The Commoner

A melancholy, even downright sad, book. There is a lovely motif of cranes, anchored by a tale of cranes told by the heroine's father. There is the portrayal of the life of Japan's Imperial Family as like a prison. There is the sorrowful story of the lively young girl (the commoner) who marries into this family and feels herself to be stifled and stunted by it. Then there are glimpses of life returning to her in her later years...and questions come up which can't be answered because the story ends. I am generally OK with ambiguity, but this novel left me unsatisfied. It should not have ended where it did.