The Japanese Quince

“The Japanese Quince” is the most widely anthologized short story by British writer John Galsworthy and is considered a miniature masterpiece of early 20th-century naturalism. Only slightly more than 1,000 words, the story presents a character sketch of a man named Mr. Nilson. Though modest in scale, the story is rich in imagery, symbolism, and social commentary.

The story is now in the public domain. This guide refers, by paragraph, to the original edition of the story found on pages 247-253 of Galsworthy’s 1910 collection The Motley.

The story opens with Nilson experiencing a strange sensation in his throat and chest as he begins his morning routine in his dressing room in a fashionable London neighborhood. Nilson finds the feeling strange but is unable to explain it; instead, he tries to ignore the discomfort as he looks out the window into the garden he shares with neighboring houses where a little tree in full blossom catches his eye. He is preoccupied with thoughts about stock prices and briefly examines himself in the mirror. The narrator says, “Resuming some meditations on the price of Tintos, he took up an ivory-backed hand-glass and scrutinised his face,” and he felt satisfied that his eyes “wore a reassuring appearance of good health” (Paragraph 2).