The Doctor's Wife

by Sawako Ariyoshi

Book Overview

The role of the Japanese woman in modern society still retains many of the characteristics that it had in the late eighteenth century, when this novel takes place. In those days, the life of a woman, whether married or single, was one of unending drudgery and toil. Reward or recognition came only indirectly, through the success of the male members of the family.

Thus, this novel is really two stories: on the one hand, the successful medical...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 4770029748
• ISBN13: 9784770029744
• Release Date: February 2004
• Publisher: Kodansha
• Length: 174 Pages
• Weight: 0.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 7.4" x 5.2"

Customer Reviews

A Welcome Read

The book is set during the Tokugawa period of Japan and depicts the struggles in life of a woman named Kae. It may be thought that this book lacks a dynamic story, the idea is not because of some flaw in the author, but the fact that it is a historical fiction piece which tells of the first recorded medical operation of breast cancer under a general anesthetic. The author does a very good job at keeping up with the known facts which to some unenlightened peoples may seem as unattractive. Aside from this notion, the book is by no means dull. It contains the tragic vie for attention between mother and daugter-in-law while touching on the issue of sexual prejudice that is still present in today's society. All this while at the same time shaping the tale of a Doctor's goal to set a medical landmark. A very good book to learn some history while being inthralled with the story.

Very informative, about family and secret feelings

An atypical threesome relationship: the husband, his wife and his mother. In a culture where, not dissimilarly to the British culture, it is despicable to show your inner feelings. The wife and the mother quickly become competitive, but never admit it, hence the tragic ending. A warning to our modern society, where, partly in response to the high divorce rate, many young adults tend to stick closer to their parents: this may become the cause, rather than the solution, of divorce problems.Although set in the Japan of one century ago, this book is still actual. Increasingly, Japanese women flee marriage because she who marries a first-born son (this is the case for most young men, given the size of modern families), is expected to go and live with his parents.

Please ignore the review above

The review above has been inadvertently transposed from another work and bears NO RELATIONSHIP to the book shown.