Description: In an early well-known work, "In the Storehouse" (Kura no naka, 1919), Uno's ludic posturing gently deflates the pretentions of the narrator, the suffering writer Yamaji. Any attempts at narrative coherence are subverted as the garrulous and endlessly self-absorbed Yamaji piles digression upon digression while struggling to regain control over the story by repeatedly interrupting the fitful narration to address his readers directly and plead their indulgence. "Love of Mountains" (Yamagoi, 1923), another story from Uno's early period, blends lyricism with buffoonery in a seamless flow that celebrates the grandeur of the Japanese Alps while quietly undermining the reliability of perception and parodying the romantic's response to mountain landscapes. Elaine Gerbert's evocative and graceful translation is preceded by an interpretive introduction that places Uno's writing in critical perspective.

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