Pathway to Japanese Literature
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The Sorrowful FaceAuthor: Yokomitsu Riichi
| Original Title | 悲しめる顔 |
|---|---|
| Author | 横光 利一 |
| Genre | Modern Short Fiction |
| Author Type | Male Author |
| Summary | In a quiet household where familial banter and mundane routines mask deeper yearnings, Kinroku grapples with an acute sense of isolation. Haunted by his "shovel-shaped face," he navigates a world where love feels perpetually out of reach. Conversations about Kyoto’s beauty and vinegared moroko fish punctuate his days, yet his thoughts spiral inward—obsessing over mirrors, fleeting glances from strangers, and the cruel irony of fate. A trip to the bathhouse sparks fragile hope when he notices a timid attendant, but self-doubt swiftly smothers the spark. At the theater, a mishap involving his niece Mieko fractures the evening’s fragile normalcy, plunging Kinroku into guilt and desperation. As he confronts his reflection and the kitchen knife’s cold edge, his turmoil crescendos: a poignant dance between longing and self-loathing, where even tragedy cannot quell his hunger for connection. Will redemption lie in acceptance, or will his insecurities consume him? The answer lingers, as delicate as cherry blossoms in the rain. |
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