Pathway to Japanese Literature
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BirdAuthor: Yokomitsu Riichi
| Original Title | 鳥 |
|---|---|
| Author | 横光 利一 |
| Genre | Modern Short Fiction |
| Author Type | Male Author |
| Summary | A tangled web of intellect and desire unfolds between three souls bound by rivalry and affection. A geologist narrator navigates a complex triangle with his wife Rikako and his academic superior Q—a man whose brilliance casts an inescapable shadow. What begins as scholarly competition over crystallography and geological theories spirals into emotional warfare, where intellectual defeats mirror romantic betrayals. Rikako oscillates between the two men like a pendulum, her shifting loyalties ignited by hidden forces—a diathermy machine’s vibrations, unspoken yearnings, and the corrosive allure of comparison. As the narrator grapples with Q’s perceived superiority and Rikako’s mercurial heart, their relationships fracture into a cycle of possession and surrender. Yet amid crumbling marriages and shattered egos, an audacious escape emerges: a plane ride promising rebirth above the clouds. This haunting exploration of love’s fragility and ambition’s cost lingers in the liminal space between earthly attachments and the dizzying freedom of flight—where even liberation carries the weight of what’s left behind. |
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