This book is one of the finest, most elegant books I have ever read. While the plot seems still at times, the novel itself is a window into the human experience. The prose is refined, thanks, in part, to the translator Edward Seidensticker. When reading, we do not feel the constraints in time throughout this novel. There is no mention of the date, or the passage of time, except for when past events in the book are cited as "last autumn," for example. I am sad that I've finished this book, but now I can dive deeper into the treasure that is Japanese literature.