The Fox and Dr. Shimamura

Science Fiction & Fantasy, Fantasy, Contemporary, Fiction & Literature, Literary
Cover of the book The Fox and Dr. Shimamura by Christine Wunnicke, New Directions
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Author: Christine Wunnicke ISBN: 9780811226257
Publisher: New Directions Publication: April 30, 2019
Imprint: New Directions Language: English
Author: Christine Wunnicke
ISBN: 9780811226257
Publisher: New Directions
Publication: April 30, 2019
Imprint: New Directions
Language: English

A delicious mix of East and West, of wonder and irony, The Fox and Dr. Shimamura is a most curious novel

The Fox and Dr. Shimamura toothsomely encompasses East and West, memory and reality, fox-possession myths, and psychiatric mythmaking. As an outstanding young Japanese medical student at the end of the nineteenth century, Dr. Shimamura is sent—to his dismay—to the provinces: he is asked to cure scores of young women afflicted by an epidemic of fox possession. Believing it’s all a hoax, he considers the assignment an insulting joke, until he sees a fox moving under the skin of a young beauty... Next he travels to Europe and works with such luminaries as Charcot, Breuer and Freud—whose methods, Dr. Shimamura concludes, are incompatible with Japanese politeness. The ironic parallels between Charcot’s theories of female hysteria and ancient Japanese fox myths—when it comes to beautiful, writhing young women—are handled with a lightly sardonic touch by Christine Wunnicke, whose flavor-packed, inventive language is a delight.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

A delicious mix of East and West, of wonder and irony, The Fox and Dr. Shimamura is a most curious novel

The Fox and Dr. Shimamura toothsomely encompasses East and West, memory and reality, fox-possession myths, and psychiatric mythmaking. As an outstanding young Japanese medical student at the end of the nineteenth century, Dr. Shimamura is sent—to his dismay—to the provinces: he is asked to cure scores of young women afflicted by an epidemic of fox possession. Believing it’s all a hoax, he considers the assignment an insulting joke, until he sees a fox moving under the skin of a young beauty... Next he travels to Europe and works with such luminaries as Charcot, Breuer and Freud—whose methods, Dr. Shimamura concludes, are incompatible with Japanese politeness. The ironic parallels between Charcot’s theories of female hysteria and ancient Japanese fox myths—when it comes to beautiful, writhing young women—are handled with a lightly sardonic touch by Christine Wunnicke, whose flavor-packed, inventive language is a delight.

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