SHIKOKU
Shimanto-gawa Dai 1 bu: Atsuyoshi no natsu
[The Shimanto River, Part 1: Atsuyoshi’s Summer]
Kawade Shobō Shinsha (Kawade Bunko), 1991. 204 pp. ¥500. ISBN 978-4-309-40295-6.
Also published in: n/a
Atsuyoshi, in his third year of elementary school, is the second son among five siblings who live in a mountain village beside the Shimanto River in Kōchi Prefecture. Their parents run a grocery store, so the children help out with the housework as they while away the days in the great outdoors.
One day, Atsuyoshi’s pet cat Kii gives birth to kittens. He has experienced many cat births before, but each time his mother Sumi would thin the litter, leaving behind only two kittens. If they raised too many cats, she said, it would interfere with business. This time, three kittens were born, so the smallest, Kuro, might be abandoned. Atsuyoshi, who sympathizes with weaklings, takes covert action, leading the tale to its surprising conclusion.
This epic novel has six volumes. The first volume, Atsuyoshi no natsu, consists of two chapters: “The Black Kitten” and “The Big Snake of Ubagatani Valley.” When it appeared in 1988 it resonated with many readers, and a series of sequels were released. The sixth volume was published in 1996, finally completing the epic after nearly a decade.
In the novel, the beautiful natural environment of Shikoku is painted in vivid colors, along with the changing seasons. The ever-changing expressions of the mountains and breathing of the river are depicted in lifelike detail, in tune with the children’s laughter that echoes across the river and through the valley, and in touch with the hearts of the people who live there. Without the experience of living on the banks of the Shimanto River, it would be impossible to write this. Against the lush backdrop of Mother Nature, the psychology of a young boy on the cusp of adolescence and the warm human relationships that surround the main characters are expressed in a breezy style of writing. (CK)
One day, Atsuyoshi’s pet cat Kii gives birth to kittens. He has experienced many cat births before, but each time his mother Sumi would thin the litter, leaving behind only two kittens. If they raised too many cats, she said, it would interfere with business. This time, three kittens were born, so the smallest, Kuro, might be abandoned. Atsuyoshi, who sympathizes with weaklings, takes covert action, leading the tale to its surprising conclusion.
This epic novel has six volumes. The first volume, Atsuyoshi no natsu, consists of two chapters: “The Black Kitten” and “The Big Snake of Ubagatani Valley.” When it appeared in 1988 it resonated with many readers, and a series of sequels were released. The sixth volume was published in 1996, finally completing the epic after nearly a decade.
In the novel, the beautiful natural environment of Shikoku is painted in vivid colors, along with the changing seasons. The ever-changing expressions of the mountains and breathing of the river are depicted in lifelike detail, in tune with the children’s laughter that echoes across the river and through the valley, and in touch with the hearts of the people who live there. Without the experience of living on the banks of the Shimanto River, it would be impossible to write this. Against the lush backdrop of Mother Nature, the psychology of a young boy on the cusp of adolescence and the warm human relationships that surround the main characters are expressed in a breezy style of writing. (CK)
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