Short but extremely interesting, particularly with context. The description of life in a red-light quarter through brief vignettes of the squabbles of children is strangely touching, and mere allusions to the nature of the flesh trade set the right tone for the novel (sort of respecting? recognizing? or just taking into the account the innocence of children.) The ending is very poignant – society is split so sharply along class and occupational lines, and only children can overcome that, only for those bonds to crumble later. The translation was a bit literal, but it's an important book for those delving deep into Japanese literature.