Originally published in installments in the literary journal Kaizo, An’ya koro (1921–37; tr. A Dark Night’s Passing, 1976) is author Shiga Naoya’s only full-length novel, upon which he toiled for a quarter century. Although Shiga’s style is linked with the I-Novel genre, An’ya koro is only a partial reflection of his life and contains many fictional elements. The story deals with the inner struggles of Kensaku, a man who learns that his grandfather is actually his father. The subsequent alienation and torment he feels from this revelation, combined with his wife’s unfaithfulness and his own illness, lead him into deep despair. Finally, in a moment of enlightenment on a mountaintop at dawn, he discovers the inner serenity that allows him to face his impending death in peace.
See also BUDDHIST LITERATURE.
Historical dictionary of modern Japanese literature and theater. J. Scott Miller. 2009.