Review Of The
Scarlet Gang of Asakusa, by Yasunari Kawabata
Copyright © by
Jessica Schneider, 12/10/10
It is difficult to take much from Kawabata’s The Scarlet Gang of
Asakusa because in many ways, it is an odd and experimental work that plays
with narrative to the point that the overall arc comes across somewhat
fragmented. This is not to say there are not nice moments within, but The
Scarlet Gang of Asakusa is both an early and relatively minor work when
thinking of Kawabata’s output. It’s not even a stretch to claim this, since
it is noted that Kawabata himself would often cringe whenever he heard it read
aloud. Having said that, The Scarlet Gang of Asakusa is a work that
should be read once readers have familiarized themselves with his more popular
(and much better) novels such as Snow Country, The Sound of the
Mountain and Beauty and Sadness, among others.
Kawabata recreates the Asakusa setting, known as the entertainment
district of Japan, and it attracts everyone from artists to prostitutes. It puts
one in mind of The Great Gatsby (in terms of the thriving times, not
stylistically) and the many changes occurring throughout that era. “Gang
youths” are the focus, for via way of these youths, we can observe life
through them as the novel sets up a series of situations that slowly builds into
a narrative, even if the narrative is not coherent in the traditional sense.
For example, there are moments within the novel that begin to cohere (the
book was originally serialized in newspapers and so individual parts were
written fragmentally for this purpose) but then frequently the narrative and
even the point of view shift onto another. The parts discussing the famous Tokyo
earthquake of 1923 are some of the most interesting moments, for they bring both
a historical perspective to the changes that resulted from such a disaster, as
well as offering the emotional perspective one would have felt during that time.
Tanizaki also has discussed this event at length, and for Westerners unfamiliar,
the book does dip into certain cultural aspects that can allow one to feel part
of it, even if only in the momentary sense.
From a historical perspective and also for anyone who has sought out
Kawabata’s works, The Scarlet Gang of Asakusa shows the growth of the
writer, and interesting are the forward and afterward by Donald Richie. He
provides his personal background with regards to meeting Kawabata, includes a
number of photos, and his thoughts on the work overall, which seem to confirm
what I think: that there are good moments within, some interesting fragments,
but ultimately not a work that reflects when Kawabata was at the top of his
game. (Richie also mentions that Kawabata once saw the famous Tanizaki
surrounded by attractive women and so he too thought this is what the writing
life would entail.)
Here’s a scene that depicts bums in the park:
“Wading through the pigeons, we go into an open place with
a cluster of trees. Here and there bums have their morning meetings among the
benches.”
Then the narrator continues and notes:
“The dregs of Asakusa. But as long as she can still run,
she’s still a woman. Because most bums are no longer human enough to run.”
Interesting observations as these are no doubt contained within, but the
problem involves the lack of character development that is always present when
one thinks of Kawabata’s best work. Instead, we are given snippets and
snapshots of members within this period that readers do not care for as
full-bodied people, since they are not developed as such. Of course, not all
works need this to succeed, and while I do think the novel does succeed
in the snapshot sense, it does not succeed in capturing the movement of a
thriving culture as a whole. We are instead presented it at a distance, and
interestingly, the novel contains a glossary explaining many of the cultural
references within. Those not familiar with Kawabata or Japanese literature as a
whole could find The Scarlet Gang of Asakusa a bit confusing and tedious
at times, but the glossary does help.
The Scarlet Gang of Asakusa is a novel stuck very much within the moment, for the
scenes do not resonate as they do in Snow Country or in any other number
of Kawabata’s better works. Even scenes like those described in The Lake
(an underrated novel of his that often gets labeled ‘minor’) where the women
are being followed by the pathetic stalker, Kawabata manages to create such a
loser of a character that allows readers to feel empathy for him. These
strengths are not so much present within Asakusa, though the novel is not
without merits, for in addition to the isolated moments of insight, it does show
the growth of the writer, and this makes it worthy of at least a look.
[An expurgated version of this
article originally appeared on the Blogcritics
website.]
Return to Bylines
