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karinlib's review against another edition
3.0
I am really not a good critic of poetry, especially Japanese poetry. I didn't give rate this more because I had a hard time engaging with Basho's travels. When he mentions Genji, I have to admit that it made me very happy, because I really liked the [b:The Tale of Genji|7042|The Tale of Genji|Murasaki Shikibu|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1616514777l/7042._SX50_.jpg|2212225] and its poetry.
pizzamcpin3ppl3's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
5.0
scipio_africanus's review
3.0
Its alright. Can appreciate it as a cultural work, but not super interesting as a travel memoir. Some golden gems intermixed within as far as haiku go, but more prose than poetry. Worth a read for people who are interested in Basho and Japan, but it's def not for everyone.
Pitifully - under
a great soldier’s empty helmet,
a cricket sings
...
Summer grasses:
all that remains of great soldiers
imperial dreams
...
Lonely stillness--
a single cicada’s cry
sinking into stone
Pitifully - under
a great soldier’s empty helmet,
a cricket sings
...
Summer grasses:
all that remains of great soldiers
imperial dreams
...
Lonely stillness--
a single cicada’s cry
sinking into stone
jessicaschafer's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
4.0
mark_lm's review against another edition
3.0
A very neat little book with great art work. Translated by Sam Hamill. This is said to be one of the great works of Japanese literature; unfortunately all of the allusions to Japanese and Chinese literature, locations, events and religion, although pointed out in footnotes, didn't mean much to me and I can't really experience its "greatness".
will_lowder's review against another edition
“He carries his pain with him as he goes, leaving me empty.”
trulybooked's review against another edition
5.0
I love Basho and this version is absolutely gorgeous.
ryliereadss's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
4.0
I really enjoyed reading about Matsuo Basho and his walks. His poetry was simple and could get repetitive but it was also inspiring to find poetry in the little things, the nature you see around you, wherever you are. It was cool to think about backpacking and writing and stopping at friends houses along the way, or staying with nice strangers and giving them a poem in return for their kindness. I feel like I'll be going back to some of those haikus. I loved that he didn't take the "rules" of haikus seriously, I've always thought that older haikus didn't stray from the rules but Basho's poems proved me wrong.
secondhusk's review against another edition
5.0
This is one of those books I've been reading very slowly and in tiny pieces over the course of years—usually right before bed to help make my brain shut up. Reading about walking up and down mountains and through rain-soaked temples with Basho and his haikus is almost as relaxing as it would be to *actually* walk up and down mountains and through rain-soaked temples with Basho and his haikus. Good stuff.
amawomps's review against another edition
5.0
I always hated haikus in middle school simply because I was always forced to write them. It wasn't until I was assigned this book for my spiritual autobiography class that I was finally able to appreciate the simplistic beauty of the art form itself. I believe Basho is the only poet that could've made me realize this for myself. His poems are easy to digest with beautiful imagery of early Japan. Some are cruel, and some I had to re-read to make sure they were even there to begin with because they were so uncharacteristic of other Japanese works of the time,
"It is still alive! quivering in a frozen block, little sea-slug!" (Basho, pg. 141)
I couldn't help but laugh when I read this passage. Usually when reading historical documents or writings from the eras before you bring a certain level of seriousness to the table, and I certainly had that at the beginning of this book. However, as I learned more and more about Basho, I felt more and more lighthearted and attached to his character. He simply just observes the smallest intricacies of life and captures them through the language he knows. I find it comforting that people so far back paid attention to these little reoccurrences in nature just as we do. It's an interesting thought imagining that no matter how many generations you skip, as humans, we'll all have the same reaction to a little shivering sea slug.
"It is still alive! quivering in a frozen block, little sea-slug!" (Basho, pg. 141)
I couldn't help but laugh when I read this passage. Usually when reading historical documents or writings from the eras before you bring a certain level of seriousness to the table, and I certainly had that at the beginning of this book. However, as I learned more and more about Basho, I felt more and more lighthearted and attached to his character. He simply just observes the smallest intricacies of life and captures them through the language he knows. I find it comforting that people so far back paid attention to these little reoccurrences in nature just as we do. It's an interesting thought imagining that no matter how many generations you skip, as humans, we'll all have the same reaction to a little shivering sea slug.