**A stirring and insightful novel from an author Japan Quarterly calls
"a Japanese writer of genius."**From beloved author Soseki Natsume, And
Then tells the story of Daisuke, a man in his twenties who is
struggling with his personal purpose and identity as well as the
changing social landscape of Meiji-era Japan. As Japan enters the 20th
Century, ancient customs give way to Western ideals, and Daisuke works
to resolve his feelings of disconnection and abandonment during this
time of change. Thanks to his father's wealth, Daisuke has the luxury of
having time to develop his philosophies and ruminate on their meaning
while remaining intellectually aloof from traditional Japanese culture
and the demands of growing industrialization.
Daisuke's life takes an unexpected turn when he is reunited with his
college friend and his sickly wife. At first, Daisuke's stoicism allows
him to act according to his intellect, but his intellectual fortress
begins to show its vulnerabilities as his emotions start to hold greater
sway over his inner life. Daisuke must now weigh his choices in a
culture that has always operated on the razor's edge of societal
obligation and personal freedom.
And Then is a powerful novel of an individual swept up in the floods
of change.