There are two ways you can retell an ancient folktale. First, you can bastardize it and rip the heart out of the story as Disney and popular children's literature has done to so many fairy tales. Or, you can remain true to the story and true to the culture of the period, letting the story's merits carry the theme and perhaps teaching a lesson in the process.
This book is set in early medieval Japan, an era that I was not that familiar with prior to reading this story. As the story progresses, we watch an unbalanced love triangle develop. Shikujo is the very proper but loving wife of Yoshifuji, who is ensnared by the magic of Kitsune, a young female fox who falls in love with Yoshifuji.
Yoshifuji failed to obtain a court appointment at the beginning of the New Year, and takes his family to his rural home for the year. To sulk, some said. The family's property was dilapidated and overgrown from disuse, and a family of foxes had taken up residence under the house.
Kitsune the fox lived with her brother, her Grandfather and her crazy mother (who may not have been as crazy as the characters all assumed). When Kitsune first laid eyes on Yoshifuji, she fell in love. Over the course of that spring and summer, her need for him grew until she decided that becoming human was the only way to win him.
The fox's struggle with what it means to be human (and the difference between human and animal) is the binding element for the story. When Kitsune achieves her goal of appearing human, she obsesses over poetry - a uniquely human creation - and agonizes over whether she is human, or fox, or both, or neither. Her quest for an answer is brought to a culmination at the end of the book, but I found the answer to be strangely unsettling. Not even a magic fox has the answers.
The story is told from the diaries of the three main characters: Kitsune, Yoshifuji and Shikujo. The writing in the diaries is lyrical and descriptive, evoking detailed images of Japanese culture from this period. Poetry was an important part of court life, and was regarded as an art form. Snippets of poetry abound in this novel, succinct and beautiful.
Because of the way the story is told (from three different points of view), there is sometimes overlap in scenes. But these overlaps only occur when something important has happened, something that affects two or all three characters deeply. By reading their innermost thoughts, we gain a unique perspective in their lives that we would not have found, had the story been told in another fashion. I found myself sympathizing with the plight of each character in turn: Kitsune in her quest to capture Yoshifuji's heart and to discover exactly what being human means; Yoshifuji's broken heart, torn between his human wife and his fox wife; and Shikujo, who strives to be perfect in all ways but only succeeds in driving her starry-eyed husband away from her. The diaries give a perfect window into their thoughts and dreams.
On the other hand, because of the overlap in scenes, this book moves slowly. While some people might complain about the slow pace of this novel, to me it is the difference between a shot of your favorite liquor and an aged wine that is savored. Johnson's text is carefully fashioned, beautifully worked, and evokes just the right emotion at just the right time. Yes, it's a slow read, but I found it mostly worthwhile; in some places I was paging ahead, thinking, "Get to the point already."
I would recommend this book for someone who does not mind a meandering plot, but who finds pleasure in writing exquisitely crafted prose - hard-core action lovers need not apply.
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