Some Prefer Nettles by Junichiro Tanizaki

On the back cover, there is a review from The Times that reads: 'Tanizaki is a master of ambiguity and the subtle flavour of his work is skilfully preserved in this translation.'

When I read that review, I was expecting another work akin to that of Kawabata. However, Tanizaki's work is less subtle, less lyrical, but very well structured and focused on some larger issues that preoccupied Tanizaki at that time.

I read this after I read In Praise of Shadows (see previous review), so I read this as an exploration of his culturally turbulent era, in which Western culture and lifestyle dominated a vanishing Japanese culture (he specifically focuses on the merchant culture), centering the story around his own experiences of his failed marriage.

Tanizaki captures the fascination with both cultures as well as a certain feeling of ambivalence with this work

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