{"product_id":"9788410404168","title":"This cunning world","description":"\u003ch2\u003eThis Crafty World\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eBook Summary\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA classic of Japanese picaresque literature that portrays, with sharp irony, the eternal human comedy. Set in the bustling Japan of the Edo period, the work follows a gallery of unforgettable characters—shrewd merchants, cunning courtesans, and stingy wives—who struggle to survive in a world where cunning is the most valuable currency. Saikaku Ihara employs agile prose and scathing humor to reveal the social mechanisms operating beneath the surface of appearances, offering a reading that is as entertaining as it is revealing about human nature.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat is it about?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe narrative is set in the final days of the year, when Japanese cities are boiling with activity and their inhabitants must settle debts and close accounts. In this setting, King Money imposes its rules, and cunning becomes an essential tool for survival. Through a succession of vibrant short stories, the reader witnesses the maneuvers of ruined samurai negotiating their honor, clever apprentices climbing the social ladder, and courtesans who skillfully pull the threads of desire and deceit. As in the best Spanish picaresque novels—Lázaro de Tormes or Guzmán de Alfarache—the characters glide through a world where virtue is negotiable and wit becomes a vital necessity for thriving or simply surviving.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eMain Themes\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003ePicaresque and cunning as survival strategies in a hierarchical society.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003eThe power of money and its ability to disrupt the social and moral order.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003ePower relations between social classes: samurai, merchants, and commoners.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003eIrony and humor as tools for social criticism and portrait of the human condition.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003eDesire, greed, and betrayal as engines of human relationships in Edo-period Japan.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWho is it recommended for?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book is aimed at readers interested in classical Japanese literature, especially those looking for a work that combines social criticism with humor and irony. It will also be attractive to those who enjoy picaresque narrative, stories of marginalized characters who manage to get ahead, and any curious reader who wishes to know a lucid and entertaining vision of 17th-century Japanese society, beyond the tropes of the samurai and the haiku.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat this book offers\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003eA unique window into the daily life and customs of Edo-period Japan, through a critical and fun lens.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003eA masterpiece of universal picaresque literature, comparable to the great Spanish classics of the genre.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003eAn agile and enjoyable read, thanks to the vibrant prose and short episodes that maintain constant interest.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003eA profound reflection on human nature, money, and power, presented with intelligent humor that invites reflection.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003eThe pleasure of discovering one of the most important novelists in Japanese literature, praised by experts like Donald Keene.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eTechnical Data\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003eAuthor: IHARA, SAIKAKU\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003ePublisher: SATORI EDICIONES C.B.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003eLanguage: Spanish\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003eSubject: MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY FICTION, CLASSICAL FICTION\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003eCollection: MASTERS OF JAPANESE LITERATURE\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003eBinding: Paperback\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003eEdition date: September 2025\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003eNumber of pages: 224\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003eWeight: 300 g\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eEditorial Assessment\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis edition of \"This Crafty World\" recovers a fundamental work of Japanese literature that, despite its age, remains surprisingly relevant. Saikaku Ihara achieves what few classical authors manage: to be both a faithful chronicler of his time and a timeless observer of the human condition. His ironic gaze and his ability to portray social contradictions make this book an essential read for those seeking to understand the roots of modern Japanese narrative. The paperback format by Satori Ediciones, within their \"Masters of Japanese Literature\" collection, facilitates access to this masterpiece, presented with a careful translation and a design that invites reading.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"SATORI EDICIONES C.B.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53407455084891,"sku":"9788410404168","price":22.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1018\/0650\/6331\/files\/978841040416.jpg?v=1781856364","url":"https:\/\/kalamobooks.com\/en\/products\/9788410404168","provider":"Kalamo Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}