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pc953's review
3.0
Found a collection of Yasunaei Kawabatas books at a thirty shop and was intrigued. This first one is a sad tale off loss and guilt. The story itself simple and yet beautiful.
I think that is so much of Japanese culture. The beauty in the simplicity. Layers of meaning in objects and symbols. I felt such more in the present with this book. It's 3 vs 4 stars simply because the beauty of its prose is lost on English. The translator has done some great work but English itself fails to capture so much of the simple beauties that other languages have.
I'm curious on how my thoughts on this will change as I engage with the other three books I picked up
I think that is so much of Japanese culture. The beauty in the simplicity. Layers of meaning in objects and symbols. I felt such more in the present with this book. It's 3 vs 4 stars simply because the beauty of its prose is lost on English. The translator has done some great work but English itself fails to capture so much of the simple beauties that other languages have.
I'm curious on how my thoughts on this will change as I engage with the other three books I picked up
honnari_hannya's review against another edition
4.0
The story of a young bachelor who, in the wake of his father's death, gets entangled with his father's mistress and her daughter—set against the backdrop of the formality and tradition of tea ceremonies.
There are so many undercurrents running through the conversations between the characters of this book: the new and the old, the occident and the orient, the relationship between mothers and daughters and fathers and sons. It is definitely a book that you will have to read more than once in order to parse out various interpretations. I love the way Kawabata transposes bodies and vessels—and the relationships between them—onto one another, so that history is carried forth from the past to the present, and into the future. Over it all, a sense of anxiety hangs over the three main characters as they try to navigate the strange connections that have formed between them, ending in a moment of quiet terror as those bonds (and bodies and vessels) are shattered.
There are so many undercurrents running through the conversations between the characters of this book: the new and the old, the occident and the orient, the relationship between mothers and daughters and fathers and sons. It is definitely a book that you will have to read more than once in order to parse out various interpretations. I love the way Kawabata transposes bodies and vessels—and the relationships between them—onto one another, so that history is carried forth from the past to the present, and into the future. Over it all, a sense of anxiety hangs over the three main characters as they try to navigate the strange connections that have formed between them, ending in a moment of quiet terror as those bonds (and bodies and vessels) are shattered.
8797999's review against another edition
5.0
My second reading of this, first time as an audiobook and it really enriches the experience. I don't know what it is but for me this book grasped me from the off and is my favourite out of all the Kawabata's I have read thus far.
chelseareads's review
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
elnaann1313's review
3.0
Beautifully written. Could not put it down, but was disappointed by the ending.
sulfuricpictures's review
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
johnhodges's review
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
laurans's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
haruharoo's review
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0