A review by kari_f
A Mountain to the North, a Lake to the South, Paths to the West, a River to the East by Adán Kovacsics Meszaros, László Krasznahorkai

challenging reflective

3.5

I find stream of consciousness books to be fascinating, but I’ll admit I also have a hard time following them and often have to read passages multiple times to really glean what’s being said and done. More-so with a book like this one, with mysterious settings and indeterminate time and existential explorations. Our main character, self-described as the grandson of Prince Genji, explores a seemingly infinitesimal monastery garden while exploring the possibility of infinity as a concept.

While it’s a physically short story, this book contains multitudes and isn’t one to rush through. In fact, it took me longer to journey through than books five times its size, but I’m glad I took my time to reread passages and ponder them.

If you’re a fan of bizarre yet beautiful literature and existential thought through stream-of-consciousness, this is the book for you!