The Fox Woman

I had given up on reading most things labeled fantasy until a friend recommended to me Kij Johnson's The Fox Woman. Kij gives us the best of literary fiction without the self-indulgent drivel, and the best of fantasy without inflicting upon us the constant repetition that is the staple of lesser authors. Set in a fantastical medieval Japan, The Fox Woman tells a tale of self-transformation, of dream-chasing, of love both romantic and unconditional, of falls from grace and redemption, of sacrifice, and above all of human emotion and interaction, on a level that hits us deep in the gut and makes us shout, "Yes! I know that feeling!" Although a fantasy, few stories are more true or more real than this.

The pillowbooks of Kitsune--the vixen, who desires to be a woman because she has fallen in love with the Japanese nobleman--of Shijuko his wife and of Yoshifuji, the object of the Kitsune's passion; form an enchanting fantasy, a fable of human and animal existence, posing the eternal existential questions: what it is to love? to be a woman? to be a man? to be a fox or a dog? This fantasy drew me into its wonderful web for a number of reasons: the language was exquisite, the fine poetry in the oriental manner was delicately woven into the story (a sure way to my reader's heart) and the underlying commentary upon the human condition wrought in contrast to that of the family of foxes who live under the Japanese country house achieved a rare novel with both style and story. Yes, animals, be they foxes, cats or dogs do weave their own commentary on the comings and goings of humans. I am not knowledgeable about medieval Japanese culture or literature, but it suspended my disbelief and drew me into an oriental world. I felt I was there in the Japanese countryside. I saw the robes, the fans, the paper walls. Those who would quibble with the Japan Kij Johnson creates should turn to the history books. This is literary fiction. I loved it.

The Fox Woman is a tale of yearnings, of the heart-rending beauty and sadness of being human, yet not knowing what it may cost, nor what it truly means. All this told from the point of view of a love-struck vixen - the ultimate outsider in Heian Japan (folklore and superstition dictate all foxes are evil). For love, she dons the garment of humanity to woo her love. The tale, though, is told from the diaries of Kitsune - the fox woman of the title - her love Kaya no Yoshifuji and his wife Shikujo. The self-imposed exile Yoshifuji places upon himself and his family is to an old country estate; where he hopes to contemplate the embarassment of not attaining a government position in the capital. A polite enough lie, but in truth he wishes to probe the hole he feels in his life. His wife Shikujo has become a distant clockwork creature who has shielded herself from resentment and loneliness with the ten thousand polite and correct obligations of a wife. She prefers to use this perfection as a weapon rather than the more honest - and embarassing - passions of a lover. Into the illusions and reflections which are imploding Yoshifuji and Shikujo's marriage comes the recently-human fox woman, who in her direct manner wins over the heart of Yoshifuji. The fox-magic she works with her grandfather and the rest of her fox-family makes her a beautiful woman, attended by legions of silent, perfect servants, makes a fox-hole an opulent country manor, complete with content peasants who work the rice fields. The realization Kitsune is as much ensnared by her dreamlike world of eternal autumn as well as Yoshifuji is unexpected. Tragedy looms on the horizon, but I will not reveal much else of the plot. The prose is elegant and beautiful. The method of storytelling - from the diaries of the three protagonists - skillful. I would invite anyone to also become bewitched by the beauty of this fox-tale.

Kij Johnson's The Fox Woman transports you into the heart of Heian Japan, and the hearts of some of the most engaging characters ever written. It tells the story of a man, a woman, and a young fox discovering their intertwined destinies in the real world, and in a magical world of wonderful illusion where a den in the earth can be a lovely country estate, and a fox transfixed by love can be a beautiful woman. The settings are historically accurate and (more important) so real you can reach out and touch them. The prose is exquisite -- there's no better word, and the author's masterful sense of story will immerse you in her world as few writers are able to do. This book will break your heart, and you'll be glad for it, I promise you.

This is one of the most moving and beautiful books I have ever had the pleasure to read. And I'm not alone in saying so: The December 20 Publishers Weekly gives The Fox Woman a starred review and says, "it establishes [Kij Johnson] as one of SF's most remarkable stylists."The Fox Woman is about love, poetry, and what it means to be human, even if told in part from a magical fox's point of view... or, perhaps, especially so. It is the story of a young fox who falls in love with a man in Eleventh-Century Japan, and then her triumphs and troubles when she desires to become a woman. It is also about a man, spurned from Imperial Court, who must learn what it means to be a man; and his wife, who probably learns the most during the course of the novel.Johnson's use of language is masterful; her words (though the same ones you and I use) are magic, profoundly moving the reader while evoking a rich and exotic environment.A must-read! You won't be disappointed. Oh, and the presentation is just gorgeous, too (nice cover, good use of calligraphy) -- a great gift.