BOOK INFORMATION
Title: The Fox Woman
Author: Kij Johnson
Publisher: Tor
Price: $24.00 Pages:
376
By Michael Rosen-Molina
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
Kij Johnson’s first book, “The Fox Woman,”
defies classification.
On one level, it reads as a fantasy story; on another, as a
romance or a work of historical fiction. It feels like both a
simple, timeless fable and a grand, sweeping epic. In short, it
promises something for everyone.
In the book, Kaya no Yoshifuji is an official in the royal court
of Heian Japan. When an unforgivable faux pas forces him to retire
to an abandoned country estate, he finds the move to be a blessing
in disguise: he now has more time to indulge in his strange
obsession.
Yoshifuji is driven by a bizarre, almost fetishistic fascination
with foxes. He paints them, writes poetry about them, and spends
all his leisure time wandering through the woods surrounding his
home, hoping to catch a glimpse of a fox. He is oddly excited that,
although individual foxes may die, new kits are always being born.
The idea that “foxness” is permanent and unchanging
fuels his craze.
Yoshifuji is not alone in his exile. His wife Shikujo
accompanies him. A confused woman, Shikujo is torn between her love
for her husband and her embarrassment at his obsession. For while
Yoshifuji admires the grace and cunning of foxes, Shikujo fears the
mysterious creatures beyond all other dangers, certain that the
animals are omens of doom. Naturally disturbed by her
husband’s passion, Shikujo tries desperately to dissuade
Yoshifuji from his fox fancy.
Adding to the confusion is Kitsune, a young fox that lives in
the woods around Yoshifuji’s new home. A vulpine counterpart
to Yoshifuji, Kitsune finds herself strangely drawn to the humans
that have suddenly invaded her forest home. Even more surprising to
cynical readers than the presence of a sentient fox is that Kitsune
quickly falls in love with the brooding Yoshifuji. Kitsune makes up
her mind to become a human woman and thus win over her true
love.
Of course, Shikujo does not take kindly to Kitsune’s
efforts. But she, too, has some tricks up her sleeve.
The biggest obstacle to understanding “The Fox
Woman” may well be the acceptance of a fox falling in love
with a human. Johnson handles this romantic impossibility with
surprising ease; the entire book has the aura of a fairy tale,
where the strange and magical is accepted as part of the normal
order of the world. Concepts of species are far more fluid in the
universe of “The Fox Woman” than in our own mundane
reality, so readers should not be bewildered by the book’s
unusual premise.
Johnson paints an accurate portrait of ninth century Japan, a
refined, aristocratic society that emphasizes style over substance.
Yoshifuji’s careless, distracted nature contrasts nicely with
the calculated behavior of the scheming courtesans, making him an
instantly appealing hero. Shikujo’s conflict is brought to
live in a series of vivid asides, written in touching, lyrical form
as entries in her secret diary, her “pillow book.”
The entire book, in fact, is constructed as a series of diary
entries, both from Shikujo’s pillow book, Yoshifuji’s
notebook and Kitsune’s private journal. This unique form
allows Johnson to bring the reader more intimate knowledge of her
characters’ motivations, and ultimately it is this quality
that distinguishes the book.
Also interesting is that Johnson remains true to the Heian
writing style, bringing the subtle nuances and stylistic flourishes
that inform historical writing of that period to her own work.
Shikujo’s diary confessions at first appear like the almost
deceptively generic maxims that were so popular with Heian writers.
On closer reading, however, they soon reveal themselves to be
provoking snippets of near-poetry.
Johnson’s strangely melodious writing style lulls the
reader and draws them into the story in a way that standard prose
never could. “The Fox Woman” may not appeal to more
cynical audiences, but anyone with a sentimental streak will have a
difficult time not getting caught up in the troubles of this most
unusual love triangle.