Bibliographic Information

Five women who loved love

by Ihara Saikaku ; translated by Wm. Theodore de Bary ; with a background essay by Richard Lane ; and the 17th century illustrations by Yoshida Hambei

(Tuttle classics)

Tuttle Pub., 1956

  • : ja

Other Title

Kōshoku gonin onna

Five women who loved love : amorous tales from 17th-century Japan

Uniform Title

好色五人女(井原西鶴 : KOTEN:979317)

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Description and Table of Contents

Volume

: ja ISBN 9784805310120

Table of Contents

  • 1 THE STORY OF SEIJURO IN HIMEJI
  • 2 THE BARRELMAKER BRIMFUL OF LOVE
  • 3 WHAT THE SEASONS BROUGHT THE ALMANAC MAKER
  • 4 THE GREENGROCER’S DAUGHTER WITH A BUNDLE OF LOVE
  • 5 GENGOBEI,THE MOUNTAIN OF LOVE

by "BOOK database"

Description and Table of Contents

Volume

ISBN 9780804801843

Description

"Five charming novellas...which have astonishing freshness, color, and warmth." --The New Yorker First published in 1686, this collection of five novellas was an immediate bestseller in the bawdy world that was Genroku Japan, and the book's popularity has increased with age, making it today a literary classic like Boccaccio's Decameron, or the works of Rabelais. The book follows five determined women in their always amorous, erotic and usually illicit adventures. The five heroines are Onatsu, already wise in the ways of love the tender age of sixteen; Osen, a faithful wife until unjustly accused of adultery; Osan, a Kyoto beauty who falls asleep in the wrong bed; Oshichi, willing to burn down a city to meet her samurai lover; and Oman, who has to compete with handsome boys to win her lover's affections. But the book is more than a collection of skillfully told erotic tales, for "Saikaku...could not delve into the inmost secrets of human life only to expose them to ridicule or snickering prurience. Obviously fascinated by the variety and complexity of human love, but retaining always a sense of its intrinsic dignity...he is both a discriminating and compassionate judge of his fellow man." Saikaku's style, as allusive as it is witty, as abbreviated as it is penetrating, is a challenge that few translators have dared to face, and certainly never before with the success here achieved in a translation that recaptures the heady flavor of the original.
Volume

: ja ISBN 9784805310120

Description

"Five charming novellas ... which have astonishing freshness, color, and warmth."-- The New Yorker First published in 1686, this collection of five novellas by Ihara Saikaku was an immediate bestseller in the bawdy world of Genroku Japan. The book's popularity has only increased with age, making it a literary classic like Boccaccio's Decameron, or the works of Rabelais. Each of the five stories follows a determined woman on her quest for amorous adventure: The Story of Seijuro in Himeji -- Onatsu, already wise in the ways of love the tender age of sixteen. The Barrelmaker Brimful of Love -- Osen, a faithful wife until unjustly accused of adultery. What the Seasons Brought the Almanac Maker-- Osan, a Kyoto beauty who falls asleep in the wrong bed. The Greengrocer's Daughter with a Bundle of Love -- Oshichi, willing to burn down a city to meet her samurai lover. Gengobei, the Mountain of Love -- Oman, who has to compete with handsome boys to win her lover's affections. But the book is more than a collection of skillfully told erotic tales, for "Saikaku ...could not delve into the inmost secrets of human life only to expose them to ridicule or snickering prurience. Obviously fascinated by the variety and complexity of human love, but always retaining a sense of its intrinsic dignity ... he is both a discriminating and compassionate judge of his fellow man." Saikaku's style, as allusive as it is witty, is a challenge that few translators have dared to face, and certainly never before with the success here. Accentuated by gorgeous 17th-century illustrations. Theodore de Bary's translation manages to recapture the heady flavor of the original in this sumptuous collection of romantic tales.

by "Nielsen BookData"

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Details

  • NCID
    BB03572045
  • ISBN
    • 9780804801843
    • 9784805310120
  • LCCN
    55010619
  • Country Code
    ja
  • Title Language Code
    eng
  • Text Language Code
    eng
  • Original Language Code
    jpn
  • Place of Publication
    Tokyo
  • Pages/Volumes
    264 p.
  • Size
    21 cm
  • Classification
  • Parent Bibliography ID
  • Uniform Title ID
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