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souljababy's review
3.0
Hojoki - 5/5 (awesome)
Essays in Idleness - 2/5
rounding down average cause I didn't really like essays all that much.
It felt like Hojoki was more thoughtful and impactful while Essays in Idleness were more like passing thoughts. Most of those thoughts weren't all that interesting or thought provoking. Not sure why Essays is considered a classic maybe its beyond me.
Essays in Idleness - 2/5
rounding down average cause I didn't really like essays all that much.
It felt like Hojoki was more thoughtful and impactful while Essays in Idleness were more like passing thoughts. Most of those thoughts weren't all that interesting or thought provoking. Not sure why Essays is considered a classic maybe its beyond me.
kaanda's review
informative
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
3.0
I love this book for what it is. It has some great moments of reflection, but mostly you have to read it through the lens of its setting and era to get the most out of it. A relaxing read that is just a little boring.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Death
sh00's review against another edition
2.0
Больше всего я боюсь, что в результате некоторой неудачно сложившейся ситуации через десять веков от русской литературы останется Пушкин и чудом сохранившиеся высеры из наплечного унитаза, скажем, какой-нибудь Лены Миро. Вот они, последние, на контрасте с Пушкиным, будут теми самыми дзуйхицу.
Храни нас провидение от этого жанра. В особенности если эксперты того времени будут на полном серьёзе рассуждать о нанизанных одна на другую, перекликающихся и резонирующих мыслях Лены, мыслях, которые объединяет личность (суслик сука) мыслителя.
Храни нас провидение от этого жанра. В особенности если эксперты того времени будут на полном серьёзе рассуждать о нанизанных одна на другую, перекликающихся и резонирующих мыслях Лены, мыслях, которые объединяет личность (суслик сука) мыслителя.
ostrava's review
5.0
"It is a most wonderful comfort to sit alone beneath a lamp, book spread before you, and commune with someone from the past whom you have never met".
foggy_rosamund's review
3.0
How do you rate essays written by Buddhist monks from the 11th and 12th centuries? The first of these, "Hojoki" is a short meditative piece about the decision to become a monk and to live in seclusion, and the internal struggle of living within the Way. As an essay, it's much more successful than "Essays in Idleness" -- it's concise and moving. "Essays in Idleness" is a much more sprawling work, which covers living as a monk and living a secluded life, but also discusses everything from courtly manners to garden design. Some of the sections aren't interesting or are too esoteric for the Western reader, but many paint a vivid picture of life in the 12th century courts, and for that alone, they're entertaining to read.
kasss's review against another edition
3.0
Read texts 89 (about Nekomata) and 104 (in the style of the Genji Monogatari) in classical Japanese. The rest in English - mostly browsing (not everything was equally interesting).