Shame in the Blood: A NovelShame in the Blood, or Shinobugawa, is considered one of the finest contemporary love stories in all of modern Japanese literature. The narrator, a young college student, has had two brothers disappear, two sisters lost to suicide, and his third sister is physically disabled. He is determined not only to survive but to thrive in spite of tormented thoughts that his family's blood is cursed. Told as six interlocked and layered stories, the novel builds and deepens as the particulars of everyday life provide a moving, beautiful testimony to the love and power of youth and commitment. The whole story is tinged with melancholic sadness often associated with Japanese literature, where the feeling of love itself is "a little death." First published in Japan, Shame in the Blood sold more than a million copies, was made into a film directed by Obayashi Nobuhiko, and won the Akutagawa Prize for Literature, launching the Tetsuo Miura's career. Working in the great tradition of Japanese novelists from Soseki to Kawabata, from Mishima to Abe, Miura takes his place as one of the greatest living Japanese writers. |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
already apartment arrived Asakusa asked blood body breath brothers and sisters called cartons cheeks chest child chopstick death doctor door eldest eyes face father feel felt finished floor front Fukagawa Fusako girl hakama hand haori happened happy harmony head heard Higuchi hometown inside joruri Kaname Kayo Kiba kimono Kinboshi knew koto Kunugi Kyoto laugh leave letter living looked married Momoe Momoe's morning mother mouth move Nakaoka never night Number once Orin perhaps phlegm plywood pulled red-light district replied restaurant returned road saké Sayoko seemed Senta shame Shima Shino Shinobugawa side sleep smile someone soon sound squatted stared started stood stopped student suddenly sure Susaki syphilis Tami telegram tell there's thing thought Tochigi Tokyo tonkatsu took train turned twang upstairs verandah voice wait walked wanted wife window woman word