Scandal

This 1986 novel by Shusaku Endo marks something of a departure from much of his earlier work, which leans toward historical fiction. The protagonist, Suguro—a modern-day novelist resembling Endo in several respects—receives a literary award at age 65. As he leaves the ceremony, he’s accosted by a drunken woman who blurts out that the revered Catholic author frequents a brothel in Kabukicho. Convinced that a doppelganger is out there bent on sullying his reputation, Suguro sets out to find this double—or wonders if he might, in some sense, be that man himself. Complicating matters, and deepening his turmoil, are a young woman he hires as an assistant and Madame Naruse, who volunteers as a nurse at a children’s hospital by day but, by night, indulges a predilection for sadomasochism.

Although some parts didn’t fully cohere for me, I liked the novel for its setting—Tokyo—and for the way Endo seems to reveal aspects of his own character through the prose. At times, though, certain word choices made me question the accuracy of the translation. I can’t quite pinpoint why; they just didn’t feel like Endo. All in all, it’s a compelling read, and I’ve always been a sucker for doppelganger tales that cast light on persona and bad behavior.