Junichiro Tanizaki: SOME PREFER NETTLES

Some Prefer Nettles is a 1929 novel by the great Japanese author Junichiro Tanizaki. This novel, in my opinion, resonates the theme of The Key, another novel by Tanizaki, and the only other novel of his that I've ever read so far. I found both novels interesting - writing style, the nuances, and all. It keeps me thinking: Why do most of the great Japanese novels I've read so far deal with dysfunctional families? What makes these novels great is the way they are told and written. Of those pieces dealing with family dysfunction that I've read so far are Oe's A Personal Matter and Mishima's The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With The Sea.

In simple terms, Some Prefer Nettles tells the story of a couple caught in a loveless marriage but neither of of them asks for divorce. The execution of the novel is so artful - so many symbolism like the dolls, the water basin, the puppet theater, etc.

Rating: 4.5/5.0

{24 May 2010}