Territory of Light (光の領分, Hikari no ryōbun) is a novel by Yūko Tsushima, originally serialized in twelve parts in Gunzo from 1978 to 1979 and subsequently published by Kodansha in 1979.[1][2] In Japan, it went on to win many prizes including the inaugural Noma Literary New Face Prize.[3] In 2019, three years after Tsushima's death, an English translation by Geraldine Harcourt was published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux.[4] It won the Lindsley and Masao Miyoshi Translation Prize.[5]
 | |
| Author | Yuko Tsushima |
|---|---|
| Translator | Geraldine Harcourt |
| Language | Japanese |
| Genre | Literary fiction |
| Publisher | Kodansha (Japanese) Farrar, Straus and Giroux (English) |
Publication date | 1979 (Japan) February 12, 2019 (English) |
| Publication place | Japan |
| Pages | 229 (Japanese) 192 (English) |
| Awards | Lindsley and Masao Miyoshi Translation Prize |
| ISBN | 978-4061962415 |
| Preceded by | 氷原 (Ice Field) |
| Followed by | 最後の狩猟 (Last Hunt) |
Synopsis
editThe novel follows a woman after her husband has left her. Together, she and her two-year-old daughter move into an apartment in Tokyo. In twelve chapters originally serialized in Gunzo, the novel follows their lives over the length of a year.
Critical reception
editIn addition to winning the Lindsley and Masao Miyoshi Translation Prize, Harcourt's English translation was a finalist for the Best Translated Book Award and the Kirkus Prize.[6][7] It was recommended in several publications including Vulture and LitHub.[8][9]
In a starred review, Kirkus Reviews called it a "lovely, melancholy novel" and wrote that "Each chapter is as elegant and self-contained as a pearl or a perfectly articulated drop of water."[10]
In The Atlantic, Rowan Hisayo Buchanan noted Tsushima's careful mastery and subsequent exceeding of how autofiction, or specifically the I-novel form in Japan, is typically written and read.[11]
Zyzzyva called the novel "a tender and relatable story, highlighting both the obstacles and highlights of a transitional stage in life."[3] The Spectator Australia remarked on the strength of Tsushima's voice, especially in its approach to hardships stemming from her own life.[12] LitHub wrote that "Tsushima explores in the lives of women without sentimentality or self-pity, and with a honesty that is eeriely modern. It is a quiet and powerful book."[9] Financial Times said that "Yuko Tsushima’s writing creates a studied, private world, as certain as the closure of a bedroom door" and compared the novel to The Days of Abandonment by Elena Ferrante.[13] Star Tribune wrote: "Deceptively simple and remarkably timely, her story of a marginalized woman trying to cope with the trials of life is certain to entrance a whole new readership and pave the way for further translations of her strangely mesmerizing work."[14] The Guardian noted that "In this short, powerful novel lurk the joy and guilt of single parents everywhere."[15]
References
edit- ^ 津島, 佑子 (1979). 光の領分. 講談社.
- ^ Self, John (April 14, 2018). "Territory of Light by Yuko Tsushima review – Bracing, often breathtaking". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2024-11-06.
- ^ a b Ravas, Zack (2019-03-04). "'Territory of Light' by Yuko Tsushima: A New Life in Tokyo". Zyzzyva. Retrieved 2024-11-06.
- ^ Tsushima, Yuko (2019). Territory of Light. Translated by Harcourt, Geraldine. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 978-0374273217.
- ^ "Traslation Prize". Donald Keene Center of Japanese Culture. Retrieved 2024-11-06.
- ^ "Best Translated Book Awards Names 2020 Finalists". The Millions. 2020-05-11. Retrieved 2024-11-06.
- ^ "The Kirkus Prize: Spotlight on the Fiction Finalists". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 2024-11-06.
- ^ Kelly, Hillary (2019-12-06). "The Best Overlooked Books of 2019". Vulture. Retrieved 2024-11-06.
- ^ a b Temple, Emily (2019-12-05). "Our 50 Favorite Books of the Year". Literary Hub. Retrieved 2024-11-06.
- ^ "Territory of Light". Kirkus Reviews.
- ^ Buchanan, Rowan Hisayo (2019-03-29). "The Careful Craft of Writing Female Subjectivity". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2024-11-06.
- ^ Langley, Lee (2018-04-25). "A single mother hits rock bottom in Tokyo: Territory of Light reviewed". The Spectator Australia. Retrieved 2024-11-06.
- ^ Whittle, Natalie (2018-04-06). "Territory of Light by Yuko Tsushima — darkness visible". Financial Times. Retrieved 2024-11-06.
- ^ Forbes, Malcolm (2019-02-22). "Review: 'Territory of Light,' by Yuko Tsushima, translated from the Japanese by Geraldine Harcourt". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2024-11-06.
- ^ Beech, Peter (2018-04-20). "Territory of Light by Yūko Tsushima review – tales from Tokyo". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-11-06.