Arashi no Serenâde was a long story very popular among girls. It was the first story for girls written by Yokoyama Michiko. It was first serialized in Shôjo no Tomo [Girls' Friend], a magazine published by Jitsugyô-no-Nihon-Sha, and won great popularity.
It was published in book form by Kôdan-Sha. Although the story of
Sayoko who overcomes great difficulties may be too implausible, the plot
with many twists and turns, a variety of characters such as an acrobatic
girl and a daughter of a millionaire, and a Christian philanthropic spirit
running through the story attracted a lot of readers in those days. It
became a best seller and reached 54th printings. It was even said that
Kôdan-Sha's building was built thanks to the sales of the book. Lyrical
illustrations by Katô Masao, who was drawing for many girls' magazines,
also contributed to its popularity. The title was regarded as another factor
of its success, though it did not always match the plot.
Yokoyama's later works became stereotyped and she was sometimes criticized severely. A revised edition was published in 1948 by Myôgi-Shuppan-Sha. |
