Jun'ichirō Tanizaki
Born 24 July 1886 · Died 30 July 1965
From Nihonbashi-ku, Tokyo, Japan · Nationality: Japan, Empire of Japan · Writes fiction
> Jun'ichirō Tanizaki (谷崎 潤一郎, Tanizaki Jun'ichirō, 24 July 1886 – 30 July 1965) was a Japanese author who is considered to be one of the most prominent figures in modern Japanese literature. The tone and subject matter of his work ranges from shocking depictions of sexuality and destructive erotic obsessions to subtle portrayals of the dynamics of family life within the context of the rapid changes in 20th-century Japanese society. Frequently, his stories are narrated in the context of a search for cultural identity in which constructions of the West and Japanese tradition are juxtaposed.
>He was one of six authors on the final shortlist for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1964, the year before his death.
Quotes
“The quality that we call beauty...must always grow from the realities of life, and our ancestors, forced to live in dark rooms, presently came to discover beauty in shadows, ultimately to guide shadows towards beauty’s ends.”
In Praise of Shadows, P. 18 “Such is our way of thinking — we find beauty not in the thing itself but in the patterns of shadows, the light and the darkness, that one thing against another creates.”
In Praise of Shadows, P. 30 “Were it not for shadows, there would be no beauty.”
In Praise of Shadows, P. 30 “There are those who say that when civilization progresses a bit further transportation facilities will move into the skies and under the ground, and that our streets will again be quiet, but I know perfectly well that when that day comes some new device for torturing the old will be invented.”
In Praise of Shadows, P. 41
Quotes from Wikiquote (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Books by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki in order
Books by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki in the order they were published, from Some Prefer Nettles (1929) to Devils in Daylight (2017).
- 1Some Prefer Nettles
Some Prefer Nettles1929 - 2Quicksand
Quicksand1931 - 3Ashikari and The Story of Shunkin
Ashikari and The Story of Shunkin1936 - 4A Cat, a Man and Two Women
A Cat, a Man and Two Women1937 - 5The Makioka Sisters
The Makioka Sisters1944 - 6Naomi
Naomi1947 - 7The Key
The Key1956 - 8Childhood Years
Childhood Years1957 - 9Diary of a Mad Old Man
Diary of a Mad Old Man1962 - 10Seven Japanese Tales
Seven Japanese Tales1963 - 11La Llave
La Llave2001 - 12The Gourmet Club
The Gourmet Club2001 - 13Arenas Movedizas
Arenas Movedizas2011 - 14Red Roofs and Other Stories
Red Roofs and Other Stories2016 - 15Devils in Daylight
Devils in Daylight2017 - 16Anahtar
Anahtar - 17Éloge de l'ombre
Éloge de l'ombre - 18In Praise of Shadows
In Praise of Shadows - 19Inʾei raisanInʾei raisan
- 20Secret History of the Lord of Musashi
Secret History of the Lord of Musashi - 21Some Prefer MettlesSome Prefer Mettles
- 22Svastika
Svastika - 23The Reed Cutter and Captain Shigemoto's Mother
The Reed Cutter and Captain Shigemoto's Mother