Downfall and Other Stories
(By Fumiko Hayashi)
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| Author | Fumiko Hayashi |
Going back half a century we have another group of women authors, with Hayashi Fumiko––said to be one of the most important twentieth-century Japanese woman authors––being a key representative of this group of early-modern writers. Living a life of poverty until her breakthrough as an author, Hayashi Fumiko was known for her realistic depictions of urban working-class life, especially impoverished women. Her works typically address themes such as fate, troubled relationships, and the repercussions of World War II.
This collection contains a few carefully selected fiction works by Hayashi Fumiko, all appearing for the first time in English. The stories range from “The Tale of the Seishukan Guest House,” a lighthearted, comical piece about a college student’s first love, to “Downfall,” a chronicle of a rural woman’s downward spiral into depravity––a story that in some ways resembles “Diary of a Vagabond,” one of Hayashi’s most famous works. Another highlight of this collection is "Consolation", a poignant story about a man wandering a devastated post-war Tokyo.
This diverse set of stories offers a sample of the literary styles and themes found across Hayashi Fuimiko's large base of works, many of which have been clearly influenced by her real-life experiences.”
