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Some Prefer Nettles
Some Prefer Nettles
Dec 12, 2025 6:19 AM

Author:Junichiro Tanizaki

Some Prefer Nettles

The marriage of Kaname and Misako is disintegrating: whilst seeking passion and fulfilment in the arms of others, they contemplate the humiliation of divorce. Misako's father believes their relationship has been damaged by the influence of a new and alien culture, and so attempts to heal the breach by educating his son-in-law in the time-honoured Japanese traditions of aesthetic and sensual pleasure. The result is an absorbing, chilling conflict between ancient and modern, young and old.

Reviews

A chilling climax. Tanizaki is a master of ambiguity in his own language and the subtle flavour of the work is skilfully preserved in this translation

—— The Times

One of Japan's most popular writers in this century. In this and his other books, he pulls aside the shoji that screens Japanese home life to eavesdrop on what people are really saying and thinking behind their polite facades

—— New York Times

It is important that the British public should become acquainted with this great twentieth-century Japanese fiction writer

—— Anthony Burgess

Think of the inventiveness of Iain Banks filtered through the lurid lens of a David Lynch, with a soundtrack from Verve and Bob Dylan... These Demented Lands is fiction 'on the Outer Rim of everything'. Rave on, child

—— Scotsman

With a style that fuses poetic discipline with the riff-based scat of a hedonist

—— Esquire

A novel that follows the trajectory of a drug trip: luminous, hallucinatory and utterly illogical. There is unlikely to be a more original, or hysterically imagined, book published this year

—— The Times

A high adventure with any twists and turns

—— Derby Evening Telegraph

An entertaining book full of boyhood adventures, heroes and excitement

—— Caroline Davison , East Anglian Daily Times

Jonathan is already building up a strong fan base among young lovers of fantasy fiction and his latest novel will certainly not disappoint his young readers

—— Hertfordshire Life

While it is a totally new direction and a different type of tale to what pulls you right in, proving that the cream will always rise to the top

—— www.sci-fi-london.com

This latest novel will certainly not disappoint his young readers

—— Hertfordshire Life

This is an entertaining book full of boyhood adventures, heroes and excitement

—— Bradford Telegraph and Argus

An author who can rightly be dubbed a master storyteller . . . Heroes Of The Valley is . . . epic, vibrant and colourful

—— Phil Hewitt , Bognore Regis Observer

It is every inch the assured and stunning debut that everyone suggests

—— Dovegreyreader.com

Wyld is a languorous writer with great skill in characterisation...will delight

—— Philip Womack , Sunday Telegraph

This is a young writer with talent to burn

—— Emma Hagestadt , Independent

Told with quiet, characterful poise, the noel succeeds in evoking not only Australia's epic geographical landscape, but its literary terrain too summoning echoes of some of that country's finest writers,

—— Hephzibah Anderson , Daily Mail

This is a highly accomplished first novel. Evie Wyld is not a show off writer. She has a clean, clear prose style which is exactly right in the service if her story, and the best ear for dialogue in a long time.

—— Susan Hill , The Lady

Wyld's debut novel dissects the misery that seeps inexorably from one generation to the next

—— Anna Scott , Guardian

Wyld can write very well, in a vivid descriptive style reminiscent of Tim Winton's.

—— Christina Koning , The Times

Wyld's superb skills at portraying a hot, dusty landscape and her psychological insight will pull you inexorably in.

—— Louise Doughty , Psychologies

Superb assured first novel about fathers and sons. Pitch-perfect prose

—— Woman & Home

A very impressive first novel. Wise and wry, it uses its Australian bush setting to great effect, Wyld's protagonists fleeing there from wars, both literal and familial. She writes great characters and makes you love them as she nails them.

—— Rachel Seiffert , Sunday Herald, Christmas round up

This is a sad yet beautiful story of fathers and sons, their wars and the things they will never know about each other

—— NI Homes
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