ and ¡°Bullfight¡¯ carry within them, alongside their youthful ungainliness, something fundamental from which I have never been able to break free. For this reason, I believe I am more fully present in their pages than in any of my other texts.
? Just as men are born under lucky or unlucky stars, so, too, literary works are more or blessed by fortune. Some arrive in the world perfectly formed; others are born sickly. Certain works achieve celebrity, while others languish in the shadows, condemned to huddle all their lives in an out of-the-way corner. Whether or not a work meets with success is to some extent a matter of caprice. Works the author approves of are ignored, and vice versa. The destinies of literary works are as fickle as those of men. Among the works I have published, some have had the good fortune to be much discussed, while others were forgotten almost as soon as they saw the light of day.
Sadly , only 10 of his works appear to have been translated into English: arggghhhhhhh ?¡ª
Happily it look like a number of them are available at this wonderful website, Open Library, including ¡®The Hunting Gun¡¯ (a different translated version than mine¡ªmine is translated by Michael Emmerich): whoo-hoo! ? ?
Brief bio on him from The New York Review of Books, :
Yasushi Inoue (1907-1991) was born on Hokkaid¨, Japan¡¯s northernmost island, the eldest child of an army medical officer. After a youth devoted to poetry and judo, Inoue sat, unsuccessfully, for the entrance exam to the Kyushu Imperial University Medical School. He would go on to study philosophy and literature at Kyoto Imperial University, writing his thesis on Paul Val¨¦ry. In 1935, newly married and with an infant daughter, Inoue became an arts reporter for the Osaka edition of the Mainichi News. Following the Second World War, during which he briefly served in north China, he published two short novels, The Hunting Gun and The Bullfight (winner of the Akutagawa Prize for literature). In 1951 Inoue resigned from the newspaper and devoted himself to literature, becoming a best-selling and tremendously prolific author in multiple genres. Among his books translated into English are The Hunting Gun, The Roof Tile of Tempy¨, and The Blue Wolf: A Novel of the Life of Chinggis Khan. In 1976 the emperor of Japan presented Inoue with the Order of Culture, the highest honor granted for artistic merit in Japan.
Reviews:
?
?
?
?
April 3, 2018
Cos¨¬ ¨¨ stato, se vi pare
Non il tema dell'amore illecito, neppure il tema dell'amore coniugale e filiale tradito, e neppure la lieve penna di Yasushi Inoue o Inoue Yasushi, o la particolare struttura di questo breve romanzo mi hanno colpito come quanto la sensibilit¨¤ e l'interesse dell'autore nel trattare il tema della dicotomia tra ci¨° che si ritiene siano o pensino o sappiano gli altri e ci¨° che in realt¨¤ ma con molta approssimazione sono, pensano e sanno, e lo sbigottimento che consegue alla rivelazione (quando avviene) dello stato delle cose. Ci si domanda come sia possibile non aver mai considerato le circostanze da un altro punto di vista, peccando quindi di ingenuit¨¤ o di narcisismo. Tale sbigottimento l'avevo gi¨¤ provato - questa volta io, e non il personaggio del racconto - leggendo la seconda parte di "La donna giusta" di S¨¢ndor M¨¢rai.
Non il tema dell'amore illecito, neppure il tema dell'amore coniugale e filiale tradito, e neppure la lieve penna di Yasushi Inoue o Inoue Yasushi, o la particolare struttura di questo breve romanzo mi hanno colpito come quanto la sensibilit¨¤ e l'interesse dell'autore nel trattare il tema della dicotomia tra ci¨° che si ritiene siano o pensino o sappiano gli altri e ci¨° che in realt¨¤ ma con molta approssimazione sono, pensano e sanno, e lo sbigottimento che consegue alla rivelazione (quando avviene) dello stato delle cose. Ci si domanda come sia possibile non aver mai considerato le circostanze da un altro punto di vista, peccando quindi di ingenuit¨¤ o di narcisismo. Tale sbigottimento l'avevo gi¨¤ provato - questa volta io, e non il personaggio del racconto - leggendo la seconda parte di "La donna giusta" di S¨¢ndor M¨¢rai.
November 3, 2022
??? ???? ?? ?????? ??? ????? ????? ?????? ??? ????? ??? ??? ????? ??????...
?? ??? ???? ??? ???? ??????? ?????? ??????? ?????? ??? ?????? ????...!!
?? ?????? ????? ?????? ??????? ????? ?? ??? ???? ?????...
????? ???? ???????? ??? ???? ????? ?????? ???? ??? ??????? ??????? ???? ???? ????? ? ?? ????? ???? ???? ?????? ?? ????? ???? ? ?????? ?? ?????? ????? ?????? ?? ????? ????? ???? ???? ????? ?? ?????....? ??? ????? ??? ????? ???? ???? ??????...? ????? ???? ??? ???? ???? ?? ??? ??? ???????....
??? ???? ????? ???????? ??? ???? ??? ??? ????? ? ????? ??????? ???????? ????????....
??????? ?? ?? ??? ?????? ?? ???? ??? ?????? ???? ???? ????? ????? ???? ?????? ????? ? ?? ????? ?? ????? ?????? ????? ?? ????? ???? ????...!!
?? ??? ???? ??? ???? ??????? ?????? ??????? ?????? ??? ?????? ????...!!
?? ?????? ????? ?????? ??????? ????? ?? ??? ???? ?????...
????? ???? ???????? ??? ???? ????? ?????? ???? ??? ??????? ??????? ???? ???? ????? ? ?? ????? ???? ???? ?????? ?? ????? ???? ? ?????? ?? ?????? ????? ?????? ?? ????? ????? ???? ???? ????? ?? ?????....? ??? ????? ??? ????? ???? ???? ??????...? ????? ???? ??? ???? ???? ?? ??? ??? ???????....
??? ???? ????? ???????? ??? ???? ??? ??? ????? ? ????? ??????? ???????? ????????....
??????? ?? ?? ??? ?????? ?? ???? ??? ?????? ???? ???? ????? ????? ???? ?????? ????? ? ?? ????? ?? ????? ?????? ????? ?? ????? ???? ????...!!
October 10, 2024
"??????? ?? ?? ??????? ?? ?? ???????"
?????? ??? ??? ?????? ???? ?????? ?????? ????? ?? ???? ?????? ??????.. ??? ???? ???? ????? ????? ????.
??? ?????? ????? ???? ?? ??? ???? ???? ????? ???? ?????? ??? ?????.. ????? ?? ??? ?????? ???????...
"?????? ??? ??? ???? ??????? ???? ?????? ??? ??? ? ??? ??? ???? ?? ????? ????? ????? ?????? ???."
???? ?? ?????? ???? ????? ?? ????? ???????? ?? ???????? ?? ????? ?????? ? ?????? ??????
????? ?????? ????? ?? ??????..? ???? ?????? ?????? ???? ????? ?? ?????? ?? ????? ?????? ?? ??? ????? ??????.
????? ???? ??? ?????? ? ???????? ? ????? ? ???? ???????.
???? ??? ??????? ?? ????? ?? ?????? ?? ???? ??? ????? ? ?? ????? ???? ??? ???? ?????? (?????).
??? ????? ?? ???? ????? (????) ??? ??????? ??????? ??????? ? ??????? ???????? ????? ?? ??? ???????? ?? ???? ? ????? ?????? ??????? ??????? ??? ????? ????.
??? ???? ??????? ??????? ??????? ?????? ??? ???? . ??????? ?????? ??? ?? ???? .. ?? ?????? ?? ????? ???? ?? ?? ???? ??? ???? ???? ????? ?????? ??? ????.
"???? ?? ???? ?? ???? ????? ??? ????" ??? ????? "? ????? ?? ????? ???? ????? ???? ????? ??? ?????? ????? ??? ?????? ? ?????? ? ?????? ?? ???????? ?? ?? ??? ????? ??? ???? ???? ????? ?????."
???? ????? ?????? ???????? ??????. ????? ??? ???? ??????? ???? ? ????? ??????.. ? ??? ??????? ?? ??? ????. ??????? ???? ?????? ??? ?? ???? ? ???? ?? ????? ??????.
" ??? ??? ????? ??????? ??? ??????? ??? ?? ???? ??????? ??? ??????? ? ??? ?????? ?? ??? ????? ?? ???? ???? ?????? ? ??? ??? ??? ?? ?? ?????. "
????? ????? ?? ?????? ???? ???? ??? ??? ??????? ??? ?? ????? (???? ???? ? ??????? ???????) . ???? ?? ??????? ? ?????? ? ????????? ? ??????? ????.
".. ???? ??? ?????? ???? ?????? ???? ?? ?????? ? ??? ???? ?????? ? ????? ???? ?????? ?????? ????? ???????. ????? ??????": ????? ??? ????? ?? ???? ??? ??????? ?? ???? ?????? ?? ????? ?????? ????? ????? ??? ?? ???? ????? ?????. ????? ?? ????? ???? ??? ???? ????? ?? ????? ?? ????? ?????? ???????? ??????? ?? ???? ??????.. ???? ????? ?????? ? ????? ????? ????? ? ???? ???? ?? ??????? ??????? ?? ????? ???? ??????. ? ??? ???????? ??? ????? ??? ?????? ??????? ??? ?????? ??? ???? ??????. ?? ???? ????? ?? ?????? ??? ???? ????? ??? ?????? ??????? ??? ?????? "???" ?????? ??? ?????. ? ?????? ???? ???? ?? ????? ?? ????. ? ????? ???? ?? ??? ????? ????? ??? ??? ???? ????? ??? ?? ????? ????. "
?????? ????? ????? ?? ???? ?????. ????? ???? ????? ????? ? ?????. ??? ????? ?????? ?? ???? ????
" ?? ???? ?? ??????! ?? ???? ????? ?? ????? ???? ?? ?????? ???? ????? ??? ????? ???? ????? ?? ????? ???? "
? ??????? ???? ????? ????? ?????? ?? ???????
?????? ?? ???? ?????? ??????? ?? ??? ?????.
???? ? ???? ??" ???" ???? ?????? ??????." ???" ?? ?????? ?? ???? ??? ?????? ?????? ???? ? ????. ??? ????? ??? ??? ???????? ? ????? ??????? ??? ????? ??????? ? ?????? ?????? ?? ?????? ? ????? ???? ??????? ?? ????. ? ????? ???? ???? ?????.
??? ????? ?????? ????? ???? ?????? ?????? ????? ? ??? ????? ?????? ? ???? ?? ????? ? ???? ?? ???? ????? ??????? ?? ???????.
??? ????? ??????? ?????? ? ????? ???? ?? ???? ?????? ?? ????????? ????? ?? ?????? ??????? ?????? ??????? ? ?? ?? ?? ?????? ???? ? ??????
?????? ?? ???? ????? ?????? ??? ???? ???? ??? ???? ??? ?? ??? ???? :)
?????? ??? ????? ??????? ??????? ???????? ?? ??????? ???? ??? ?? ???????..
????? ???? ??? ????? ???? ? ??????? ??????? ???????? ? ??? ????? ????? ??????? ?????? ?? ??? ???? ???.
??????? ???? ??? ???? ? ?? ??????? ??????? ? ?????????? ????? ??????? ????? ?????? ????? ???? ??????????? ? ??????? ??????? ????? ?????? ??? ???? ??????.
October 23, 2018
A little gem of a book. Intimate and beautifully written.
June 23, 2022
--The Hunting Gun
Afterword
Afterword
October 12, 2024
Ein komplexes Zusammenspiel aus gesellschaftlichen Konventionen, Erwartungshaltungen und Normen.
Die Figuren agieren in restriktiv gebunden Strukturen, die ihnen wenig soziale Verhaltensspielr?ume gew?hren. Vieles kann und darf nicht benannt werden. Die Kommunikation l?uft zwangsweise, infolge der Unm?glichkeit einer gemeinsamen Bedeutungsbasis, in eine Sackgasse. Man hat schlicht f¨¹r gewisse Situationen keinen passenden sozialen Code zur Verf¨¹gung.
Daraus resultierend erleben wir ein eindr¨¹ckliches Schauspiel des R¨¹ckzugs, Einmauerns, Geheimnis Wahrens - eine K?lte der Einsamkeit, auf allen Seiten.
Zudem kommt es zu lauter Fehlinterpretationen, da die Figuren durch ihre Verschlossenheit vor dem Dilemma eines immensen Informationsmangels stehen, der eine riesige Blackbox in der Kommunikation darstellt, auf dessen Grundlage aber das eigene Handeln bestimmt wird.
Zu guter Letzt greift Inoue auch noch das Thema des Mutes und der Risikobereitschaft auf, die die meisten Menschen schmerzlich vermissen lassen und sich zum passiven Empf?ngertum entscheiden.
Wozu dies f¨¹hrt, erfahren wir in 3 Briefen, der Tochter der Geliebten, der Ehefrau des Mannes mit dem Jagdgewehr und am Ende der Geliebten selber.
Die Beziehungen erodieren zu funktionalen, strategischen Interaktionen, bis nur noch die Isolation ¨¹brig bleibt.
Die Symbolik, der sich Inoue bedient, wirkt hier und da etwas arg plakativ stereotyp.
Insbesondere der Brief der Gattin strotz vor dem Symbol des Phallus als Repr?sentant der Macht, das den eigenen Mangel darstellt. Nat¨¹rlich kommt man dann schnell zu dem Schluss das Gewehr auch als solches zu begreifen. Interessant ist dann aber wiederum wie er weiter damit verf?hrt. Er nutzt dieses Symbol, um subtil auf einen Zwischenzustand zu verweisen, der wiederum in den gesellschaftlichen Konventionen vert?ut ist und die Gattin zwingt, durch diese zun?chst seltsame Szene des Begehrens, sich zu verhalten. Die ganzen Fehlinterpretationen und unzul?nglichen Kommunikationsmittel, die einen Schwebezustand ausl?sen, wirken letztendlich als Katalysator f¨¹r eine Handlung von ihr.
Ja hier und da m?chte ich mit den Augen rollen und dachte mir, ?das hast du genauso schon hunderte Male in japanischer Literatur gelesen¡°. Aber! In der Gesamtkomposition ist das schon, insbesondere in Verbindung mit der Schlusspointe, ein ziemlich cooles, kleines St¨¹ck Literatur.
Die Figuren agieren in restriktiv gebunden Strukturen, die ihnen wenig soziale Verhaltensspielr?ume gew?hren. Vieles kann und darf nicht benannt werden. Die Kommunikation l?uft zwangsweise, infolge der Unm?glichkeit einer gemeinsamen Bedeutungsbasis, in eine Sackgasse. Man hat schlicht f¨¹r gewisse Situationen keinen passenden sozialen Code zur Verf¨¹gung.
Daraus resultierend erleben wir ein eindr¨¹ckliches Schauspiel des R¨¹ckzugs, Einmauerns, Geheimnis Wahrens - eine K?lte der Einsamkeit, auf allen Seiten.
Zudem kommt es zu lauter Fehlinterpretationen, da die Figuren durch ihre Verschlossenheit vor dem Dilemma eines immensen Informationsmangels stehen, der eine riesige Blackbox in der Kommunikation darstellt, auf dessen Grundlage aber das eigene Handeln bestimmt wird.
Zu guter Letzt greift Inoue auch noch das Thema des Mutes und der Risikobereitschaft auf, die die meisten Menschen schmerzlich vermissen lassen und sich zum passiven Empf?ngertum entscheiden.
Wozu dies f¨¹hrt, erfahren wir in 3 Briefen, der Tochter der Geliebten, der Ehefrau des Mannes mit dem Jagdgewehr und am Ende der Geliebten selber.
Die Beziehungen erodieren zu funktionalen, strategischen Interaktionen, bis nur noch die Isolation ¨¹brig bleibt.
Die Symbolik, der sich Inoue bedient, wirkt hier und da etwas arg plakativ stereotyp.
Insbesondere der Brief der Gattin strotz vor dem Symbol des Phallus als Repr?sentant der Macht, das den eigenen Mangel darstellt. Nat¨¹rlich kommt man dann schnell zu dem Schluss das Gewehr auch als solches zu begreifen. Interessant ist dann aber wiederum wie er weiter damit verf?hrt. Er nutzt dieses Symbol, um subtil auf einen Zwischenzustand zu verweisen, der wiederum in den gesellschaftlichen Konventionen vert?ut ist und die Gattin zwingt, durch diese zun?chst seltsame Szene des Begehrens, sich zu verhalten. Die ganzen Fehlinterpretationen und unzul?nglichen Kommunikationsmittel, die einen Schwebezustand ausl?sen, wirken letztendlich als Katalysator f¨¹r eine Handlung von ihr.
Ja hier und da m?chte ich mit den Augen rollen und dachte mir, ?das hast du genauso schon hunderte Male in japanischer Literatur gelesen¡°. Aber! In der Gesamtkomposition ist das schon, insbesondere in Verbindung mit der Schlusspointe, ein ziemlich cooles, kleines St¨¹ck Literatur.
November 12, 2021
This novella packs quite a punch. It is set out in a series of letters written to a man from the daughter of his mistress, his wife, and his mistress herself. It explores the deepest emotions we carry as human beings, those of our relationships to the people who we love, or are supposed to love. It is a complicated story of betrayal, of more than a sexual kind. Beautifully written and deeply moving.
Although I was not able to, this can be read in one sitting. Huge thank you to my friend, Lynn, for her marvelous review that brought this to my attention.
Although I was not able to, this can be read in one sitting. Huge thank you to my friend, Lynn, for her marvelous review that brought this to my attention.
December 29, 2018
This short little book was very Zen: slow, clear and deliberate. The language is simple, but powerful. It's a family drama, described after it's all over, in letter form. Most of all it's a character study. It keeps your attention easily, and yet it's so quiet and unassuming.
In the frame narrative, a poet who had a hunting themed poem published, are contacted by a man he does not know, who was deeply moved by the poem. He claims the poem describes him to a tee, and that the poet must have known about his situation. Then he sends three letters he has received from different female family members, and so we get to see their family from three different viewpoints.
Yes, there are strong emotions and secrets revealed, and there is anger, but most of all it is slow and contemplative. To write quietly about strong emotions can create a lot of distance, but that was not my experience this time. The lack of strong, flowery language brings us closer, not further away. And it's wonderful when you find a book that is so powerful and so comfortable to read at the same time.
In the frame narrative, a poet who had a hunting themed poem published, are contacted by a man he does not know, who was deeply moved by the poem. He claims the poem describes him to a tee, and that the poet must have known about his situation. Then he sends three letters he has received from different female family members, and so we get to see their family from three different viewpoints.
Yes, there are strong emotions and secrets revealed, and there is anger, but most of all it is slow and contemplative. To write quietly about strong emotions can create a lot of distance, but that was not my experience this time. The lack of strong, flowery language brings us closer, not further away. And it's wonderful when you find a book that is so powerful and so comfortable to read at the same time.
January 27, 2022
4,5
Singurul motiv pentru care nu-i dau 5 stele este tonul artificial prezent pe alocuri, oarecum de asteptat in literatura japonez? clasic?. In rest este impecabil. Atat de micu? ca ?ntindere dar at?t de bine construit, o mica bijuterie acest text. L-am g?sit plin de sens, de o triste?e melancolic?, dar ?i capabil s? surprind?. Cele patru scrisori se desfac fiecare ca ni?te capcane imbatabile pentru cele precedente, iar tu, ca cititor, intri ?ntr-o ?nc?pere total nea?teptat? cu fiecare epistol?, care o redefineste pe cea de dinainte. Mi-a placut mai mult dec?t m? a?teptam si este meritul lui ca mi-a indus exact starea necesar? pentru a-l savura.
Singurul motiv pentru care nu-i dau 5 stele este tonul artificial prezent pe alocuri, oarecum de asteptat in literatura japonez? clasic?. In rest este impecabil. Atat de micu? ca ?ntindere dar at?t de bine construit, o mica bijuterie acest text. L-am g?sit plin de sens, de o triste?e melancolic?, dar ?i capabil s? surprind?. Cele patru scrisori se desfac fiecare ca ni?te capcane imbatabile pentru cele precedente, iar tu, ca cititor, intri ?ntr-o ?nc?pere total nea?teptat? cu fiecare epistol?, care o redefineste pe cea de dinainte. Mi-a placut mai mult dec?t m? a?teptam si este meritul lui ca mi-a indus exact starea necesar? pentru a-l savura.
August 19, 2011
I don't know how to read. I'm going to sign up for hooked on phonics after I write this review. My mind was in the gutter like I lost to Jesus Quintana and his purple balls in a bowling match (we have dates on wednesdays and saturdays now). My first reading today (I'm not a freak! This story is only 74 pages) the relationship was between a son and his mother. In my defense, kind jury (I really like those shoes! They match your understanding eyes), extramarital affairs aren't that shocking, are they? It SHOULDN'T have been considering how many are like shadows of a table that's always there in the corner. The table might knock into some shins on the way out but it's still kinda facts of life always there. It isn't anyone here's first time into the table. Don't be so hard on Mariel, Mariel! The Hunting Gun is kinda great and giving a shit about the affairs is going back to the abcs and birds and the bees. It should have been incest. The sin, sin, sin was overshadowing the points that splinter and all the kings men can't kiss the boo boo away. Soooo close to a treasure (hey, I did read it twice in one day). So what if the hypocrisy of the drama of the sin was distracting. Something else was there under the should bes and spelling bees of what people want defined. The fault is not mine. I know how to sound out the meanings between the lines, if you catch my phonetical hook. It's knowing what is real that gets me. The rifle is pointed at me now. Fire! Duck! (Go on without me! Tell...Yasushi Inoue...I...like...him! Take this last goodreads review home....dies...)
It's feeling the desire (I guess that's a reason to get out of bed in the morning desire) to feel the real you with other people that you feel when you're alone. It's pretty special that this little book had that ache to get to feel yourself when you're alone with yourself. I had that when reading this. What's the kind of loneliness you can't warm your fingers by the fire? The feeling of being me with someone else? What do I want more? (I think it's important to me to feel me with me and at least a hope of feeling me with someone else.) The Hunting Gun (the poem within the book) is a poem of poetic justice. The kind that wants to take the place of who it wonders about. Walk with me, shoot me and I'll shoot you. The hunter the poet wondered about writes to him to stand as a bulls eye target. Between the eyes kind of being seen. Josuke sends his three letters from three different women. The him that is himself and not himself with other people. (I liked that the poet looked to Josuke's handwriting for his impression of him, like how handwriting can be a clue. It'd be interesting to study that like it's another kind of body language. It's a shame that typing has hidden that behind too much clothes, or lipstick painting a frown upside down. I liked that he watched his big back for what he might be. Looking for clues is taking action. The trying to understand is when you get to feel yourself when you're not alone.) Seeing yourself in someone else's eyes and you weren't there in the memory because you don't recognize you. If you had a gun you might shoot that outside you. That's not me! (Or is that a time travel worst case scenario? I stepped on a snake in 1944 and now everyone is a snake in 2011!)
Shoko is the daughter of Josuke's lover. I had thought she was his sister because she's the kind of girl that would adopt the baby or sister role with whomever she was with. Their secret was not hers, should not have been hers, and she stole it by snooping through her mother's diary. Why did she write Josuke a get out of my life letter other than to make something belong to her? I did like this part of her letter: "I had the impression that mother's own time had been moving through the house the moment I had left it to go to school. I felt that if I went in, mother would be embarrassed, and her face would become sad." It was telling that she thought the feeling a bad omen, not that her mother should turn without her. It's a cruel feeling to not be one's own.
Midori, the wife, keeps flowers pinned and arranged. Her letters are a he-loves-me-not convincing variety of what can look almost real in some light or another. Her rut is trapped in waiting for someone else to make the move, until she makes a move of a step away. It's not a moving move that means anything to leave. What she would see in the back shape and hand writing on the wall would be something to fit what she wanted to see. How lonely...
The tragedy is living a deliberate lie for the sake of other liars. I didn't care about the LOVE because it wasn't love. Is it better to love or be loved? The loved, not a lover, is Saiko. She cannot believe in the true self that is loving. If that's the case how could she have been happy believing that she was loved? Her husband had cheated on her and she could not get over it to forgive him or have anything that didn't bear the taint of that failure of her should bes. It was an incest feeling, that having children so someone will love you. Is confessing a fear once unshared not being yourself? Are you not yourself unless you're asleep and your unconcious is free to roam around and visit other parts that only come out at night to play? (I must be myself a lot because I'm a day dreamer and a nightmarer.) Saiko didn't feel she was being herself until before her death in that last letter she wrote to Josuke. It must have been lonely for Josuke to be so unseen and uncredited seer. I love this book because he's unseen by the position of holding his own gun. He was supposed to aim and fire. When wanting to be seen by the poet it is not his own words he sends but those of the women. Aim and fire... How is he going to be less lonely when he must want to find some kind of himself to feel in their company?
I thought The Hunting Gun was special for making me feel it is important that somebody take a second look at Josuke and not know what they are going to see before they look. What do you expect to see before you look at yourself? Fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiire! (I hope I know how to read...) I thought it was special for making me feel me because I wanted to look at them.
It's feeling the desire (I guess that's a reason to get out of bed in the morning desire) to feel the real you with other people that you feel when you're alone. It's pretty special that this little book had that ache to get to feel yourself when you're alone with yourself. I had that when reading this. What's the kind of loneliness you can't warm your fingers by the fire? The feeling of being me with someone else? What do I want more? (I think it's important to me to feel me with me and at least a hope of feeling me with someone else.) The Hunting Gun (the poem within the book) is a poem of poetic justice. The kind that wants to take the place of who it wonders about. Walk with me, shoot me and I'll shoot you. The hunter the poet wondered about writes to him to stand as a bulls eye target. Between the eyes kind of being seen. Josuke sends his three letters from three different women. The him that is himself and not himself with other people. (I liked that the poet looked to Josuke's handwriting for his impression of him, like how handwriting can be a clue. It'd be interesting to study that like it's another kind of body language. It's a shame that typing has hidden that behind too much clothes, or lipstick painting a frown upside down. I liked that he watched his big back for what he might be. Looking for clues is taking action. The trying to understand is when you get to feel yourself when you're not alone.) Seeing yourself in someone else's eyes and you weren't there in the memory because you don't recognize you. If you had a gun you might shoot that outside you. That's not me! (Or is that a time travel worst case scenario? I stepped on a snake in 1944 and now everyone is a snake in 2011!)
Shoko is the daughter of Josuke's lover. I had thought she was his sister because she's the kind of girl that would adopt the baby or sister role with whomever she was with. Their secret was not hers, should not have been hers, and she stole it by snooping through her mother's diary. Why did she write Josuke a get out of my life letter other than to make something belong to her? I did like this part of her letter: "I had the impression that mother's own time had been moving through the house the moment I had left it to go to school. I felt that if I went in, mother would be embarrassed, and her face would become sad." It was telling that she thought the feeling a bad omen, not that her mother should turn without her. It's a cruel feeling to not be one's own.
Midori, the wife, keeps flowers pinned and arranged. Her letters are a he-loves-me-not convincing variety of what can look almost real in some light or another. Her rut is trapped in waiting for someone else to make the move, until she makes a move of a step away. It's not a moving move that means anything to leave. What she would see in the back shape and hand writing on the wall would be something to fit what she wanted to see. How lonely...
The tragedy is living a deliberate lie for the sake of other liars. I didn't care about the LOVE because it wasn't love. Is it better to love or be loved? The loved, not a lover, is Saiko. She cannot believe in the true self that is loving. If that's the case how could she have been happy believing that she was loved? Her husband had cheated on her and she could not get over it to forgive him or have anything that didn't bear the taint of that failure of her should bes. It was an incest feeling, that having children so someone will love you. Is confessing a fear once unshared not being yourself? Are you not yourself unless you're asleep and your unconcious is free to roam around and visit other parts that only come out at night to play? (I must be myself a lot because I'm a day dreamer and a nightmarer.) Saiko didn't feel she was being herself until before her death in that last letter she wrote to Josuke. It must have been lonely for Josuke to be so unseen and uncredited seer. I love this book because he's unseen by the position of holding his own gun. He was supposed to aim and fire. When wanting to be seen by the poet it is not his own words he sends but those of the women. Aim and fire... How is he going to be less lonely when he must want to find some kind of himself to feel in their company?
I thought The Hunting Gun was special for making me feel it is important that somebody take a second look at Josuke and not know what they are going to see before they look. What do you expect to see before you look at yourself? Fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiire! (I hope I know how to read...) I thought it was special for making me feel me because I wanted to look at them.
April 28, 2024
Poco se ve por aqu¨ª este libro y no me lo explico porque es una maravilla. Yo lo he le¨ªdo f¨¢cil tres veces y aunque evidentemente, despu¨¦s de volver a ¨¦l varias veces, recuerdo la trama y ni siquiera me importa porque es una historia de esas a las que vuelves por el placer de leerla, de la que siempre saco cosas nuevas, detalles de los que no me hab¨ªa percatado y reflexiones diferentes.
?
¡®La escopeta de caza¡¯ del escritor japon¨¦s Yasushi Inoue se public¨® en 1948 y gan¨® el prestigioso premio Akutagawa, que se otorga a historias cortas y a autores n¨®veles o poco conocidos. As¨ª, es uno de esos libros que se puede leer de una sentada si quieres, pero reconozco que mi consejo es ir con calma, saboreando cada p¨¢gina.
?
La historia que nos plantea en inicio es muy curiosa, un poeta nos cuenta que para hacer un favor a un amigo ha publicado un haiku en una revista de caza, sin tener ¨¦l particular inter¨¦s en el tema. A ra¨ªz de ello, de forma absolutamente inesperada recibe una misiva de un misterioso hombre, que, utilizando nombre falso (Josuke), le dice que est¨¢ seguro que el poema habla de ¨¦l, y le pide que lea tres cartas que le env¨ªa y luego las queme. As¨ª, la mayor parte de la novela ser¨¢ la ¡®transcripci¨®n¡¯ de estas tres cartas que dirigidas a Josuke y que ahora recibe el lector.
?
Es muy curioso porque las cuatro cartas que conforman la novela, la de Josuke y las tres que recibe, son unidireccionales, no esperan respuesta (en su contenido entenderemos el porqu¨¦). Todas ellas abordar¨¢n sucesos relacionados, aport¨¢ndonos perspectivas de diferentes mujeres y detalles desconocidos hasta el momento para ir conformando un puzles de una alta intensidad emocional, eso si, contado con la aparente frialdad que caracteriza a la sociedad japonesa cuando llega el momento de hablar de los sentimientos propios. Vais a disculpadme que no entre m¨¢s en la trama y ni os adelante quienes son esas mujeres, pero, al ser un libro tan corto¡ os restar¨ªa magia por lo que opto por mencionar mejor otros detalles.
?
Como que es una novela llena de silencios, de emociones contenidas, que ¡®envenenan¡¯ a quienes lo hacen y que encuentran en la escritura de las cartas su propia catarsis. Un libro que fascinar¨¢ a quien le guste realizar lecturas atentas, buscando explicaci¨®n a cada detalle y con ojo ¨¢vido ante los simbolismos ciertos elementos recurrentes como la serpiente, la escopeta de caza y los colores con los que los personajes se visten (nada es casual, ya os aviso).
?
Preparaos para una historia de amor y traiciones, de secretos que salen a la luz, de mentiras piadosas y no tanto, con personajes heridos a diferentes niveles¡ vamos una historia digna de ser calificada de tragedia griega (sin serlo), con una intensidad pasiva como solo un autor japon¨¦s puede hacer y con unos temas absolutamente universales y atemporales.
?
Novel¨®n (corto) a leer si o s¨ª.
?
¡®La escopeta de caza¡¯ del escritor japon¨¦s Yasushi Inoue se public¨® en 1948 y gan¨® el prestigioso premio Akutagawa, que se otorga a historias cortas y a autores n¨®veles o poco conocidos. As¨ª, es uno de esos libros que se puede leer de una sentada si quieres, pero reconozco que mi consejo es ir con calma, saboreando cada p¨¢gina.
?
La historia que nos plantea en inicio es muy curiosa, un poeta nos cuenta que para hacer un favor a un amigo ha publicado un haiku en una revista de caza, sin tener ¨¦l particular inter¨¦s en el tema. A ra¨ªz de ello, de forma absolutamente inesperada recibe una misiva de un misterioso hombre, que, utilizando nombre falso (Josuke), le dice que est¨¢ seguro que el poema habla de ¨¦l, y le pide que lea tres cartas que le env¨ªa y luego las queme. As¨ª, la mayor parte de la novela ser¨¢ la ¡®transcripci¨®n¡¯ de estas tres cartas que dirigidas a Josuke y que ahora recibe el lector.
?
Es muy curioso porque las cuatro cartas que conforman la novela, la de Josuke y las tres que recibe, son unidireccionales, no esperan respuesta (en su contenido entenderemos el porqu¨¦). Todas ellas abordar¨¢n sucesos relacionados, aport¨¢ndonos perspectivas de diferentes mujeres y detalles desconocidos hasta el momento para ir conformando un puzles de una alta intensidad emocional, eso si, contado con la aparente frialdad que caracteriza a la sociedad japonesa cuando llega el momento de hablar de los sentimientos propios. Vais a disculpadme que no entre m¨¢s en la trama y ni os adelante quienes son esas mujeres, pero, al ser un libro tan corto¡ os restar¨ªa magia por lo que opto por mencionar mejor otros detalles.
?
Como que es una novela llena de silencios, de emociones contenidas, que ¡®envenenan¡¯ a quienes lo hacen y que encuentran en la escritura de las cartas su propia catarsis. Un libro que fascinar¨¢ a quien le guste realizar lecturas atentas, buscando explicaci¨®n a cada detalle y con ojo ¨¢vido ante los simbolismos ciertos elementos recurrentes como la serpiente, la escopeta de caza y los colores con los que los personajes se visten (nada es casual, ya os aviso).
?
Preparaos para una historia de amor y traiciones, de secretos que salen a la luz, de mentiras piadosas y no tanto, con personajes heridos a diferentes niveles¡ vamos una historia digna de ser calificada de tragedia griega (sin serlo), con una intensidad pasiva como solo un autor japon¨¦s puede hacer y con unos temas absolutamente universales y atemporales.
?
Novel¨®n (corto) a leer si o s¨ª.
March 20, 2018
¦ª¦Á¦Ë¦Ï¦Ã¦Ñ¦Á¦Ì¦Ì?¦Í¦Ç ¦Ä¦Ñ¦Á¦Ì¦Á¦Ó¦É¦Ê? ¦Í¦Ï¦Ô¦Â?¦Ë¦Á, ¦Ð¦Ï¦Ô ¦Ì¦É¦Ë?¦Å¦É ¦Ã¦É¦Á ¦Ó¦Ï¦Í ¦Ð¦Á¦Ñ?¦Í¦Ï¦Ì¦Ï ?¦Ñ¦Ø¦Ó¦Á ¦Ê¦Á¦É ¦Ó¦É? ¦Ò¦Ô¦Í¦Ó¦Á¦Ñ¦Á¦Ê¦Ó¦É¦Ê?? ¦Ò¦Ô¦Í?¦Ð¦Å¦É¦Å? ¦Ò¦Ó¦Ç ¦Æ¦Ø? ¦Ó¦Ñ¦É?¦Í ¦Ã¦Ô¦Í¦Á¦É¦Ê?¦Í ¦Ð¦Ï¦Ô ¦Ì¦Å ¦Ó¦Ï¦Í ?¦Í¦Á¦Í ? ¦Ó¦Ï¦Í ?¦Ë¦Ë¦Ï ¦Ó¦Ñ?¦Ð¦Ï ¦Å?¦Ö¦Á¦Í ¦Ê?¦Ð¦Ï¦É¦Ï ¦Ñ?¦Ë¦Ï. ¦¯¦Ô¦Ò¦É¦Á¦Ò¦Ó¦É¦Ê? ?¦Ö¦Ï¦Ô¦Ì¦Å ¦Ó¦Ñ?¦Á ¦Ä¦É¦Á¦Õ¦Ï¦Ñ¦Å¦Ó¦É¦Ê? ¦Ã¦Ñ?¦Ì¦Ì¦Á¦Ó¦Á ¦Ó¦Ñ¦É?¦Í ¦Ä¦É¦Á¦Õ¦Ï¦Ñ¦Å¦Ó¦É¦Ê?¦Í ¦Ã¦Ô¦Í¦Á¦É¦Ê?¦Í, ¦Ð¦Ï¦Ô ¦Â¦Ã?¦Æ¦Ï¦Ô¦Í ¦Ò¦Ó¦Ç ¦Õ?¦Ñ¦Á ¦Ó¦Á ¦Ò¦Ô¦Í¦Á¦É¦Ò¦È?¦Ì¦Á¦Ó? ¦Ó¦Ï¦Ô? ¦Ò¦Ö¦Å¦Ó¦É¦Ê? ¦Ì¦Å ¦Ó¦Ï¦Í ¦Ð¦Á¦Ñ?¦Í¦Ï¦Ì¦Ï ¦Á¦Ô¦Ó? ?¦Ñ¦Ø¦Ó¦Á, ¦Ò¦Ô¦Í¦Á¦É¦Ò¦È?¦Ì¦Á¦Ó¦Á ?¦Ð¦Ø? ¦Å?¦Í¦Á¦É ¦Ï ¦È¦Ô¦Ì??, ¦Ç ¦Ð?¦Ê¦Ñ¦Á, ¦Ï¦É ¦Å¦Í¦Ï¦Ö??... ¦¥?¦Í¦Á¦É ¦Ì¦É¦Á ¦Í¦Ï¦Ô¦Â?¦Ë¦Á ¦Ö¦Á¦Ì¦Ç¦Ë?¦Í ¦Ó?¦Í¦Ø¦Í ¦Ð¦Ï¦Ô ¦Ä¦Å?¦Ö¦Í¦Å¦É ¦Ë¦É¦Ã?¦Ê¦É ¦Ó¦Á ¦Ö¦Ñ?¦Í¦É¦Á ¦Ó¦Ç?, ?¦Ì¦Ø? ¦Á¦Ò¦Ö¦Ï¦Ë¦Å?¦Ó¦Á¦É ¦Ì'?¦Í¦Á ¦Ä¦É¦Á¦Ö¦Ñ¦Ï¦Í¦É¦Ê? ¦È?¦Ì¦Á ¦Ê¦Á¦É ?¦Ö¦Å¦É ¦Ó¦Ç ¦Ä?¦Í¦Á¦Ì¦Ç ¦Í¦Á ¦Ð¦Å¦Ñ?¦Ò¦Å¦É ¦Ê?¦Ð¦Ï¦É¦Á ¦Ì¦Ç¦Í?¦Ì¦Á¦Ó¦Á ¦Ò¦Ó¦Ï¦Ô? ¦Á¦Í¦Á¦Ã¦Í?¦Ò¦Ó¦Å?.
May 23, 2017
Capolavoro
Quale sar¨¤ il serpente che ognuno degli uomini si porta dentro? Egoismo, gelosia, fatalit¨¤? Forse una specie di karma che ingoia tutto ci¨° e che la nostra forza non ci basta a mutare?
? un intreccio amoroso, aggrovigliato e crudele, il legame che avvince i destini dei protagonisti di questo piccolo, intenso romanzo: un uomo e tre donne, in reciproca relazione di affetti e consuetudini quotidiane.
Sarebbe tuttavia estremamente riduttivo affermare che sia l¡¯amore l¡¯unico tema del racconto, perch¨¦ in esso, a ben guardare, ¨¨ racchiusa una sorta di distillato della natura umana, indagata in particolare nel suo modo di manifestarsi nei rapporti interpersonali. Matrimonio, adulterio, amicizia, amore filiale: nulla ¨¨ come appare; e nella tensione sinuosa di una prosa vivida ed essenziale come il linguaggio poetico, poco a poco si svelano sospetti, equivoci e segreti.
? presente in ciascuno di noi una zona oscura ¨C celata al mondo intero e insidiosa come un infido serpente ¨C spesso ignota perfino a noi stessi, che erompe inattesa e imprevedibile quando scatta la molla del destino e ci si trova a fare i conti con la necessit¨¤ di scegliere.
E allora tutti i principi, i progetti e i propositi che avevamo fatto nostri con il buonsenso e la razionalit¨¤ crollano miserevolmente, per cedere il passo a una istintivit¨¤ che non disdegna neppure la menzogna, l¡¯inganno e il rifiuto nei confronti di chi ci ama e di tutto ci¨° che credevamo ci fosse pi¨´ caro; e talora della vita stessa.
C¡¯¨¨ anche in ciascuno di noi una misteriosa vocazione alla solitudine, sub¨¬ta o voluta; una istintiva crudelt¨¤ sanguinaria, dolorosa per noi stessi e al contempo incurante delle ferite che pu¨° infliggere ad altri; un ¡°fucile da caccia¡± che ci preme perennemente al fianco, ¡°scavando nel nostro spirito solitario, nella nostra carne solitaria¡±, mentre procediamo in cerca di prede nella desolazione del ¡°bianco alveo di un fiume¡±.
Un libro straordinario, che mi ¨¨ particolarmente caro.
Un gioiello di perfezione stilistica e strutturale. Un piccolo grande capolavoro, da leggere e rileggere, perch¨¦ ad ogni rilettura dischiude nuove interpretazioni del significante, inducendo a riflessioni volte anche ad una pi¨´ profonda conoscenza di s¨¦ stessi.
Quale sar¨¤ il serpente che ognuno degli uomini si porta dentro? Egoismo, gelosia, fatalit¨¤? Forse una specie di karma che ingoia tutto ci¨° e che la nostra forza non ci basta a mutare?
? un intreccio amoroso, aggrovigliato e crudele, il legame che avvince i destini dei protagonisti di questo piccolo, intenso romanzo: un uomo e tre donne, in reciproca relazione di affetti e consuetudini quotidiane.
Sarebbe tuttavia estremamente riduttivo affermare che sia l¡¯amore l¡¯unico tema del racconto, perch¨¦ in esso, a ben guardare, ¨¨ racchiusa una sorta di distillato della natura umana, indagata in particolare nel suo modo di manifestarsi nei rapporti interpersonali. Matrimonio, adulterio, amicizia, amore filiale: nulla ¨¨ come appare; e nella tensione sinuosa di una prosa vivida ed essenziale come il linguaggio poetico, poco a poco si svelano sospetti, equivoci e segreti.
? presente in ciascuno di noi una zona oscura ¨C celata al mondo intero e insidiosa come un infido serpente ¨C spesso ignota perfino a noi stessi, che erompe inattesa e imprevedibile quando scatta la molla del destino e ci si trova a fare i conti con la necessit¨¤ di scegliere.
E allora tutti i principi, i progetti e i propositi che avevamo fatto nostri con il buonsenso e la razionalit¨¤ crollano miserevolmente, per cedere il passo a una istintivit¨¤ che non disdegna neppure la menzogna, l¡¯inganno e il rifiuto nei confronti di chi ci ama e di tutto ci¨° che credevamo ci fosse pi¨´ caro; e talora della vita stessa.
C¡¯¨¨ anche in ciascuno di noi una misteriosa vocazione alla solitudine, sub¨¬ta o voluta; una istintiva crudelt¨¤ sanguinaria, dolorosa per noi stessi e al contempo incurante delle ferite che pu¨° infliggere ad altri; un ¡°fucile da caccia¡± che ci preme perennemente al fianco, ¡°scavando nel nostro spirito solitario, nella nostra carne solitaria¡±, mentre procediamo in cerca di prede nella desolazione del ¡°bianco alveo di un fiume¡±.
Un libro straordinario, che mi ¨¨ particolarmente caro.
Un gioiello di perfezione stilistica e strutturale. Un piccolo grande capolavoro, da leggere e rileggere, perch¨¦ ad ogni rilettura dischiude nuove interpretazioni del significante, inducendo a riflessioni volte anche ad una pi¨´ profonda conoscenza di s¨¦ stessi.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 25, 2022
Amare, essere amato ¡ come sono tristi le azioni umane. Quando ero al secondo o al terzo anno del liceo femminile, durante un esame di inglese vennero fuori alcune domande sulla forma attiva e passiva dei verbi. Colpire, essere colpito; guardare, essere guardato ¡ mischiati tra tanti verbi come questi, ce n¡¯erano due che emanavano una luce speciale: amare, essere amato. Mentre guardavamo con attenzione le domande leccando le matite, a un certo punto da dietro le spalle mi arriv¨° un bigliettino, che qualcuno aveva fatto girare per gioco. Guardai, c¡¯erano scritte due domande: ¡°Vuoi amare?¡±, ¡°Vuoi essere amata?¡±. E sotto la frase ¡°Vuoi essere amata?¡±, scritti con l¡¯inchiostro o con la matita blu e rossa, c¡¯erano molti cerchietti, mentre nella colonna del ¡°Vuoi amare?¡± non c¡¯era nemmeno il pi¨´ piccolo segno di adesione. Anch¡¯io non feci eccezione e aggiunsi il mio cerchietto sotto ¡°Vuoi essere amata?¡±. Perfino le ragazze di sedici, diciassette anni, che capiscono ben poco di cosa quelle parole ¡°amare¡±, ¡°essere amato¡± possano significare, intuiscono gi¨¤ per istinto che la felicit¨¤ sta nel fatto di essere amate.
Solo la ragazza seduta accanto a me, quando le passai il biglietto, vi diede una rapida occhiata e subito, a colpo sicuro, con un deciso tratto di matita tracci¨° un grande cerchio nella colonna ignorata da tutte le altre. Lei voleva amare. Ricordo ancora chiaramente che provai allo stesso tempo antipatia per quella compagna priva di mezze misure, e disorientamento per essere stata colta di sorpresa. La ragazza era un tipo insignificante, dall¡¯aria malinconica, e i suoi voti non erano particolarmente alti. Non ho idea di come sar¨¤ diventata da grande quella ragazza dai capelli un po¡¯ rossastri, sempre sola, ma chiss¨¤ perch¨¦, dopo pi¨´ di vent¡¯anni, mentre scrivo questa lettera, i lineamenti del suo viso mi tornano chiari alla mente.
Solo la ragazza seduta accanto a me, quando le passai il biglietto, vi diede una rapida occhiata e subito, a colpo sicuro, con un deciso tratto di matita tracci¨° un grande cerchio nella colonna ignorata da tutte le altre. Lei voleva amare. Ricordo ancora chiaramente che provai allo stesso tempo antipatia per quella compagna priva di mezze misure, e disorientamento per essere stata colta di sorpresa. La ragazza era un tipo insignificante, dall¡¯aria malinconica, e i suoi voti non erano particolarmente alti. Non ho idea di come sar¨¤ diventata da grande quella ragazza dai capelli un po¡¯ rossastri, sempre sola, ma chiss¨¤ perch¨¦, dopo pi¨´ di vent¡¯anni, mentre scrivo questa lettera, i lineamenti del suo viso mi tornano chiari alla mente.
October 31, 2019
?????? ??? - ?????? ?????
"????? ???? ????? ?????? "
??? ????? ???? ???? ???? ???? ?????? .
"????? ???? ????? ?????? "
??? ????? ???? ???? ???? ???? ?????? .
July 26, 2021
Misugi ¨¨ il Freisch¨¹tz
Questo romanzo breve mi ha ricordato sia come struttura sia come atmosfere l'ouverture dell'opera Der Freisch¨¹tz, Il franco cacciatore, di Carl Maria von Weber. ? il corno, da sempre associato alla caccia e alla natura, ad aprire l'opera di Weber e il suo crescendo crea un senso di fusione con la natura misteriosa di boschi e fiumi.
Cos¨¬ il cacciatore, come figura solitaria e di impenetrabile comprensione, apre il romanzo di Yasushi. Lo scrittore racconta di aver pubblicato una poesia su una rivista specializzata e di aver ricevuto, in seguito, una lettera di un uomo, un certo Misugi che si ¨¨ riconosciuto nella lirica: ¨¨ lui il cacciatore descritto. A questo punto iniziamo a leggere le parole di Misugi, ed ¨¨ il corno, il cacciatore, a creare la storia, a segnare la melodia, a prendere spazio, a non essere pi¨´ solo timbro di una sinfonia.
A esso seguiranno le altre voci, nell'ouverture saranno i clarinetti e poi i violoncelli, nel romanzo saranno le lettere di tre donne che Misugi ha conosciuto e amato. Ognuna ci racconter¨¤ la storia da un punto di vista diverso. Ognuna avr¨¤ la sua melodia e gli archi saranno solo l'accompagnamento.
Potrei parlare di sentimenti, di tradimento, di solitudine, di rancore, di incapacit¨¤ di amare, ma preferisco parlare di musica. Questo romanzo ha un pedale figurato che accompagna tutto il racconto: apre e chiude il romanzo in un mondo evocativo, di suggestioni, di silenzi, di fiumi con alvei deserti e bianchi, di foreste al chiaro di luna, di cacciatori che si avviano su sentieri dentro boschi senza prede. I suoni, le parole, sono usati per il loro valore allusivo per ricreare un luogo archetipico in cui se non c'¨¨ comprensione si ¨¨ cacciatori solitari, nella condizione umana pi¨´ antica.
Ed essendo un romanzo breve, poteva essere solo un'ouverture.
Questo romanzo breve mi ha ricordato sia come struttura sia come atmosfere l'ouverture dell'opera Der Freisch¨¹tz, Il franco cacciatore, di Carl Maria von Weber. ? il corno, da sempre associato alla caccia e alla natura, ad aprire l'opera di Weber e il suo crescendo crea un senso di fusione con la natura misteriosa di boschi e fiumi.
Cos¨¬ il cacciatore, come figura solitaria e di impenetrabile comprensione, apre il romanzo di Yasushi. Lo scrittore racconta di aver pubblicato una poesia su una rivista specializzata e di aver ricevuto, in seguito, una lettera di un uomo, un certo Misugi che si ¨¨ riconosciuto nella lirica: ¨¨ lui il cacciatore descritto. A questo punto iniziamo a leggere le parole di Misugi, ed ¨¨ il corno, il cacciatore, a creare la storia, a segnare la melodia, a prendere spazio, a non essere pi¨´ solo timbro di una sinfonia.
A esso seguiranno le altre voci, nell'ouverture saranno i clarinetti e poi i violoncelli, nel romanzo saranno le lettere di tre donne che Misugi ha conosciuto e amato. Ognuna ci racconter¨¤ la storia da un punto di vista diverso. Ognuna avr¨¤ la sua melodia e gli archi saranno solo l'accompagnamento.
Potrei parlare di sentimenti, di tradimento, di solitudine, di rancore, di incapacit¨¤ di amare, ma preferisco parlare di musica. Questo romanzo ha un pedale figurato che accompagna tutto il racconto: apre e chiude il romanzo in un mondo evocativo, di suggestioni, di silenzi, di fiumi con alvei deserti e bianchi, di foreste al chiaro di luna, di cacciatori che si avviano su sentieri dentro boschi senza prede. I suoni, le parole, sono usati per il loro valore allusivo per ricreare un luogo archetipico in cui se non c'¨¨ comprensione si ¨¨ cacciatori solitari, nella condizione umana pi¨´ antica.
Ed essendo un romanzo breve, poteva essere solo un'ouverture.
September 10, 2017
Dopo il titolo fuorviante,
il racconto ¨¨ affascinante:
la scrittura lieve lieve¡
sembra panna, sembra neve¡
il racconto ¨¨ affascinante:
la scrittura lieve lieve¡
sembra panna, sembra neve¡
February 27, 2022
Another short read (75p) this little book drew me in from the start. It¡¯s not about hunting, but relationships, deceptions and the depth of knowledge you can have of other people even those closest to you. Told from different points of view, a framing story then three letters, the structure works and is quite moving.
March 28, 2022
The plot rests on a series of improbable events. A letter from the hunter. The hunter sending three letters he had received. Each of those letter writers deciding to spill their guts in a most revealing letter. The daughter reading the diary.
The result could be a dish with too many ingredients: a Japanese story of secrets which are never secrets, and emotions which turn out, after all, to have been better left unexpressed.
The introductory remarks seems to make no connection between the "snake" in the text and the cold hard gun of the title.
The result could be a dish with too many ingredients: a Japanese story of secrets which are never secrets, and emotions which turn out, after all, to have been better left unexpressed.
The introductory remarks seems to make no connection between the "snake" in the text and the cold hard gun of the title.
April 4, 2018
Wat een prachtige novelle, net een lang prozagedicht. Ik bleef almaar denken: wat een prachtige zin om te citeren. En aan het einde, dat ik in de bus las, moest ik zo zuchten omdat ik het mooi vond dat de buschauffeur me vroeg of alles wel in orde was.
January 1, 2023
"Did you know, Uncle, that in addition to the thirty or so colors such as red and blue that you find in a paintbox, there is a separate sad color, and that this sad color is something you can really see?"
.
From THE HUNTING GUN by Yasushi Inoue, translated from the Japanese by Michael Emmerich, 1949/2013.
A clever and elaborate framing device sets up a story of love and deception:
? A poet observes a hunter walking with his dog on a country trail. He has a vintage hunting gun over his shoulder. The poet catches a glimpse of the man's face and is struck by the emotions he sees playing there. He never spoke to the man but is inspired to write a poem about this brief encounter... The poet publishes a prose poem that paints the scene.
...and the hunter makes contact with the poet after seeing his poem in the magazine. He identifies himself as the hunter on the trail, and feels he must explain his emotions. He encloses 3 letters in the package, which he claims to have received just before the poet witnessed him on the path.
???? Three letters from three women, all addressed to the hunter. His niece, his lover, and his wife.
Shifts of perspective, stories from different angles - calls Ry¨±nosuke Akutagawa's "In a Grove" to mind, but Inoue is more subtle in his approach. This is a story of long suffering, deceptions on multiple fronts, and tragedy.
"To love...or be loved."
Easily read in one sitting at just over 100 pages. I can see why Inoue's work is well-regarded and prized.
Enlightening Afterword by the Inoue also included in this Pushkin Press edition. He began his career as a novelist at age 42, and The Hunting Gun was one of his very first works - and most recognized, even though he later regarded it as "very green".
Well, if this complex tale is considered very green... ?
Several of his novellas available in English translation - I'll be seeking out some more of his work.
.
From THE HUNTING GUN by Yasushi Inoue, translated from the Japanese by Michael Emmerich, 1949/2013.
A clever and elaborate framing device sets up a story of love and deception:
? A poet observes a hunter walking with his dog on a country trail. He has a vintage hunting gun over his shoulder. The poet catches a glimpse of the man's face and is struck by the emotions he sees playing there. He never spoke to the man but is inspired to write a poem about this brief encounter... The poet publishes a prose poem that paints the scene.
...and the hunter makes contact with the poet after seeing his poem in the magazine. He identifies himself as the hunter on the trail, and feels he must explain his emotions. He encloses 3 letters in the package, which he claims to have received just before the poet witnessed him on the path.
???? Three letters from three women, all addressed to the hunter. His niece, his lover, and his wife.
Shifts of perspective, stories from different angles - calls Ry¨±nosuke Akutagawa's "In a Grove" to mind, but Inoue is more subtle in his approach. This is a story of long suffering, deceptions on multiple fronts, and tragedy.
"To love...or be loved."
Easily read in one sitting at just over 100 pages. I can see why Inoue's work is well-regarded and prized.
Enlightening Afterword by the Inoue also included in this Pushkin Press edition. He began his career as a novelist at age 42, and The Hunting Gun was one of his very first works - and most recognized, even though he later regarded it as "very green".
Well, if this complex tale is considered very green... ?
Several of his novellas available in English translation - I'll be seeking out some more of his work.
May 4, 2019
¡°Sindsdien zijn er dertien jaar verstreken, maar voor mij zijn de bladeren van de esdoorns nog altijd rood.¡±
Een melancholiek werk, waarbij een dichter na het publiceren van het gedicht ¡°Jachtgeweer¡± van een hooggeplaatst persoon, die zich herkent in de jager uit het gedicht, drie brieven opgestuurd krijgt. Die weer reflecteren op de dood van de ma?tresse van deze man. De vorm is nogal geconstrueerd en ondanks dat het een korte novelle is helpt het niet in het de aandacht bij het verhaal houden. Alle drie de vrouwen hebben door hun woordkeuze een duidelijk eigen identiteit en ook een eigen perspectief op de al 13 jaar durende relatie. Uiteindelijk blijkt de ma?tresse zelf te worstelen met eerdere ontrouw van haar ex, en nemen eigenlijk alle drie de vrouwen in door de brieven afstand van de jager. Eenzaamheid en een gevoel van verlatenheid, ook weergegeven door een witte lege rivierbedding, is ook een thema wat alle dames terug laten komen in hun brieven.
Mij bekroop in ieder geval een gevoel dat Inoue aan wilde kaarten dat niemand echt een ander kan kennen, en dat iedereen een geheime geestelijke ruimte (in het verhaal gesymboliseerd door een slang) heeft die soms zelfs niet door de persoon zelf bewust begrepen wordt. Ook het verstrijken en elastisch beleven van tijd (waarbij een moment eeuwig lijkt te duren en ¨¦¨¦n keuze 13 jaar gevolgen heeft) is een belangrijk thema. Overall was het Jachtgeweer een beetje te intellectueel en afstandelijk om echt hard aan te komen bij me, maar vond ik de sfeer en mooie natuurbeschrijvingen goed uitgewerkt dus drie sterren.
Een melancholiek werk, waarbij een dichter na het publiceren van het gedicht ¡°Jachtgeweer¡± van een hooggeplaatst persoon, die zich herkent in de jager uit het gedicht, drie brieven opgestuurd krijgt. Die weer reflecteren op de dood van de ma?tresse van deze man. De vorm is nogal geconstrueerd en ondanks dat het een korte novelle is helpt het niet in het de aandacht bij het verhaal houden. Alle drie de vrouwen hebben door hun woordkeuze een duidelijk eigen identiteit en ook een eigen perspectief op de al 13 jaar durende relatie. Uiteindelijk blijkt de ma?tresse zelf te worstelen met eerdere ontrouw van haar ex, en nemen eigenlijk alle drie de vrouwen in door de brieven afstand van de jager. Eenzaamheid en een gevoel van verlatenheid, ook weergegeven door een witte lege rivierbedding, is ook een thema wat alle dames terug laten komen in hun brieven.
Mij bekroop in ieder geval een gevoel dat Inoue aan wilde kaarten dat niemand echt een ander kan kennen, en dat iedereen een geheime geestelijke ruimte (in het verhaal gesymboliseerd door een slang) heeft die soms zelfs niet door de persoon zelf bewust begrepen wordt. Ook het verstrijken en elastisch beleven van tijd (waarbij een moment eeuwig lijkt te duren en ¨¦¨¦n keuze 13 jaar gevolgen heeft) is een belangrijk thema. Overall was het Jachtgeweer een beetje te intellectueel en afstandelijk om echt hard aan te komen bij me, maar vond ik de sfeer en mooie natuurbeschrijvingen goed uitgewerkt dus drie sterren.
March 15, 2015
Romanzo che inizia in sordina e va poco a poco dipanando, in un continuo crescendo, un intreccio sottile di solitudini, di offese e di verit¨¤ negate, che finisce per chiudersi, come un cerchio perfetto, da dove era partito. Il tutto all¡¯interno di un¡¯architettura narrativa che ¨¨ estremamente elegante, sobria e, talvolta, molto delicata.
Mi ¨¨ piaciuto parecchio e, forse avrei anche potuto arrivare alle quattro stellette. Ma debbo lamentare una certa ¡°freddezza¡± di fondo. Non so come dire ¡ ¨¨ come se vi mancasse un po¡¯ il soffio della vita vera.
Mi ¨¨ piaciuto parecchio e, forse avrei anche potuto arrivare alle quattro stellette. Ma debbo lamentare una certa ¡°freddezza¡± di fondo. Non so come dire ¡ ¨¨ come se vi mancasse un po¡¯ il soffio della vita vera.
August 27, 2017
Una poesia in cui si riconosce un uomo.
Tre lettere indirizzate a quest'uomo da parte di tre donne che sono in relazione tra loro.
Grande tensione narrativa in pochissime pagine.
Parole chiave: "Amore, colpa e morte"
Amletico dilemma: "Amare o essere amati" (Sembra che l'autore perori la tesi dell'impossibilit¨¤ della coesistenza).
Tre diversi abbandoni.
Proprio bravo Yasushi Inoue!
Proprio vero che non servono tante parole per essere efficaci.
Quattro stelle abbondanti.
Tre lettere indirizzate a quest'uomo da parte di tre donne che sono in relazione tra loro.
Grande tensione narrativa in pochissime pagine.
Parole chiave: "Amore, colpa e morte"
Amletico dilemma: "Amare o essere amati" (Sembra che l'autore perori la tesi dell'impossibilit¨¤ della coesistenza).
Tre diversi abbandoni.
Proprio bravo Yasushi Inoue!
Proprio vero che non servono tante parole per essere efficaci.
Quattro stelle abbondanti.
May 4, 2024
Aus Verlegenheit wird ein Gedicht geschrieben und in einer J?gerzeitung ver?ffentlicht. Da sich ein J?ger angesprochen f¨¹hlt, das Gedicht ihn auch bewegt, schreibt er dies dem Autor. Er erz?hlt von sich und schickt ihm drei Abschiedsbriefe von Frauen, die sein Leben bestimmt haben. Eine kleine melancholische Geschichte, f¨¹r mich sehr lesenswert.
April 11, 2018
Verschenen op Mappalibri:
De grootste Japanse schrijver waar je nog nooit van hoorde
-- Laurent De Maertelaer
In Japan is Yasushi Inoue (1907-1991) een klinkende naam, maar in ons taalgebied is hij nog een nobele onbekende. Uitgeverij Bananafish is er duidelijk op gebrand hierin dit jaar verandering te brengen. Een eerste stap in die richting is de publicatie van Inoue¡¯s literaire debuut Het jachtgeweer (1949), een ingenieus gecomponeerde novelle over een noodlottige liefdesdriehoek. Einde mei verschijnt dan weer Stierensumo (1950), waarvoor Inoue toentertijd de prestigieuze Akutagawa-prijs in de wacht sleepte, tot op vandaag Japans meest gegeerde literaire onderscheiding.
Inoue werd geboren in Asahikawa, op het noordelijke eiland Hokkaido, maar groeide op in de prefectuur Shizuoka, meer bepaald op het schiereiland Izu, ten westen van Tokio aan de kust van de Grote Oceaan, later het idyllische decor van Het jachtgeweer en veel van zijn andere verhalen. Hij werd opgevoed door een ma?tresse van zijn grootvader aan moederszijde, excelleerde in judo en schreef van jongsaf aan gedichten. Hij studeerde rechten en kunstgeschiedenis aan de universiteit in Kyoto, waar hij in 1936 promoveerde op een eindverhandeling over Paul Val¨¦ry. Na zijn studies werkte hij als reporter en literair recensent voor een populaire krant in Osaka. Toen Het jachtgeweer verscheen was Inoue al 42. Pas als hij met zijn tweede novelle, Stierensumo, de Akutagawa-prijs wint, wijdt hij zich voltijds aan zijn literaire werk.
Ondanks zijn late debuut was Inoue een erg productief schrijver. In totaal publiceerde hij ¨C naast po?zie en essays ¨C een vijftigtal romans en bijna tweehonderd korte verhalen. Zijn stevige reputatie en populariteit dankt hij in eerste instantie aan enkele historische romans (onder meer over Confucius, Dzjengis Khan en de Zijderoute-stad Tun-huang). Verder schreef hij klassieke liefdesverhalen met sterke vrouwelijke protagonistes (zoals Het jachtgeweer), meer sociaal-politiek ge?ngageerde werken (zoals Stierensumo) en autobiografische werken, vooral over zijn kinderjaren of maar ook bijvoorbeeld een aangrijpend portret van zijn dementerende moeder. Zijn stijl is afgemeten, zijn toon weemoedig; centrale thema¡¯s zijn het individualisme in de moderne samenleving en de complexiteit van menselijke relaties. In eigen land won Inoue zo goed als alle belangrijke literaire prijzen, veel van zijn literair werk werd verfilmd en jarenlang circuleerde zijn naam voor de Nobelprijs, zonder die ultieme bekroning effectief ooit binnen te halen.
Het jachtgeweer is een raamvertelling en brievenroman ineen. Binnen het raamverhaal ¡ª dat zich afspeelt ergens halverwege vorige eeuw ¡ª beschrijft de verteller, een dichter, hoe hij om een vriend te plezieren een weemoedig prozagedicht (met als titel ¡®Het jachtgeweer¡¯) publiceerde in diens gespecialiseerde magazine voor jagers. De dichter staat hierbij niet verder stil en vergeet het voor hem onooglijke gebeuren, tot wanneer hij twee maanden later een brief krijgt van een hem onbekende man, ene J¨suke Misugi. Die heeft zichzelf herkend in de droevige figuur van de jager uit het gedicht en voelt de drang de dichter te betrekken bij zijn tragisch levensverhaal, waarin overspel en schuldgevoel de bovenhand hebben: ¡®Mensen zijn dwaze wezens, die graag willen dat anderen weten wie zij werkelijk zijn.¡¯ Misugi stuurt de dichter drie aan hem geschreven brieven na, afkomstig van drie vrouwen: ¡®Verdere wensen dan dat U ze leest heb ik niet.¡¯ Die qua stijl en toon onderling sterk verschillende brieven vormen het interne verhaal.
Elke briefschrijfster geeft haar eigen kijk op Misugi¡¯s levenswandel. De eerste aan de beurt is Shoko, de dochter van Misugi¡¯s maitresse, Saiko, tegelijkertijd ook de beste vriendin ¨¦n nicht van diens echtgenote Midori. Shoko leest na haar moeders dood haar dagboek en ontdekt de jarenlange affaire. In haar gefragmenteerde brief uit Shoko haar walging en stelt dat haar moeder onderuit ging door wroeging, schaamte en zondebesef. Mocht Midori ooit de waarheid achterhaald hebben, dan had Saiko zeker zelfmoord gepleegd, aldus haar dochter. De brief is streng beschuldigend, maar evenzeer gloedvol larmoyant en na?ef. Shoko wil niets meer met haar oom of tante te maken hebben. Ze bezorgt Misugi ook de brief die haar moeder aan hem schreef net voor haar dood, de brief waarmee Het jachtgeweer eindigt.
De tweede brief is van Midori, de bedrogen echtgenote van Misugi. Midori¡¯s brief is zakelijk, glaciaal afstandelijk. Zij verklaart vanaf het begin op de hoogte te zijn geweest van Misugi¡¯s en Saiko¡¯s overspel. Een bloedstollende sc¨¨ne waarin ze zich bedreigd voelt door Misugi die zijn jachtgeweer aan het poetsen is, is voor haar van doorslaggevend belang. Ze windt er geen doekjes om en stelt een scheiding voor. De koelheid van haar relatie met Misugi verwoordt ze als volgt:
¡®Ik noem het wel huishouden, maar die warme menselijke manier van samenwonen is het niet. Je zult het wel met me eens zijn dat ¡°citadel¡± er het meest geschikte woord voor is. En meer dan tien jaar hebben wij ons in deze citadel verschanst, terwijl jij mij bedroog en ik jou (maar jij bent ermee begonnen).¡¯
De derde brief, ten slotte, is van Saiko, Shoko¡¯s moeder en nicht van Midori, geschreven vlak voor haar (zelfgekozen) dood. Haar brief ¨C een emotionele apotheose ¨C is van een ongeziene intentsiteit. Saiko vertelt hoe Shoko¡¯s vader uit hun leven is verdwenen, hoe ze in een relatie met Misugi tuimelde en benoemt de onuitgesproken angst om aan Midori¡¯s oordeel ten onder te gaan. Toen Saiko haar dagboek aan haar dochter overhandigde ¨C en hiermee dus de waarheid onthulde ¨C was het voor haar voorbij: ¡®Maar misschien is het in mijn geval beter te zeggen, niet dat ik had besloten om te sterven, maar dat ik de kracht had verloren om te leven.¡¯ Saiko werpt Misugi naar het hoofd dat hij haar nooit ¨¦cht heeft gekend. Zij speelde immers een rol, was nooit zichzelf: ¡®Mijn andere zelf, die ik niet ken ¨C ik kan haar geen betere naam geven dan slang¡¯. Misugi vergeleek Saiko ooit met een slang en dat beeld kaatst ze nu in haar afscheidsbrief bikkelhard naar hem terug:
¡®Wat is dat voor iets, die slang die elke mens met zich meedraagt? [¡] O, wat is het, dit ding dat we met ons meedragen ¨C zo onuitstaanbaar akelig, en tegelijkertijd zo onverdraagbaar triest.¡¯
Haar hele leven voelde Saiko zich eenzaam. Enkel het feit dat ze zich door Misugi bemind voelde (in de lijdende vorm, benadrukt ze; niet in de actieve vorm, waar zij z¨¦lf zou beminnen) bezorgde haar enige troost. Al de rest was pure zonde, haar ondergang, haar einde: ¡®Ik was een vrouw die de pijn van het beminnen niet kon verdragen en het geluk van bemind te worden zocht en nu ontvang ik daarvoor mijn verdiende loon.¡¯
Inoue schrijft met de spaarzaamheid van een dichter. Zijn kristalhelder proza genereert een veelheid aan verwijzingen en allusies die voor een Japanse lezer evident zijn en een groter referentiekader ontplooien. Dankzij het notenapparaat achterin deze vertaling hoeft de Nederlandstalige lezer hiervan nauwelijks iets te missen. Niet alleen in zijn taal toont Inoue zich een meesterlijke minimalist. Aan de hand van indringende motieven (de distels op Saiko¡¯s haori, de rode rozen op Shoko¡¯s tas, de bloemblaadjes in haar presse-papier) en krachtige metaforen (de slang, het jachtgeweer, de citadel) bouwt hij een solide, veelzijdige en hypergeraffineerde narratieve structuur op. Het inlevingsvermogen in zijn vrouwelijke personages is grandioos, zijn boodschap onthutsend grimmig: iedere mens is gedoemd om alleen te zijn; liefde, lijden en pijn zijn onlosmakelijk met elkaar verbonden, geheel in de lijn van de boeddhistische leer (¡®Beminnen, bemind worden ¨C hoe triest zijn wij mensen soms toch bezig!¡¯, verzucht Saiko). Het jachtgeweer is een polyfone sonate die de schrikbarende interpreteerbaarheid van de werkelijkheid en de schrijnende ambivalentie van de waarheid op onvergetelijke en genadeloze wijze blootlegt.
Yasushi Inoue: Het jachtgeweer, Bananafish, Amsterdam 2018, 80 p. ISBN 9789492254191. Vertaling van Ry¨j¨µ door Jacques Westerhoven. Distributie Elkedag Boeken
De grootste Japanse schrijver waar je nog nooit van hoorde
-- Laurent De Maertelaer
In Japan is Yasushi Inoue (1907-1991) een klinkende naam, maar in ons taalgebied is hij nog een nobele onbekende. Uitgeverij Bananafish is er duidelijk op gebrand hierin dit jaar verandering te brengen. Een eerste stap in die richting is de publicatie van Inoue¡¯s literaire debuut Het jachtgeweer (1949), een ingenieus gecomponeerde novelle over een noodlottige liefdesdriehoek. Einde mei verschijnt dan weer Stierensumo (1950), waarvoor Inoue toentertijd de prestigieuze Akutagawa-prijs in de wacht sleepte, tot op vandaag Japans meest gegeerde literaire onderscheiding.
Inoue werd geboren in Asahikawa, op het noordelijke eiland Hokkaido, maar groeide op in de prefectuur Shizuoka, meer bepaald op het schiereiland Izu, ten westen van Tokio aan de kust van de Grote Oceaan, later het idyllische decor van Het jachtgeweer en veel van zijn andere verhalen. Hij werd opgevoed door een ma?tresse van zijn grootvader aan moederszijde, excelleerde in judo en schreef van jongsaf aan gedichten. Hij studeerde rechten en kunstgeschiedenis aan de universiteit in Kyoto, waar hij in 1936 promoveerde op een eindverhandeling over Paul Val¨¦ry. Na zijn studies werkte hij als reporter en literair recensent voor een populaire krant in Osaka. Toen Het jachtgeweer verscheen was Inoue al 42. Pas als hij met zijn tweede novelle, Stierensumo, de Akutagawa-prijs wint, wijdt hij zich voltijds aan zijn literaire werk.
Ondanks zijn late debuut was Inoue een erg productief schrijver. In totaal publiceerde hij ¨C naast po?zie en essays ¨C een vijftigtal romans en bijna tweehonderd korte verhalen. Zijn stevige reputatie en populariteit dankt hij in eerste instantie aan enkele historische romans (onder meer over Confucius, Dzjengis Khan en de Zijderoute-stad Tun-huang). Verder schreef hij klassieke liefdesverhalen met sterke vrouwelijke protagonistes (zoals Het jachtgeweer), meer sociaal-politiek ge?ngageerde werken (zoals Stierensumo) en autobiografische werken, vooral over zijn kinderjaren of maar ook bijvoorbeeld een aangrijpend portret van zijn dementerende moeder. Zijn stijl is afgemeten, zijn toon weemoedig; centrale thema¡¯s zijn het individualisme in de moderne samenleving en de complexiteit van menselijke relaties. In eigen land won Inoue zo goed als alle belangrijke literaire prijzen, veel van zijn literair werk werd verfilmd en jarenlang circuleerde zijn naam voor de Nobelprijs, zonder die ultieme bekroning effectief ooit binnen te halen.
Het jachtgeweer is een raamvertelling en brievenroman ineen. Binnen het raamverhaal ¡ª dat zich afspeelt ergens halverwege vorige eeuw ¡ª beschrijft de verteller, een dichter, hoe hij om een vriend te plezieren een weemoedig prozagedicht (met als titel ¡®Het jachtgeweer¡¯) publiceerde in diens gespecialiseerde magazine voor jagers. De dichter staat hierbij niet verder stil en vergeet het voor hem onooglijke gebeuren, tot wanneer hij twee maanden later een brief krijgt van een hem onbekende man, ene J¨suke Misugi. Die heeft zichzelf herkend in de droevige figuur van de jager uit het gedicht en voelt de drang de dichter te betrekken bij zijn tragisch levensverhaal, waarin overspel en schuldgevoel de bovenhand hebben: ¡®Mensen zijn dwaze wezens, die graag willen dat anderen weten wie zij werkelijk zijn.¡¯ Misugi stuurt de dichter drie aan hem geschreven brieven na, afkomstig van drie vrouwen: ¡®Verdere wensen dan dat U ze leest heb ik niet.¡¯ Die qua stijl en toon onderling sterk verschillende brieven vormen het interne verhaal.
Elke briefschrijfster geeft haar eigen kijk op Misugi¡¯s levenswandel. De eerste aan de beurt is Shoko, de dochter van Misugi¡¯s maitresse, Saiko, tegelijkertijd ook de beste vriendin ¨¦n nicht van diens echtgenote Midori. Shoko leest na haar moeders dood haar dagboek en ontdekt de jarenlange affaire. In haar gefragmenteerde brief uit Shoko haar walging en stelt dat haar moeder onderuit ging door wroeging, schaamte en zondebesef. Mocht Midori ooit de waarheid achterhaald hebben, dan had Saiko zeker zelfmoord gepleegd, aldus haar dochter. De brief is streng beschuldigend, maar evenzeer gloedvol larmoyant en na?ef. Shoko wil niets meer met haar oom of tante te maken hebben. Ze bezorgt Misugi ook de brief die haar moeder aan hem schreef net voor haar dood, de brief waarmee Het jachtgeweer eindigt.
De tweede brief is van Midori, de bedrogen echtgenote van Misugi. Midori¡¯s brief is zakelijk, glaciaal afstandelijk. Zij verklaart vanaf het begin op de hoogte te zijn geweest van Misugi¡¯s en Saiko¡¯s overspel. Een bloedstollende sc¨¨ne waarin ze zich bedreigd voelt door Misugi die zijn jachtgeweer aan het poetsen is, is voor haar van doorslaggevend belang. Ze windt er geen doekjes om en stelt een scheiding voor. De koelheid van haar relatie met Misugi verwoordt ze als volgt:
¡®Ik noem het wel huishouden, maar die warme menselijke manier van samenwonen is het niet. Je zult het wel met me eens zijn dat ¡°citadel¡± er het meest geschikte woord voor is. En meer dan tien jaar hebben wij ons in deze citadel verschanst, terwijl jij mij bedroog en ik jou (maar jij bent ermee begonnen).¡¯
De derde brief, ten slotte, is van Saiko, Shoko¡¯s moeder en nicht van Midori, geschreven vlak voor haar (zelfgekozen) dood. Haar brief ¨C een emotionele apotheose ¨C is van een ongeziene intentsiteit. Saiko vertelt hoe Shoko¡¯s vader uit hun leven is verdwenen, hoe ze in een relatie met Misugi tuimelde en benoemt de onuitgesproken angst om aan Midori¡¯s oordeel ten onder te gaan. Toen Saiko haar dagboek aan haar dochter overhandigde ¨C en hiermee dus de waarheid onthulde ¨C was het voor haar voorbij: ¡®Maar misschien is het in mijn geval beter te zeggen, niet dat ik had besloten om te sterven, maar dat ik de kracht had verloren om te leven.¡¯ Saiko werpt Misugi naar het hoofd dat hij haar nooit ¨¦cht heeft gekend. Zij speelde immers een rol, was nooit zichzelf: ¡®Mijn andere zelf, die ik niet ken ¨C ik kan haar geen betere naam geven dan slang¡¯. Misugi vergeleek Saiko ooit met een slang en dat beeld kaatst ze nu in haar afscheidsbrief bikkelhard naar hem terug:
¡®Wat is dat voor iets, die slang die elke mens met zich meedraagt? [¡] O, wat is het, dit ding dat we met ons meedragen ¨C zo onuitstaanbaar akelig, en tegelijkertijd zo onverdraagbaar triest.¡¯
Haar hele leven voelde Saiko zich eenzaam. Enkel het feit dat ze zich door Misugi bemind voelde (in de lijdende vorm, benadrukt ze; niet in de actieve vorm, waar zij z¨¦lf zou beminnen) bezorgde haar enige troost. Al de rest was pure zonde, haar ondergang, haar einde: ¡®Ik was een vrouw die de pijn van het beminnen niet kon verdragen en het geluk van bemind te worden zocht en nu ontvang ik daarvoor mijn verdiende loon.¡¯
Inoue schrijft met de spaarzaamheid van een dichter. Zijn kristalhelder proza genereert een veelheid aan verwijzingen en allusies die voor een Japanse lezer evident zijn en een groter referentiekader ontplooien. Dankzij het notenapparaat achterin deze vertaling hoeft de Nederlandstalige lezer hiervan nauwelijks iets te missen. Niet alleen in zijn taal toont Inoue zich een meesterlijke minimalist. Aan de hand van indringende motieven (de distels op Saiko¡¯s haori, de rode rozen op Shoko¡¯s tas, de bloemblaadjes in haar presse-papier) en krachtige metaforen (de slang, het jachtgeweer, de citadel) bouwt hij een solide, veelzijdige en hypergeraffineerde narratieve structuur op. Het inlevingsvermogen in zijn vrouwelijke personages is grandioos, zijn boodschap onthutsend grimmig: iedere mens is gedoemd om alleen te zijn; liefde, lijden en pijn zijn onlosmakelijk met elkaar verbonden, geheel in de lijn van de boeddhistische leer (¡®Beminnen, bemind worden ¨C hoe triest zijn wij mensen soms toch bezig!¡¯, verzucht Saiko). Het jachtgeweer is een polyfone sonate die de schrikbarende interpreteerbaarheid van de werkelijkheid en de schrijnende ambivalentie van de waarheid op onvergetelijke en genadeloze wijze blootlegt.
Yasushi Inoue: Het jachtgeweer, Bananafish, Amsterdam 2018, 80 p. ISBN 9789492254191. Vertaling van Ry¨j¨µ door Jacques Westerhoven. Distributie Elkedag Boeken
December 22, 2024
A? fi vrut s? continue mai mult, nu a fost de ajuns pentru mine.
Am apreciat tonalitatea mustratoare a scrisorilor ?i maniera preten?ioas? ?n care au fost scrise. O expunere reu?it?, compatibil? cu mine.
Tot ce i se imput? b?rbatului de c?tre cele trei femei din via?a lui, cap?t? forma unui proces juriduc pe bun? dreptate. Cred c? un astfel de condamnat trebuie anihilat la sf?r?it, cu ?nsu?i pu?c? lui de v?n?toare pe care a folosit-o at?ta timp, ucig?nd lent sufletul celor trei femei ale sale: fiica, so?ia ?i amanta...
Am apreciat tonalitatea mustratoare a scrisorilor ?i maniera preten?ioas? ?n care au fost scrise. O expunere reu?it?, compatibil? cu mine.
Tot ce i se imput? b?rbatului de c?tre cele trei femei din via?a lui, cap?t? forma unui proces juriduc pe bun? dreptate. Cred c? un astfel de condamnat trebuie anihilat la sf?r?it, cu ?nsu?i pu?c? lui de v?n?toare pe care a folosit-o at?ta timp, ucig?nd lent sufletul celor trei femei ale sale: fiica, so?ia ?i amanta...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 620 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.