Life in Japan for a transplanted Californian with a fledgling antiques business and a nonexistent love life isn't always fun, but when the flower arranging class Rei Shimura's aunt cajoles her into taking turns into a stage for murder, Rei finds plenty of excitement she's been missing.

McClellan's essays are unique contributions to our understanding of a distinguished literature which has only recently begun to be seriously explored and will prove to be indispensable to those interested in the development of the modern Japanese novel. Soseki (1867-1916) and Toson (1872-1943) were two outstanding writers during the formative period of modern Japanese literature