{"schema_version":"bf_book_companion_v1","release_id":"20260418T162306Z","book":{"amazon_purchase_url":"https://www.amazon.com/dp/1782278095?tag=bookfrontier-20","asin":"1782278095","authors":["Jun'Ichiro Tanizaki","Bryan Karetnyk","Jun'ichirō Tanizaki"],"book_id":"9781782278092","canonical_url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/the-siren-s-lament-1782278095","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9781782278092.jpg?v=20260418T162306Z%3A2026-04-20T23%3A15%3A44Z","description":"Lavishly opulent stories of sensual obsession, cultural heritage, and mythological creatures—translated into English for the first time—from a classic Japanese writer Featuring “The Qilin,” “The Siren’s Lament,” and the novella Killing O-Tsuya , this gorgeous new edition of 3 classic works translated by Bryan Karetnyk distills the essence of Jun'ichirō Tanizaki's shorter fiction: the co-mingling of Japanese and Chinese mythologies, the chillingly dark side of desire, and the paper-thin line between the sublime and the depraved. - “The Qilin”: The sage Confucius travels to a kingdom ruled by a struggling duke, whose pursuit of virtue is threatened by his consort's obsession desire for pleasure. - Killing O-Tsuya : A naïve servant elopes with his master's daughter, only to be plunged headlong into a world of murder and corruption. - “The Siren’s Lament”: Exhausted by a lifestyle of never-ending debauchery, a young prince finds himself in possession of a dazzling, beguiling mermaid. 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