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The Grudge of the Turban ShellAuthor: Okamoto Kidō
| Original Title | 恨みの蠑螺 |
|---|---|
| Author | 岡本 綺堂 |
| Genre | Popular Fiction |
| Author Type | Male Author |
| Summary | In 1821 Japan, during a bustling temple pilgrimage to Enoshima, confectioner Koizumi Shirobee, his mother O-Sugi, and servant Gisuke pause at a teahouse along the route. Their journey takes a sinister turn when a stranger—O-Yasu, a woman with an unsettling intensity—violently attacks Shirobee, pelting him with turban shells and leaving the trio bloodied. Her cryptic accusations of betrayal hint at a shadowy past, though her motives remain shrouded. Despite dismissing her as mad, the group’s unease deepens when O-Yasu stalks them to their inn, demanding justice for an unnamed transgression. \nAs they detour through Kamakura, an eerie encounter with an ox—linked to O-Yasu’s feverish illness—leaves Shirobee fatally injured under mysterious circumstances. His death, deemed accidental yet unnervingly coincidental, fuels whispers of a curse tied to a scandalous portrait commissioned years prior. The ripple effects of this grudge claim others involved, blurring lines between guilt and supernatural retribution. \nAtmospheric and haunting, the tale weaves unresolved tension, cultural rituals, and the specter of karmic justice, leaving readers to ponder the weight of hidden sins and the inescapable reach of vengeance. |
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