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camoverride's review against another edition
3.0
This book is a collection of short observations by the Japanese Buddhist Priest Kenko. It's not exactly wisdom literature - though many of the essays offer practical advice. It's also not poetry - though some of the essays have a very haiku-like quality. It's also not a collection of Zen koans - though there are some koans here.
What I liked about this book is that it's nothing specific: rather than trying to fit into a particular category of literature, these essays are instead designed to make you feel situated in a specific place and time - Medieval Japan - with all the religious rituals, imperial bureaucracy, and feudal fighting that come along with that.
What I liked about this book is that it's nothing specific: rather than trying to fit into a particular category of literature, these essays are instead designed to make you feel situated in a specific place and time - Medieval Japan - with all the religious rituals, imperial bureaucracy, and feudal fighting that come along with that.
sabbatical_jaer's review against another edition
4.0
Schitterende, geinige verzameling van 14de eeuwse Japanse aforismen, parabellen, korte essays en beschouwingen. Af een toe een beetje maffe stukjes waarvan de strekking me geheel onduidelijk bleef, maar dat vond ik dan wel weer geestig. Verder ook voldoende stukjes die intentioneel geinig bedoeld waren en dat effect dan ook bewerkstelligde.
Ik las dit boek voor m'n studie over ledigheid en het was dan ook verfrissend om te lezen hoe Kenko ledigheid als iets goeds zag.
Meer hier over kun je lezen in m'n essay op m'n blog.
De vertaler J.Vos heeft een schitterend werk opgeleverd met maar liefst 299 voetnoten waarin hij duiding geeft aan alle verwijzingen naar andere oeroude Aziatische literaire werken die Kenko maakt.
Ik las dit boek voor m'n studie over ledigheid en het was dan ook verfrissend om te lezen hoe Kenko ledigheid als iets goeds zag.
Meer hier over kun je lezen in m'n essay op m'n blog.
De vertaler J.Vos heeft een schitterend werk opgeleverd met maar liefst 299 voetnoten waarin hij duiding geeft aan alle verwijzingen naar andere oeroude Aziatische literaire werken die Kenko maakt.
jadzia's review against another edition
4.0
"Zapiski dla zabicia czasu" to lektura przyjemna, do wyrywkowego czytania, niekoniecznie na raz - u mnie się ciągnęła przez kilka dobrych miesięcy, nie dlatego, że mnie nudziła, ale dlatego, że wydała mi się warta dawkowania sobie tych krótkich szkiców. Teksty są nie tylko ciekawym źródłem informacji na temat kultury i historii Japonii, ale też odznaczają się niezwykłą celnością cytatów (niektórych) i mądrości. Cały czas mnie zaskakuje jak mało człowiek się zmienia w swojej naturze - na tyle mało, że teksty powstałe w XIV wieku są nadal tak aktualne. Wiadomo, ze trochę się zmieniamy z czasem, nasze wierzenia, nauka, kultura, ale w głębi pozostajemy wciąż tacy sami, poszukujący, zastanawiający się nad sensem, dobrem etc. Co mnie jeszcze uderzyło to fakt, że był to tekst tak obcy mi kulturowo, a jednak, z przypisami, nie był on niezrozumiały czy śmieszny.
kara666's review against another edition
2.0
This is a miscellany. It is a collection of various thoughts and things and events that the author finds interesting. A journal basically, or a diary. Some of it was uninteresting to me though, and did not translate at all. Proper etiquette is discussed. What constitutes refined behavior, and other matters. He talks a lot about how this tradition has been performed during the time of this or that emperor.
Where the book shines is with regards to aesthetics. Yoshida shows a taste on things which is rooted on buddhist philosophy. Probably the best paragraphs in the book are the ones under the heading 'On Different Points of View," where the beauty of imperfect things are discussed. It begins:
"Is it only when the flowers are in full bloom and when the moon is shining in spotless perfection that we ought to gaze at them?"
From there it goes on a rather interesting sort of exposition, describing and praising refined behavior and condemning the unrefined behavior of some people.
The perspective is intimate (similar to the 'slice-of-life' genre in Japanese anime and manga), and might surprise you in how 'modern' the sentiment of the author is. It is a trove of information on the culture and behavior of people during the author's time.
My version is the 1914 translation by William N. Porter, and since I have no knowledge of Japanese, I cannot make any comment on it. This version is freely available online and I enjoin the reader to have a go at it, and read it in her Iphone or Android phone using an ebookreader while waiting for someone or going on a public commute in a train or any public vehicle, as she could find something of interest to her in it.
Where the book shines is with regards to aesthetics. Yoshida shows a taste on things which is rooted on buddhist philosophy. Probably the best paragraphs in the book are the ones under the heading 'On Different Points of View," where the beauty of imperfect things are discussed. It begins:
"Is it only when the flowers are in full bloom and when the moon is shining in spotless perfection that we ought to gaze at them?"
From there it goes on a rather interesting sort of exposition, describing and praising refined behavior and condemning the unrefined behavior of some people.
The perspective is intimate (similar to the 'slice-of-life' genre in Japanese anime and manga), and might surprise you in how 'modern' the sentiment of the author is. It is a trove of information on the culture and behavior of people during the author's time.
My version is the 1914 translation by William N. Porter, and since I have no knowledge of Japanese, I cannot make any comment on it. This version is freely available online and I enjoin the reader to have a go at it, and read it in her Iphone or Android phone using an ebookreader while waiting for someone or going on a public commute in a train or any public vehicle, as she could find something of interest to her in it.
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