The Key

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( 7,435 ratings, 926 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Key by Junichiro Tanizaki explores the complex dynamics within a married couple through their diaries. As they each record their thoughts and feelings, secrets and desires emerge, revealing hidden tensions and the psychological nuances of their relationship. The narrative delves into themes of passion, trust, and manipulation, offering a gripping insight into human intimacy and conflict.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're intrigued by psychological intricacies and intimate revelations, as it delves into the complexities of marriage through a dual narrative. Set in post-war Japan, it explores themes of desire, secrecy, and manipulation, offering a deep dive into human relationships and moral ambiguities.

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The Key

Related Titles SOME PREFER NETTLES (1955); THE MAKIOKA SISTERS (1957); SEVEN JAPANESE TALES (1963); QUICKSAND; THE KEY; THE SECRET LORD OF MUSASHI and ARROWROOT; DIARY OF A MAD OLD MAN

Related Titles SOME PREFER NETTLES (1955); THE MAKIOKA SISTERS (1957); SEVEN JAPANESE TALES (1963); QUICKSAND; THE KEY; THE SECRET LORD OF MUSASHI and ARROWROOT; DIARY OF A MAD OLD MAN

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A seductive portrait of marriage and sexual passion.

A husband and wife each write in their diary, never knowing if it is being read by the other.

Ikuko and her husband are deeply in love but have grown physically apart, each unsure of the other's desires. When Ikuko finds the key to her husband's diary, she ignores it, but she does begin to keep a diary of her own. Both parties start to set down in writing the evolution of their sex life and their deepest, most private desires. Who is reading whose diary? Who knows what? So begins an extended erotic game of lust, jealousy, and manipulation.

A story about sex and marriage that is as explicit as any novel on the theme since Lady Chatterley's Lover β€” The Times

Sensational and serious β€” New York Times

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Key by Junichiro Tanizaki is praised for its explicit exploration of sex and marriage, drawing comparisons to works like Lady Chatterley's Lover. It is regarded as both sensational and serious, examining a middle-aged man's intense sexual passion. The narrative is noted for its artistry and the skill with which Tanizaki crafts a delicate and haunting story that leaves a lasting impression.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780099289999

Publisher: Vintage Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 07 September 2000

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Vintage Classics

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 11.0mm

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 119g

Pages: 160

About the Author

Junichiro Tanizaki was one of Japan's greatest twentienth century novelists. Born in 1886 in Tokyo, his first published work - a one-act play - appeared in 1910 in a literary magazine he helped to found. Tanizaki lived in the cosmopolitan Tokyo area until the earthquake of 1923, when he moved to the Kyoto-Osaka region and became absorbed in Japan's past. All his most important works were written after 1923, among them Some Prefer Nettles (1929), The Secret History of the Lord of Musashi (1935), several modern versions of The Tale of Genji (1941, 1954 and 1965), The Makioka Sisters, The Key (1956) and Diary of a Mad Old Man (1961). He was awarded an Imperial Award for Cultural Merit in 1949 and in 1965 he was elected an honorary member of the American Academy and the National Institute of Arts and Letters, the first Japanese writer to receive this honour. Tanizaki died later that same year.

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