The Citadel

In her novel “The Citadel,” Fumiko Enchi reveals a family secret rooted in the story of her grandmother from the early Meiji era. This period was marked by the coexistence of traditional feudal order and revolutionary changes. For this book, Fumiko Enchi received one of Japan’s most respected literary awards—the Noma Prize.

The plot centers on Tomo, whom her husband orders to select and bring a young concubine into their home. As a dutiful wife, Tomo fulfills her husband’s wish. As a woman, she tempers her soul, creating an impenetrable protection around it, becoming like a citadel. Tomo must watch as her husband, hungry for carnal pleasures, first seduces the young concubine, then an innocent maidservant, and in the end—his mentally ill son’s wife. Will Tomo be able to preserve her moral principles in such a situation, or will she break under this pressure?