Wessex Tales: "Julia" (Story 11)

This story in the "Wessex Tales" collection—"Julia" (Story 11)—is sequel to "The Face in the Floor" (Story 10). It was Julia’s parents who commissioned their villa's magnificent mosaic floor in the previous tale; as a child, she watched the master-mosaicist lay it. As "Julia" begins, Julia is a young woman angry at life, angrier at expectations, and resisting marriage. (circa 335 CE)Another gem from the Japanese maestro of storytelling Kenji Miyazawa. Gauche plays the cello in the town orchestra, but he needs to do a lot better if he wants to keep his place. He realizes he is going to have to practice every spare moment if he is going to improve in time for the big concert. But will that be enough? Just when he is getting into his rhythm a visitor drops in - and then another. This beautiful short story (around 5,000 words) by Kenji Miyazawa explores themes of passion and music. Is there music in nature? Can there be music if there is no passion?