Review: The Lake

The Lake by Yasunari Kawabata
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wow. Is it just my impression or is this very different from every other Kawabata book?

The story is about a stalker, who can't help himself in stalking. His life is pretty much ruined, but it doesn't seem to bother him, seeing as how he is obsessed finding a woman and following her, waiting in ditches and wasting all this time and spending money in order to do so.

I can't tell if the stalking stemmed from an event (no spoilers!) having to do with a prostitute, but regardless, this was different from what I expected.

By all means read this, just know that it is not your typical Yasunari Kawabata novel.




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Review: Rashōmon and Seventeen Other Stories

Rashōmon and Seventeen Other Stories by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An excellent collection of interesting stories, almost all of them with a unique and/or whimsical twist or angle.

My favorites were "Rashomon", "The Story of a Head that Fell off" and "Green Onions". But this was purely personal taste.

The last one was haunting, although I'm not sure I understood it entirely.

He is now one of my favorite authors.

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Review: In Praise of Shadows

In Praise of Shadows by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

More of an essay than anything. An interesting read into the aesthetics and tradition of Japan vs. modernity and Western encroachment.


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Review: Mon

Mon by Natsume Sōseki
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I know in a way it is comparing apples to oranges, but I prefer Kawabata to Soseki. I mean, every time I read Soseki, it makes me want to read Kawabata.

Having said that, I actually really enjoyed the premise. The introduction started off basically giving a warning that Soseki is known for not having much occur in his novels, but I think that's precisely what I liked about this. It felt like I was viewing peoples' real lives.


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Review: The Heike Story: A Modern Translation of the Classic Tale of Love and War

The Heike Story: A Modern Translation of the Classic Tale of Love and War by Eiji Yoshikawa
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is reminiscent of Romance of the Three Kingdoms in that it is an epic about war and clans throughout the ages. In fact, it also reminded me of Samuel Hawley's book about the Imjin War because of the colorful characters and relations intertwining.

However, having said that I have to lower the rating because there is no mention of who the translator is. The name of Fuki Wooyenaka Uramatsu (thankfully mentioned here on Goodreads) is mentioned in the book, although her role isn't specified, even though the illustrator and writer of the introduction are.

It also cuts off rather abruptly at the end, and it seems like they decided to shorten the book overall, which is a shame.



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Review: The Confessions of Lady Nijō

The Confessions of Lady Nijō by Lady Nijō
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is probably better quality than most other diaries or memoirs of Heian Japan, although it does read more like a novel written in later years made to sound like a diary (which it apparently is). 

I must confess, while at the outset I felt bad for the lack of control she had over her life, and gave allowances due to her age, I couldn't really sympathize with her. She doesn't seem to care for her kids, whom she has to give away and doesn't seem to give much thought to (even stating so herself at one point). In fact, after she is kicked out of the emperor's entourage, she doesn't seem to want to reconnect with any of her children. I may be missing some of the restrictions/customs of the time, but it still seems a tad harsh not even to mention your own kids after a while. 

After the 9-year-jump she seems to be more grounded, although still very materialistic (especially for a nun). 

Still, some very interesting information, and I really did find it interesting following her travels in her later years. 

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Review: Spring Snow

Spring Snow by Yukio Mishima
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

A tragic love story, but also a book that spends a lot of time discussing royalty spending a lot of time engaging in activities and conversations we'd consider quite frivolous these days. To me it seemed a blend of the Tale of Genji and Downton Abbey, although I may just be showing my ignorance.

Still, I don't think I will be reading the rest of the tetralogy anytime soon.



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Review: Narrow Road to the Interior: And Other Writings

Narrow Road to the Interior: And Other Writings by Matsuo Bashō
My rating: 0 of 5 stars

I'm not sure how to rate this. In fact, I'm not sure it can be rated. Part poetry, part travelogue, it should probably either be read alongside a map and commentary on the various places, or just consulted from time to time as a nice break from life. Regardless, I enjoyed it.

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Review: Ten Nights Dreaming and The Cat's Grave

Ten Nights Dreaming and The Cat's Grave by Natsume Sōseki
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A very quick and interesting set of short stories. The third one was probably my favorite. I also really liked "The Cat's Grave".

One minor issue: while I appreciated the short notes before each chapter, I wish they had been inserted after the chapter, since some of them (sort of) contain spoilers.



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Review: The Rainbow

The Rainbow by Yasunari Kawabata
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As always, Kawabata takes me to a time and place I never knew, but I seem to feel nostalgic for nevertheless. The change going on in society in palpable. Although, with this book it seemed like he was trying to do much more. The complicated relationship between 3 sisters with three different mothers, in addition to how they feel about themselves, death of a family member in war, death by suicide, miscarriage, etc.

This makes me wonder if there was more going on in his other books that I just didn't pick up on.


Regardless, a great read.



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Review: Patriotism

Patriotism by Yukio Mishima
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a somewhat disturbing account of a seppuku rite by a husband and wife. Not only does it go into extreme detail, but it eroticizes the entire process. My impression was that he was trying to show how brainwashed and over the top people could be with regards to honor and sacrifice for their country. However, knowing the author committed seppuku himself, he was probably just fetishizing the entire ordeal. In fact, I wonder if his entire coup was an "excuse" to eventually commit suppuku. Regardless, this was disturbing and very intense. 

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Review: Okitsu Yagoemon no isho

Okitsu Yagoemon no isho by Ōgai Mori
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

An interesting short story giving a glimpse into the mentality of a warrior in 17th century Japan. 

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Review: Sanshirō

Sanshirō by Natsume Sōseki
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"Tokyo is bigger than Kumamoto. And Japan is bigger than Tokyo. And even bigger than Japan... Even bigger than Japan is the inside of your head. Don't ever surrender yourself - not to Japan, not to anything. You may think that what you're doing is for the sake of the nation, but let something take possession of you like that, and all you do is bring it down."

An excellent story. I like Soseki more and more. 

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Review: The Journal of Socho

The Journal of Socho by H. Mack Horton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a pleasure to sit back and read Socho's musings and poems as a way to unwind. I do wish he had included more detail about his travel rather than travails, but I enjoyed the overall feel of the book.

Interestingly, I had bookmarked several of his poems and hokkus, but upon re-reading them I can't say they did much for me, until I re-read the circumstances under which they were written. They really reflect what he had been going through, and his feelings at the time.

I also found myself reading more of the notes, which comprise about 50% of the book, than I usually do.

If you don't expect too much from this book other than a pleasurable read from one of history's greatest linked-verse poets, then it won't disappoint.

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Review: Botchan

Botchan by Natsume Sōseki
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This may have been my favorite Soseki book so far. Botchan, over time, becomes semi-relatable and likeable. Overall an enteraining series of occurrences as Botchan goes to a small town to become a teacher, and becomes involved in the goings on about town. 

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Review: Essays in Idleness: The Tsurezuregusa of Kenkō

Essays in Idleness: The Tsurezuregusa of Kenkō by Yoshida Kenkō
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Perfect for night-time reading. Relaxing, enlightening and interesting thoughts by a 14th century Japanese monk. 

Some of my notes:

"They call liquor the chief of all medicines, but it is, in fact, the origin of all sicknesses. [...] As for the future life, liquor deprives a man of his wisdom and consumes his good actions like fire; he therefore increases the burden of sin, violates many commandments and, in the end, drops into hell. [...]. Though Liquor is as loathsome as I have described it, there naturally are some occasions when it is hard to dispense with. On a moonlit night, a morning after snowfall, or under the cherry blossoms, it adds to our pleasure if, while chatting at our ease, we bring forth the wine cups. Liquor is cheering on days when we are bored, or when a friend pays an unexpected visit"

(No. 175)

"Oshiki corresponds to the tonic note A. Interesting that this tone was used in both East and West for tuning" 

(Note on No. 220)

No. 79. 

The story about the monk getting his head trapped in a pot (No. 53) was pretty wild. 

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Review: Palm-of-the-Hand Stories

Palm-of-the-Hand Stories by Yasunari Kawabata
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm a big fan of Yasunari Kawabata novels, and I confess I was a bit skeptical about these short stories. I really like the atmosphere in his novels (I saw another reviewer say his books “all share an eerily moving quality that lingers long in the mind". I agree with this 100%), and I wasn't sure they could be recreated in 2-3 pages. But these stories, by and large,  did not disappoint. 

It is interesting that they are in chronological order. I was marking my favorite stories, and noticed they were grouped toward the beginning and end, with a large gap in the middle (minus a few in 1949-1950). His style during these years is quite different (it continues to change over time), and I confess that the stories from these intermediary years interested me less. 

These were my favorite:

A Sunny Place (1923)

The grasshopper and the Bell cricket (1924)

Glass (1925)

A child's viewpoint (1926)

Umbrella (1932)

The Jay (1949)

Bamboo-leaf boats (1950)

Eggs (1950)

Up in the tree (1962)

Immortality (1963)

Snow (1964)

Gleanings from Snow Country (1972)

The last story really made me want to re-read Snow Country. Maybe I will. 

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Review: The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea

The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea by Yukio Mishima
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Disturbing, perceptive, symbolic. Those are the main adjectives that come to mind to describe this book. I confess that what I knew about the author stopped me from reading this (and some of his other books) for a while, because I expected a troubled/disturbed mind. And that is pretty much what I got.  

This was, by all means, an excellent book, and one can understand the symbolism. Fusako represents the West (which Mishima hated), while Noboru, the 13 year-old, represents old fashioned honor (although, quite distorted and brainwashed, so I'm not sure what that was about). Ryuji was cast at sea, and gradually came to one side over the other. 

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Review: Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan

Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan by Murasaki Shikibu
My rating:

An interesting collection. I can't really give it a rating. My favorite (and the one most resembling a diary, albeit a disjointed one) was Lady Sarashina's. But they were each different and singular. I don't know why the collection wouldn't include The Gossamer years, but there you go. 

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Review: The Izumi Shikibu Diary: A Romance of the Heian Court

The Izumi Shikibu Diary: A Romance of the Heian Court by Izumi Shikibu
My rating:

I confess this wasn't what I was looking for. After having read the journals of Lady Sarashina, Lady Murasaki, the Tosa Diary, etc., I thought this would be similar, but it rather just narrates a specific love story, more as a story than a journal. It is told in the third person and begins and (sort of) ends with just this story. It is an interesting one, considering it really happened, and it is also a sad one, considering how it ended (although the ending isn't really mentioned in the journal). 

Regardless, I'm glad I read it. 

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