Five Women Who Loved Love

Rating:
Summary: The Price of Love
Review: Ihara Saikaku was a a very gifted writer during Japan's Genroku Period. After a very successful career as a haikai poet, Saikaku decided to start writing prose. His first book was _The Life of an Amorous Man_ A few years later he wrote this book, which is really in fact 5 independent stories. They all have one unifying feature and that feature is love, Saikaku is also revolutionary with these stories because they are the first in Japanese literature in which females take the lead role and are agressive. Thi book is not _The Tale of Genji_ in which the man makes his move on docile women, but a book in which the women take the motive. The stories deal with young love, infidelity, and the consequences of these loves. Saikaku, the master story teller that he is shows us these characters in a humorous light, and although a few of the characters come to a bad end, the reader is not depressed over their demise, but in fact is happy to have gotten to know the characters even if just for a little while.

Rating:
Summary: Lovely
Review: These stories are beautifully written, with lively characters, witty plots, and a good mix of humor and tragedy. Moreover, the translation is masterful. This book is an under-recognized gem.