I tried this book several times; the issue is with me, not the book. I don't think I'm a short story reader, so I'm not going to dock stars or criticize the book in any way. I believe you'll enjoy this if you enjoy short stories and translated works.

This is a three story collection by Tanizaki which was published earlier in his career. I love the calm, poetic writing style of Tanizaki. The complex emotions and subtle relationships were portrayed well here.

The first story, Longing, is a story of a young boy walking alone in a dark, familiar neighbourhood looking for his mother. During his search, he remembered certain events in his life and most of all, his longing for his mother. It seemed like a simple story but there were a lot of underlying emotions at play here. The story is also written in a poetic way and I can’t help but empathize with the boy.

The second story, Sorrows of a Heretic, follows Shozabaru, who is wasting his life away and is constantly depriving himself of what he needs. He is the eldest son and this story shows his relationship with his family and how it affects him. Shozabaru is a miserable character as he spiralled into anxiety and later on depression due to his surrounding circumstances. I didn’t feel sorry for him at first, but as I read on, I understood what drove him to be this way.

In the final story, The Story of an Unhappy Mother, follows Hiroshi, one of the five children in a family. He shares about his family, more specifically about his mother’s relationship with his brother and sister-in-law. She is terrified of death and relishes in the attention her children showed her. One fateful trip with his brother and sister-in-law led her to resent her son and he didn’t understand why until the end. The reason behind this really broke my heart.

The common theme here focuses on the relationship between son and mother. Each story is linked to the changes in Japanese society and culture over time and how these changes impact a family which I find very interesting. I will be looking out for Tanizaki’s work from now on.

Thank you Netgalley and Columbia University Press for the arc.

Longing and other stories is my first approach to Tanizaki’s prose. A few years ago I realized that I haven't read that much of asian literature. So naturally when I saw this tittle available on NetGalley I could’t let pass the opportunity.
This book presents us three stories translated by Anthony H. Chambers and Paul McCarthy. An interesting part of this book is the final section dedicated to the work of the translators discussed by themselves, I found this detail well thought and really helpful.

Now about the stories, the first one is titled Longing, it felt like an eerie lucid dream. It's the story of a little boy who is lost and searches for his mother. In the way of finding his home he encounters two mothers and soon realizes that there is this kind of deceivement around him. Such a well crafted story with powerful imagery (i.e the snow under the moonlight). Now since this was my first story from this author I felt like I was a little bit missing trough the first pages but then I quickly caught up with his style.

As to the 2nd story, “Sorrows of a Heretic“, I found this one to be the most challenging and overwhelming of the collection, not only because of its main character and narrator, who is a man deeply disturbed but also because of the pacing. It really makes you feel like you’re trapped in this man’s head. For moments I had to take a deep breath because of how well the atmosphere of desolation was written in this story. Tragedy after tragedy, every detail in the narration makes your skin crawl. I liked how the topic of family and honor was displayed in this one, such a compelling theme.

And we finally arrive to the last story of this collection. “The Story of an Unhappy Mother“ is a great work of literature that displays the human nature and the tragedy of life, that is: our free will and consequences of this. A mother who acts like the matriarch of the family until tragedy strikes during a travel. I found the narration almost breathtaking, at first we get to know the dynamics of this family, a widow who enjoys the company of her sons and daughter. But then when the oldest son marries a musician, Mother suddenly begins to realize that his son’s affection has changed. This tale explores the complexity of human feelings and in doing so reveals so much more about the recurrent theme of family.

If you haven't read any of Tanizaki, please consider doing so. I know I will continue to expand my choices of authors and Tanizaki is definitely one not to miss out.

I am already familiar with the work of Jun'ichirō Tanizaki and I must say I found it difficult to connect with some of his previous stories. However, this book includes an exquisite selection of three great short stories by the Japanese author which show his skill and talent as a writer and his ability to depict human beings at their best and worst, fears and hopes included.

The first story is Longing, a tale of a boy/man looking for someone and going through different landscapes and people. The atmosphere of the story is very oppressing and I at times I felt a bit scared. It is easy to realize that the narrator is probably dreaming, and in his dreams, he feels terribly lonely while his emotions are accompanied by an ever-changing landscape, which increase his feelings of solitude. At first, I found it hard to get invested in the story because it is a bit too much into the “stream of consciousness vibe” (of which I am not a fan of) but the end is truly touching and all the literary elements make sense in the overall story.

Sorrows of a Heretic is the story of a young man, Shobozuo, who is idle and becomes an embarrassment to his family, which has fallen into poverty. Shobozuo thinks he is better than anyone else and despises almost everyone around him, thinking his too good for everyone and everything -his parents, his sister, lovers, university. I really disliked him but that’s the magic of Tanizaki’s pen -regarding how unlikable the character is, one can easily understand his personality, the conflicts within his family, and some potential redeeming qualities for his future. I’d note that the last section of the book which includes some final notes sheds an interesting light on this story, as it explains how the author includes elements of the changing political and cultural changes in Japan at that time.

The Story of an Unhappy Mother was the strongest story for me: a sort of psychological thriller, with a convincing plot line, because of its closeness to reality. In truth, this is a scary story because it depicts the unhealthy relationships parents and children can have. The afterword also sheds light on the relevant points of the story as it depicts changing values on the Japanese society of the time and the struggle between Confucianism values and a modern society.

There are three stories to this collection by Junichiro Tanizaki, all of them focused on a son’s relationship with his mother. While I enjoyed the stories, none of them really drew me in or impressed me- they were more just a pleasant way to pass the time. I did appreciate the prose- clear and spare, as is often the case with Japanese literature. There’s also plenty of longing to lick a lady’s foot, the sun being compared to the breath of a drunken whore, and the sweet fragrance of breasts- if you’re into that sort of thing. Those with an Oedipus complex, rejoice. 🥳

Anywaaaay- The notes at the end which connected the three stories to the author’s life were a nice touch, as I think without them this would have been a far weaker collection. I would recommend these short stories to fans of the author, but I have a feeling that one of his more popular novels might be a better place to start. It remains to be seen whether I will pick up another book by Tanizaki in the future, but I might start with The Key, as it sounds like there might be a fragrant bosom or two tucked within its pages…

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Three stories about the complicated relation of mother and son, each story potrays a different kind of relation. First, we have a son who misses his lost mother and dreams about her, then a son who neglects his filial duties toward his parents and finally, we have a mother's extreme self-centredness that leads to a domestic tragedy.
Through these stories, the author also depicted the impact on families of the changes that faced the japanese society.

I own some of Tanizaki's books and I admit that I was scared from this author but thanks to this book which I really enjoyed, I found that his writing's style is fascinating. I liked these three stories but mainly the two last ones due to the characters and their complexities.

Three stories that have been translated from original Japanese capture the essence of Tanazaki.
I enjoyed reading the three stories centered around a son's relationship to his mother;
Longing, Sorrows of a Heretic and the Story of an Unhappy Mother.
A valuable translator's afterword provides much-needed detail on the life and works of Tanazaki and completes this excellent volume that will interest both readers familiar with the writer or new readers unfamiliar with his works.
I am very grateful to have been given this arc by Columbia University Press.

This is a wonderful collection of stories, and beautifully presented too. Translations are crisp and lovely. If I ever do a course on Japanese musical history in context, I will be sure to add this to the syllabus as recommended reading. Thank you, Columbia UP and Netgalley, for the advanced review copy.

Three stories about family life and the often vexed relationship between mothers and sons. Melancholy and a sense of loss and longing pervade all three, and I found them an enjoyable if not a particularly engaging read. The first story in particular didn’t appeal to me. “Longing” is a dream sequence of a child wandering through an eerie night time landscape looking for his mother and although atmospheric and with some vivid imagery it really didn’t work for me. The second story “Sorrows of a Young Heretic” is about an impoverished but ambitious young man who neglects his family due his own self-centredness. I enjoyed the third story the most. “The Story of an Unhappy Mother” tells of a self-centred woman who is forced to confront some uncomfortable truths after an accident involving her son and daughter-in-law. So the focus is on mothers and sons and in particular the clash between traditional cultural norms and what is expected from children and evolving modernism that calls some of those traditions into question. The stories are very different one from another and are a good introduction to Tanizaki’s writing. A very helpful afterword helps with our comprehension and is well worth reading.

"Longing and Other Stories" contains three long-short stories by Tanizaki, all of which focus on the relationships between mothers and sons, and family. I've always enjoyed reading Tanizaki's works, and his beautiful, clear, and lyrical prose doesn't disappoint in this story collection either. It was a lovely surprise and is rather an amazing treat to have a new Tanizaki translation in 2022 for the Tanizaki lovers like me. I really enjoyed reading it.

Many thanks to Columbia University Press and Netgalley for the advance copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Three stories from a master Japanese novelist, set in the early 20th century - two in their first English translation. While the stories all deal with aspects of mother-son relationships and are emotionally rather than narratively driven, stylistically each is quite different and in sum they demonstrate the author's range.

In addition to the stories, there is a fine afterword that gives some details of Tanizaki's life and provides context for where the stories fit in Japanese society as well as in Tanizaki's body of work.

Tanizaki’s collection of two stories and a novella involves tales of mothers and sons and then move beyond to other family members relationships. There are dream segments with gauzy atmosphere, realistic segments where interactions seem hateful, and others where you’re left to wonder at these people and how they interpret their lives and each event as it occurs. I particularly liked “The Longing,” written as a dream, a child searching for his mother while walking on a forest path at night. The imagery was so perfect. “Sorrows of the Heretic” is a more harsh story of a son in conflict with his family. “The Story of an Unhappy Mother “ is again a mother and son story but far more complicated.

In an enlightening afterword, these stories are linked to the changes in Japanese society of the time and the impact of these changes on the Confucian ideas of family. This helped my understanding quite a bit. I have previously read The Makioka Sisters which I enjoyed and which also deals with a family going through social change.

I do recommend this collection but definitely read to the end. The remarks are helpful and add layers of meaning.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This collection of three longish short stories are themed around dysfunctional families and “bad” sons in particular. Tanizaki is one of Japan’s great 20th century writers, known primarily for dealing with issues of class in the first half of the century, and these stories highlight the range of his talent as well as his humour: the second story, “Sorrows of a Heretic” is a dark satire that had me laughing aloud at the end. Not necessarily the place to start with Tanizaki but a welcome addition to the shelf.

The kindle version of this is unreadable. I would have loved to read it, but I was unable to due to this. If you have another kindle version, please let me know.

This book unfortunately wasn't the best start to Tanazaki for me. I really enjoyed the writing style of the first story - very atmospheric and surreal, but the second story just fell flat and dragged along for a quite sometime - the writing style (or in this case the translation) of this story just didn't hit a chord. I was expecting to love this but unfortunately I had to DNF it.

I liked the first and last story. I could not get through the second, maybe because it had a different translator or maybe it just wasn’t for me. The style of writing is very unique. You feel like it is you in the setting. The theme of motherly love was through out these stories. Presented in a way which makes you think about things from all sides. A good read to shake things up.

A thoughtful and thorough translator’s afterword provides careful analysis of the stories’ shared features. Attributed to both Chambers and McCarthy, it is for an excellent addition—and makes up almost 10% of the volume’s content. The translators identify, for example, the shared theme of sons and their changing relationships with their mothers: in “Longing,” a young boy embarks on a fever dream search for his mother; in “Sorrows of a Heretic,” Shōzaburō continually horrifies his mother with his unfilial and selfish behavior; and in “The Story of an Unhappy Mother”, a tale with Oedipal undertones, the narrator’s older brother blames himself for his mother’s unnecessary death.

See my full review at Asian Review of Books: https://asianreviewofbooks.com/content/longing-and-other-stories-by-junichiro-tanizaki/

This was more serious than I expected. Felt like the world was darker while reading this 3 story collection. But still interesting. I like the first story best.

these are beautiful stories that feel timeless and magical. I especially love and recommend the first story, Longing. This translation felt really natural and flowed beautifully. I definitely recommend!

Three magnificent novelas from one of the most talented writers of the 20th century, Jun’ichirō Tanizaki, and one of Japan's greatest wordsmiths ever.

Three delicate tales written at the beginning of a long and fruitful literary career and the first elaboration of Tanizaki's decades-long quest to reconciliate Japanese traditions and
their inevitable encounters with the Western World.

A captivating collection for the psychologically attuned reader full of beautifully nuanced emotions and blessed with a marvellous cast of exquisitely drawn characters.

A delightful literary treasure that deserves to be enjoyed without any moderation whatsoever!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Columbia University Press for this terrific ARC