Here I present: Mori Ogai 森鴎外 (1862-1922), “GAN 雁 (The Wild Geese)”, 1911 a Japanese novel set in the year 1880.
The book consists of twenty-four (24) untitled chapters. The first sentence of each chapter is shown BELOW.
Chapter #. “First Sentence”.
#1. “This story happened long ago, but by chance I remember that it occurred in 1880, the thirteenth year of Emperor Meiji’s reign”.
#2. “Even in the days I am writing about, the Iwasaki mansion was located, as it is today, on the southern side of Muenzaka, though it had not yet been fenced in with its present high wall of soil”.
#3. “Okada’s admiration of old Chinese romantic tales had caused him to take an interest in military sports, but since he had no opportunity for practicing them, this desire had never been satisfied”.
#4. “Although the events of this story that have Okada for their hero took place before I learned the earlier history of the woman of the window, it will be convenient to give an outline of that history here”.
#5. “Before this new interest Suezo’s life, his only thoughts had centered on the students, their loans, and his returns, but he had no sooner located Otama and her father than he began to search his neighborhood for a house to establish his mistress in”.
#6. “Suezo thought of the approaching meeting with his future mistress at the Matsugen as a celebration”.
#7. “Since fires seldom break out in the vicinity of Ueno Square and the Matsugen hasn’t burned down as far as I can remember”.
#8. “They reached an agreement: Otama would live in the the house Suezo had bought on Muenzaka.”
#9. “Otama, who had never been away from her father, was eager to know how he was.”
#10. “One evening when Suezo came, he took his usual seat opposite Otama.”
#11. “When Otama reached her father’s house the next morning, he had just finished breakfast.”
#12. “One night after his return from Muenzaka, Suezo found his wife, Otsune, sitting up alone after the children at her side had fallen asleep.”
#13. “Suezo’s explanation, a mixture of truth and fiction, reduced his wife’s jealousy temporarily, but since its effect was naturally only palliative, the gossip and grumbly never stopped as long as the woman lived at Muenzaka.”
#14. “Suezo had been at home reading his newspaper and smoking when Otsune went out shopping after clearing away the breakfast things, but when she returned, he was no longer there.”
#15. “The atmosphere in Suezo’s house was gradually becoming more and more gloomy.”
#16. “More and more people passed along Muenzaka: it was September, and the beginning of the term at the university saw the students returning from their homes to lodging.”
#17. “With the passing of time Suezo’s visits to Otama grew even more frequent, for not only did he come without fail at night as he had previously done, but he began to visit at irregular periods during the day as well.”
#18. “Suezo’s gift of the linnets to Otama provided the opportunity for Otama and Okada to speak to each other.”
#19. “This is what Okada told me: that afternoon the clouds moved quickly, and sporadic gusts of wind blew up the dust on the roads and then subsided.”
#20. “On the day that Okada killed the snake, a sudden change took place in Otama after she had spoken to him, for up to that time they had only looked at one another.”
#21. “It was getting colder, and the boards outside the wooden drain from the sink were covered with a thick frost.”
#22. “In a European book of children’s stories, there is a peg: I can’t remember it well, but it was about a farmer’s son who got into a series difficulties on his journey because the peg in his cartwheel kept coming out.”
#23. “Okada and I crossed the end of Hanazono-cho and went toward the stone steps leading to the Toshogu Shrine.”
#24. “All right,” Ishihara said, “let’s start”: and we set out Okada between us.
#END. “It is unnecessary to say that I lack the requisites that would qualify me to be Otama’s lover; still, let me warn my readers that it is best not to indulge in fruitless speculation.”
Here I presented: Mori Ogai 森鴎外 (1862-1922), “GAN 雁 (The Wild Geese)”, 1911 a Japanese novel set in the year 1880.
SUMMARY.
The principle characters are: Ottawa, Okada & Suezo; and, the setting is Meiji era Japan of the year 1880.
Otama is a young woman, never married, and the protagonist. Otama agreed to meet the man Suezo who is a moneylender. At the restaurant meeting with Suezo, Otama sees Okada a handsome student that attracts Otama.
