Life of an Amorous Man

Book excerpt: First published in 1682, The Life of an Amorous Man depicts the pursuits and follies of the glorious age of old Japan, when the new bourgeoisie, unfettered by the societal constraints of the traditional aristocracy, indulged in the free and easy life of Japan’s celebrated pleasure houses. The hero of this fascinating novel is a composite of the many daijin (men of wealth) who spent their time in these flourishing establishments. The novel follows the hero, Yonosuke, or “Man of the World,” from precocious childhood to the close of his amatory career. Along the way, Saikaku exploits the full gamut of his sexual indulgence, always the frankness, often with humor, and occasionally with pathos — chronicling the erotic escapades of his hero and providing vivid character sketches of the women (and sometimes men) with whom Yonosuke dallied.