A Tale of False Fortunes
by Fumiko Enchi
On This Page
Description
A Tale of False Fortunes is a masterful translation of Enchi Fumiko's (1905-1986) modern classic, Namamiko monogatari. Written in 1965, this prize-winning work of historical fiction presents an alternative account of an imperial love affair narrated in the eleventh-century romance A Tale of Flowering Fortunes (Eiga monogatari). Both stories are set in the Heian court of the emperor Ichijo (980-1011) and tell of the ill-fated love between the emperor and his first consort, Teishi, and of the show more political rivalries that threaten to divide them. While the earlier work can be viewed largely as a panegyric to the all-powerful regent Fujiwara no Michinaga, Enchi's account emphasizes Teishi's nobility and devotion to the emperor and celebrates her "moral victory" over the regent, who conspired to divert the emperor's attentions toward his own daughter, Shoshi. The narrative of A Tale of False Fortunes is built around a fictitious historical document, which is so well crafted that it was at first believed to be an actual document of the Heian period. Throughout Enchi's innovation and skill are evident as she alternates between modern and classical Japanese, interjecting her own commentary and extracts from A Tale of Flowering Fortunes, to impress upon the reader the authenticity of the tale presented within the novel. show lessTags
Recommendations
Member Reviews
Members
- Recently Added By
Author Information
37+ Works 1,266 Members
Educated in the classics, Enchi Fumiko began writing plays but turned to fiction. Her novels and short stories often focus on the emotional lives of middle-aged women struggling against the constraints of Japanese society. Enchi's translation into modern Japanese of the Heian Period novel, The Tale of Genji, was widely respected. Allusions to show more Genji and the device of imbedding classical elements within the modern story enrich her fiction. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Awards and Honors
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- A Tale of False Fortunes
- Original title
- なまみこ物語
- Original publication date
- 1965
- People/Characters
- Ichijo, Emperor of Japan; Teishi
- Important places
- Japan
Classifications
- Genres
- Fiction and Literature, General Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance
- DDC/MDS
- 895.6 — Literature & rhetoric Asian Literature Literatures of East and Southeast Asia Japanese
- LCC
- PL826 .N3 .N313 — Language and Literature Languages and literatures of Eastern Asia, Africa, Oceania Languages of Eastern Asia, Africa, Oceania Japanese language and literature Japanese literature Individual authors and works
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 68
- Popularity
- 458,310
- Rating
- (3.50)
- Languages
- English, Japanese
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 5
