A New Life, Volume 1

A letter about idleness and impermanence opens a life already shaken by loss. Kishimoto, a widowed writer raising young children in Tokyo, tries to keep working while grief, loneliness, and unease erode his confidence. His niece Setsuko helps care for the household. When their sexual relationship results in pregnancy, familiar rooms and ordinary family visits become places of fear and concealment.

Kishimoto leaves for France, hoping that distance and a new language will offer a way to live. His journey takes him through ports and shipboard solitude to Paris, where generous acquaintances, fellow Japanese travelers, art, music, and the changing seasons open unfamiliar worlds. Yet letters from home repeatedly return him to the consequences of his actions.

Shimazaki Tōson’s novel examines confession, dependence, self-deception, and the limits of escape through closely observed domestic and foreign life. This first project volume presents the opening portion in a complete new English translation of its supplied Japanese source, with a translator’s note and publication information. It forms part of a four-volume edition and ends at the source’s designated division. AI-assisted translation.