Fine snow

Author: (Japanese) Yasuzaki Junichiro
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-08-01
Features: This book depicts the story of the four sisters of the Shikigawa family, a prominent clan in Kansai, Japan, just before the outbreak of the Pacific War. The two younger sisters, who are the protagonists of the novel, are beautiful and gentle. The third sister, Yuko, though possessing her own opinions, is reduced to a puppet under the strong social pressure of class-based marriages. She is taken to ( means "to go on a blind date") repeatedly, only to have the matches broken off due to class prejudices, until she reluctantly marries as a stepmother at the age of thirty. The bold and rebellious fourth sister, Mayuko, attempts to break free from the constraints of family rituals, but she is mercilessly cast out of the family after living with a lower-class man. The novel exposes the inner workings of the Japanese upper class and also touches on the customs and culture of Kansai. It is hailed as "a novel of upper-class customs," "a literary masterpiece of rare talent," and "a vividly painted scroll," and is considered a lifetime masterpiece of the aestheticist writer Yasuzaki Junichiro.