The Makioka Sisters/YMMV


 * Alas, Poor Scrappy: Taeko doesn't die, but her Trauma Conga Line in the second half of the book definitely invokes this.
 * Complete Monster: Sawasaki. In fact, most of the men to whom Yukiko is introduced.
 * High Octane Nightmare Fuel: Sachiko starts out very optimistic, resourceful, level-headed, and maternal. The description of her five-hundred-page slide into crippling depression is...extremely realistic.
 * Toy Ship: Etsuko and Peter Stolz.
 * Values Dissonance: Averted with Taeko. She's a shallow, selfish, slutty, pretentious bitch even by modern Western standards.
 * The Woobie: Sachiko and Yukiko take turns.