Pathway to Japanese Literature
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Spider’s DreamAuthor: Okamoto Kidō
| Original Title | 蜘蛛の夢 |
|---|---|
| Author | 岡本 綺堂 |
| Genre | Detective & Mystery |
| Author Type | Male Author |
| Summary | In 1863 Edo, fourteen-year-old O-Masa navigates a world unraveling around her. Her uncle Genzō, guardian of their modest household, grows distant—neglecting his sword shop, spending recklessly, and whispering with a mysterious woman outside O-Masa’s home. When the woman is struck dead by lightning, secrets surface: Genzō is entangled in illicit spider gambling, a dangerous obsession threatening his family. His daughters vanish under shadowy circumstances, and whispers of debt and betrayal haunt their once-stable lives. As O-Masa’s mother grapples with dread, a web of deceit tightens—linking Genzō’s ruin to a grisly murder in Sendagaya’s grasslands. The past claws forward through eerie omens: blue snakes, phantom figures, and dreams infested with spiders. Blending historical detail and gothic unease, this tale weaves a haunting portrait of obsession’s cost, where familial bonds fracture beneath the weight of greed—and curses linger long after the final bet is placed. |
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