First published in 1682, The Life of an Amorous Man depicts the pursuits and follies of the most glorious age of Japan, when wealthy commoners could rise above the warrior caste and indulge in the free and easy life of Japan's pleasure houses. The hero, Yonosuke, whose name means "Man of the World," is followed from his precocious childhood to the close of his amatory career. His erotic escapades are chronicled, always with frankness and often with pathos. The character sketches of the women (and sometimes men) with whom he dallied are vividly portrayed.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
17th century sighting of the party animal,
By wiredweird "wiredweird" (Earth, or somewhere nearby) - See all my reviews (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER) (TOP 500 REVIEWER)
This review is from: Life of an Amorous Man (Paperback)
This is a long, drifting story of Yonosuke's fictional life. It starts with the man as a young boy, the kind who would spy on the female servants in their bath. The story winds from one seedy, bawdy vignette to another, until the aged Yonosuke sails into the sunset. The times between cycle from one courtesan to another (or to occasional tries at celibacy), from money to poverty, from honest work to the edge of the law, from one bowl of sake to the next, and always back again. There is very little real plot or dramatic buildup, there is very little moral. In fact, we last see Yonosuke sailing happily off with some friends, in search of whatever pleasures their old bones can still support.
Yonosuke is often shown as an unpleasant man. His debts tend to go bad, he is given to cruel pranks, and is hardly a model husband in his few tries at domesticity. He is openly disdainful of many of the women he pursues, even as he expects them to provide his enjoyment. Still, when he has money, he will sometimes buy a courtesan's freedom for her. His family disowns him early on, but this prodigal son is later welcomed back. It is never quite clear what the author wants us to think of Yonosuke, if anything at all. The author, Saikau Ihara, was once a successful merchant himself. The story is said to be a composite of his own experiences and those of his friends, as they spent their way across the red light districts of 17th century Japan. It is curious that Ihara wrote about this perpetual hunt for pleasure after suffering deep personal losses and retreating into monastic life. There is no explanation for this apparent contradiction, it is simply left as a puzzle for the reader. This is a translation to be read for enjoyment, not as an academic rendering. In that, it is largely successful. A few explanatory notes would have been helpful, though. I don't know the units of money, for example, so sometimes could not tell whether larger or smaller sums were being discussed - facts that would have changed the meanings of some scenes. Also, some terms describing the courtesans' ranks were unclear, and a few other terms as well. Even so, and with a few ungainly turns of phrase, the English text reads fairly well. //wiredweird
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
It's not THAT bad!,
By
This review is from: Life of an Amorous Man (Paperback)
The first reviewer of this book obviously did not enjoy it. I've read the book twice now and while it is definately not my favorite among the works of Ihara Saikaku it is a decent book. This is a very important book. It was the first novel written during the Edo period that gained mass popularity. Before it novels were seen as only good for the entertainment of women and children. With this book Saikaku created Yonosuke the man of the world whose goal in life was to find intimate pleasure with men and women. It is true that each of the book 54 chapters is about one of Yonosuke's amorous adventures, but the chapters offer much mre than that they show the reader the lives of the chonin the townspeople of Japan. With this book one can see the lives of the merchants of Edo. However, if you just want to read something by Ihara Saikaku read _Five Women Who Loved Love_ instead.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A sensual life,
This review is from: Life of an Amorous Man (Paperback)
Ihara Saikaku is one of Japan's most important early writers. He created the genre known as Ukiyo-zoshi, a written companion to the famous Japanese Ukiyo-e prints, showcasing the "floating world" and decadent lifestyles of the Japanese pleasure quarters of the 16th century.
As a book, "The Life of an Amorous Man" is the story of Yonosuke ("man of the world"), an alternately wealthy and poor dilettante, who seeks the pleasures of woman and wine, living wholly for sensuality. His story is told in a sequence of short stories, with each segment being some new romantic adventure. Yonosuke journeys throughout Japan, experiencing the delights of the pleasure quarters of the far away places of Edo, Kyoto, Osaka and many, many small towns and islands in between. The book offers an incredible insight into this particular vanished Japanese culture, displaying the social rules and attitudes prevalent at the time. Ihara is a writer noted for his realism, and you can be sure that this is a true portrait of the times. Those expecting anything "naughty" will be disappointed, as the intimacies are more implied than anything else. All the prostitutes and pleasure seekers are treated with dignity and respect, regardless of their station in life. It is interesting to note that the translator chose the term "Gay Quarters" for the pleasure quarters of Japan. This does not mean homosexuality, which is translated using different terms. However, at the time in Japan sex between men was not frowned upon, and there is some in here as well. "The Life of an Amorous Man" is an enjoyable read, with good characters and great insights into an interesting period of Japan and Japanese culture. One can still see the reflection of these pleasure districts in Japan today, with their social rules and delights.
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