{"product_id":"9781805301929","title":"Free Play : Improvisation in Life and Art","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Perfection is the only word to describe this subtle tale' \u003ci\u003eIrish Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWinner of the Akutagawa Prize\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTsugami, the editor-in-chief of a newspaper in war-scarred Osaka, agrees to sponsor a bullfight. For months this great gamble consumes him, makes him as wary and combative as if he was in a ring himself. And, as he becomes ever more distant, his lover Sakiko is unsure if she would like to see him succeed or be destroyed.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs much a story of post-war Japan as it is about the country's special brand of bullfighting, this novella is a masterly exploration of hope, ambition and despair. Yasushi Inoue's novella won him the prestigious Akutagawa Prize and established him as one of Japan's most acclaimed authors. From the planning of a bullfight, through Tsugami's struggle, his focus and his solitude - he crafts something intensely memorable, a profound and compelling existential tale.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePart of the Pushkin Press Classics series: timeless storytelling by icons of literature, hand-picked from around the globe.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTranslated by Michael Emmerich.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBorn in 1907, Yasushi Inoue worked as a journalist and literary editor for many years, only beginning his prolific career as an author in 1949 with \u003ci\u003eBullfight\u003c\/i\u003e. He went on to publish 50 novels and 150 short stories, both historical and contemporary, his work making him one of Japan's major literary figures. In 1976 Inoue was presented with the Order of Culture, the highest honour granted for artistic merit in Japan. He died in 1991. Pushkin Press also publishes Inoue's novella \u003ci\u003eThe Hunting Gun\u003c\/i\u003e, and a collection of short stories titled \u003ci\u003eLife of a Counterfeiter\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMichael Emmerich is a translator, editor and an professor in the department of Asian Languages and Cultures at UCLA. His many translations include work by Yasunari Kawabata, Genichiro Takahashi and Banana Yoshimoto.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"product__accordion accordion quick-add-hidden\"\u003e\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\u003cdetails id=\"Details-collapsible_tab_dDVEeR-template--25151688147283__main\"\u003e\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003csummary role=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-controls=\"ProductAccordion-collapsible_tab_dDVEeR-template--25151688147283__main\"\u003e\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"summary__title\"\u003e\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003ch2 class=\"h4 accordion__title inline-richtext\"\u003e\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tProduct Information\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c\/h2\u003e\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003csvg class=\"icon icon-caret\" viewbox=\"0 0 10 6\"\u003e\u003cpath fill=\"currentColor\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M9.354.646a.5.5 0 0 0-.708 0L5 4.293 1.354.646a.5.5 0 0 0-.708.708l4 4a.5.5 0 0 0 .708 0l4-4a.5.5 0 0 0 0-.708\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\"\u003e\u003c\/path\u003e\u003c\/svg\u003e\r\n\t\t\u003c\/summary\u003e\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cdiv class=\"accordion__content rte\" id=\"ProductAccordion-collapsible_tab_dDVEeR-template--25151688147283__main\"\u003e\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"metafield-multi_line_text_field\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Yasushi Inoue\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eBinding:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eDate of Publication:\u003c\/b\u003e 09\/04\/2026\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003ePagination:\u003c\/b\u003e 128 pages\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eSeries:\u003c\/b\u003e N\/A\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eImprint:\u003c\/b\u003e Pushkin Press Classics\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003ePublished By:\u003c\/b\u003e PUSHKIN PRESS\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eBook Classification:\u003c\/b\u003e Classic fiction (pre c 1945)\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/b\u003e 197 x 157 x 12\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eISBN13\/EAN\/SKU:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781805332022\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\u003c\/div\u003e\r\n\t\t\t\t\u003c\/details\u003e\r\n\t\t\t\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Yasushi Inoue","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56096064110978,"sku":"9781805301929","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0568\/2180\/9347\/files\/9781805301929_f011a778-d5d6-4b5b-9cb0-6376ff2c57db.jpg?v=1767362365","url":"https:\/\/mountfloridabooks.pro\/products\/9781805301929","provider":"Mount Florida Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}