A review by gnomeo
The Makioka Sisters by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki

reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I enjoy a book that is a family saga and whilst others have compared this to Jane Austen, I would more closely align it with Elizabeth Jane Howard.  It is set in Japan between the Great War and WW11 and whilst there is reference to war in Europe coming, it is far from a central theme. It is much more about the change in fortune of the Makioka family. The older daughter and husband are much more aligned to aristocrat values of an earlier generation and trying to maintain them as the ‘main house’ and as the book examines the characters of the younger sisters you find the values of the previous generation diminishes. So the ‘wayward’ youngest sister, Koisan, is in total juxtaposition of the standards of the oldest sister. There is an underlying tension throughout the book as you are swept into the concerns of the family to marry the 3rd sister off well. This tension continues to almost the last page. Very slow pace but, beautifully written. Gives an insight into the Japanese culture in the 1930s. Would definitely read another book by Tanizaki