The Sound of the Wind: Life and Works of Uno Chiyo

by Rebecca L. Copeland

Fashion ingenue, magazine editor, kimono designer, femme fatale, prize-winning writer--Uno Chiyo has become one of twentieth-century Japan's most accomplished and celebrated women. In this two-part volume, Rebecca L. Copeland offers Western readers a fascinating portrait of Uno's life along with translations of three of her distinctive works of short fiction. Part One depicts Uno's sometimes turbulent passage from obscurity in a small village to national literary prominence. There are the early years under her father's stern tutelage; the first scandalous, failed romance which cost her her job as a schoolteacher; her apprenticeship at Enrakuken, the coffee shop of the literary elite whose ranks she later joined as a resident of the "Magome Literati Village"; her series of passionate and troubled relationships and marriages. Throughout, Dr. Copeland focuses on the evolution of Uno's art and discusses her major works, paying special attention to the effect being female had on Uno's development as a writer. The three stories in Part Two are examples of Uno's work at its finest. "The Puppet Maker" (1942), a much-admired reflection on art and life, describes an encounter with a venerable carver of puppets. "The Sound of the Wind" (1969) is the tale of a wife at the turn of the century who willingly denies her own needs. "This Powder Box" (1966) shows a progressive career woman coming to terms with an old love affair. At once compelling and lyrical, the stories are a masterful interpretation of tradition, of women, and of self-fulfillment. The Sound of the Wind: The Life and Works of Uno Chiyo will engage both specialists and general readers interested in twentieth-century Japan, literature, and women's issues.

Genres: Japan, Nonfiction, Japanese Literature

251 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1992

Reviews

[Carola · Rating 3 out of 5]

Giving this 3.5 stars.

I picked up this book because I recently read Chiyo Uno's book Confessions of Love. I really enjoyed that book and I became fascinated by Uno's life.

This particular book is set up in two parts. First is a biography of Chiyo Uno. She was an author with a really fascinating and turbulent life and I enjoyed reading the biography. It could've been written a bit better and I skipped some parts here and there, but I'm glad I know a little more about Uno now.

The second part of the book contains three stories by Chiyo Uno. I didn't care much about The Puppet Maker and skipped some paragraphs here and there. I loved the second story, The Sound of the Wind. The last story, This Powder Box, was a great read especially because I recently read Confessions of Love. Confessions of Love is based on Uno's relationship with Seiji Togo, and This Powder Box is an autobiographical piece about her life with Togo after the incident that Confessions of Love ends with.

[Márcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was my first taste into Japanese literature. Before you read Uno Chiyo's writing you get to know about her life story. It gives you perspective and makes you notice recurring themes inspired by her own life in her fiction.

[Sweetmongoose · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book includes a biography of Uno Chiyo and three of her novellas. I didn't know about her before visiting Japan, but I found this volume quite interesting. Her life, which begins with a difficult childhood, progresses to a life driven by passion (& romantic relationships) and creativity and finally, in later life, to equanimity; it's inspiring. I found the novellas moving, each in its own way. I was looking for a female Japanese writer to read rather than the classic Japanese male writers, and I was glad to find this book. It gave me more insight into Japanese culture and the relationships between men and women.

[Yunisa K.D. · Rating 2 out of 5]

a birthday gift. This Uno Chiyo is so dramatic in her real life. Not a role model for me.