A review by foggy_rosamund
Essays in Idleness and Hojoki by Chomei, Kenko

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.