missapples 's review for:

Naomi by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki

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A tale of a happy masochist. Joji (or George as he is called by his Western friends) has taken in a poor teenage girl whom he raises to be his wife. At first docile and obedient, she soon takes complete control over him. He is hopelessly in love with her and documents the dynamic of their tormented relationship with self-inflicted pain and pleasure. At times the writing is sensitive, raw, relatable. Other times it reads like a collection of fantasy letters in those male magazines: “you may not believe me, but every word I say here is true…” An interesting glimpse into the world of the early 20th century Japan, obsessed with the English language and Western culture.