Pathway to Japanese Literature
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SacrilegeAuthor: Yamamoto Shūgorō
| Original Title | ばちあたり |
|---|---|
| Author | 山本 周五郎 |
| Genre | Modern Short Fiction |
| Author Type | Male Author |
| Summary | Three siblings reunite for a fraught journey to their dying mother’s rural home, their tensions simmering beneath practical concerns. Ken, a weary doctor; Keizō, a brash broker obsessed with time’s monetary value; and Junko, their domineering sister, clash over funeral arrangements and their enigmatic youngest brother, Toshio—a restless outcast who has cared for their mother for years. Through fragmented memories and veiled accusations, a shadowed family history emerges: whispers of infidelity, Toshio’s uncertain parentage, and a decades-old notebook hinting at buried truths. As they confront their mother’s final wishes—rejecting traditional rites—Toshio’s erratic behavior escalates, culminating in a desperate act that unveils a haunting tape recording. Their mother’s posthumous confession of guilt and love fractures the siblings’ fragile unity, exposing wounds deeper than grief. Amid snowbound isolation and spiraling revelations, each grapples with identity, betrayal, and the weight of secrets that bind them to a past they can neither escape nor fully understand. |
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