Library of Japanese literature

Library of Japanese Literature

The Hunting Gun follows the consequences of a tragic love affair. Told from the viewpoints of three different women, this is a story of the psychological impact of illicit love. First viewed through the eyes of Shoko, who learns of the affair through reading her mother's diary, then through the eyes of Midori, who had long known about the affair of her husband with Saiko, and finally through the eyes of Saiko herself. This novella is incredibly powerful, with universal resonance and a true modern classic of the 20th century.

From first page -- Depicts the pursuits and follies of the most glorious age of old Japan, when the new bourgeoisie, unfettered by the societal constraints of the traditional aristocracy, indulged in the free and easy life of Japan's celebrated pleasure houses ... The novel follows the hero, Yonosuke, or "Man of the World", from precocious childhood to the close of his amatory career. Along the way, Saikaku exploits the full gamut of sexual indulgence, always with frankness, often with humor, and occasionally with pathos -- chronicaling the erotic escapades of his hero and providing vivid character sketches of the women (and sometimes men) with whom Yonosuke dallied.

In near-future Japan threatened by the melting of the polar icecaps, Professor Katsumi develops a computer that can predict human behavior. Unfortunately for the Professor, the computer predicts that he will oppose a new government genetics experiment.