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Available
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Publication
Berkley Books (1968), Mass Market Paperback, 144 pages
Description
Nobel Prize winner Yasunari Kawabata's Thousand Cranes is a luminous story of desire, regret, and the almost sensual nostalgia that binds the living to the dead. While attending a traditional tea ceremony in the aftermath of his parents' deaths, Kikuji encounters his father's former mistress, Mrs. Ota. At first Kikuji is appalled by her indelicate nature, but it is not long before he succumbs to passion--a passion with tragic and unforeseen consequences, not just for the two lovers, but also for Mrs. Ota's daughter, to whom Kikuji's attachments soon extend. Death, jealousy, and attraction convene around the delicate art of the tea ceremony, where every gesture is imbued with profound meaning.
User reviews
LibraryThing member MeditationesMartini
I didn't have this quote at first and then I stole it from the very next librarything review of this book, but what the hell, let it serve as epigraph: "In a gourd that had been handed down for three centuries, a flower that would fade in a morning."
It took me a bit to get into this one because I
It took me a bit to get into this one because I
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was expecting an origami story about a little girl with cancer (that's a different thousand cranes book), but I enjoyed it--a hard-edged little ditty that treats overwhelming emotions matter-of-factly, that contrasts the plain, unresponsive (yet so communicative) "eternal themselvesness" of the tea vessels (which also hold the spirit of Japan, of course) with the (I hate the term, I hate it, but here is the rare time that in its awfulness it is appropriate) 'hot mess" of being a living human. (Chikako, with her infinite self-control, her abiding cruelty, the wabi sabi mark on her breast, is clearly a tea vessel; conversely, Ms. Ota, who stains a vessel with her lips, and her daughter Fumiko, who destroys one, are akin to Diomedes defeating Ares at Troy--underdog emotion-bag humans so tempestuous they momentarily stun the gods. You can imagine it doesn't end well for them.) There is gender stuff going on that's very of its moment, the postwar loosening of Japanese patriarchy, but I don't think it's the core of the allegory here (Kawabata was a man's man and would not make gender the core of his allegory): we could easily have seen a similarly "modern" Kikuji at the dawn of the "modern" Meiji, the Edo, or back in the 12th century when all of a sudden the thing to do wasn't paint shodo anymore but hit the gym constantly and pose with your bushi sword and post it on Instagram. And eternal, too, is the fear as a parent that your child won't get a blank slate but will somehow pay for your selfishness. History as an eternal inner roiling, constrained to something resembling an aesthetically or narratively pleasing form by the perfection-for-all-time of the inhuman objects that anchor it. Japan in a chawan. Show Less
LibraryThing member jwhenderson
Yasunari Kawabata won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1968 in part for his novel Thousand Cranes. This novel is set in post World War II Japan where the protagonist, Kikuji, has been orphaned by the death of his mother and father. He becomes involved with one of the former mistresses of his
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father, Mrs. Ota, who commits suicide seemingly for the shame she associates with the affair. After Mrs. Ota's death, Kikuji then transfers much of his love and grief over Mrs. Ota's death to her daughter. What made this novel notable for me was the way that the author demonstrated the themes of grace and precision through his beautiful and disciplined prose style. This comes across even in translation and combined with the beauty of the 'tea ceremony' makes this a short elegant novel. The subtle psychology of the relationships of Kikuji add to the power and beauty of the book. His attempts to overcome his loneliness and deal with death are particularly moving. While the novel resonates with the feelings, images and icons of a very different foreign culture it can be appreciated for its spare but not uncomplicated telling of meaningful events in the life of very human individuals. This is a great short read that may expand your experience or at least give you a taste of a different world. Show Less
LibraryThing member PhoenixTerran
In 1968, Yasunari Kawabata became the first Japanese author to ever win the Nobel Prize for Literature. His novel Thousand Cranes was among the three works cited as part of the award, the other two being Snow Country and The Old Capital. Although until now I have never read anything by Kawabata, I
After both his parents die, Kikuji finds himself living alone with only the maid in his family's large household. Kurimoto, who once briefly had an affair with his father, takes it upon herself to set up nice marriage for Kikuji. In doing so, she invites him to attend a tea ceremony in order to introduce him to the Inamura's daughter Yukiko. Although he has his reservations, Kikuji agrees to go. While he is there, he not only meets Yukiko, who he is charmed by, but also the widowed Ota and her daughter. This was something that Kurimoto did not intend to happen. Ota was the long-time mistress of Kikuji's father, making her Kurimoto's rival. The unexpected meeting between Ota and Kikuji, and their subsequent liaisons, has unanticipated consequence for everyone that is involved.
On its surface, Thousand Cranes is a simple story. But despite how it may first appear, it is highly complicated by human emotions and desire. It may seem reserved, but by paying close attention, the reader will notice a subtle, underlying intensity to the tale. The characters are much the same way--their generally calm and deliberate outward demeanors obscure their turbulent internal passions. They all greatly affect each other by their actions and by their inaction. The presence of Kikuji's father, even after his death, is nearly overwhelming. This is especially true for Kikuji himself, but even the women he is involved with in one way or another find their lives and individual circumstances closely entangled. None of them can really completely escape the influence of Kikuji's father. Honestly, it would be hopeless for them to try not to be. It does give rise to some rather unfortunate situations.
Reading Thousand Cranes, Kawabata's skill as an author was readily apparent to me. It's not a very long novel, well under two hundred pages, and so every phrase and moment must count. But even though Kawabata is able to achieve this with seeming ease and even though Thousand Cranes is a beautifully rendered piece, the story still seems to end rather abruptly. Some passing familiarity with Japanese tea ceremony will be useful for someone who wants to read Thousand Cranes, but it is not absolutely necessary to enjoy the novel. The influence of the tea ceremony on Thousand Cranes is undeniable. The symbolism found in the tea ceremony is incorporated into Thousand Cranes and is then expanded on. While a reader with a basic understanding of Japanese tea ceremony will probably get more out of the novel, Kawabata brings out the elements particularly important to the story. If Thousand Craned is at all representative of Kawabata's novels, I suspect I will enjoy his other work.
Experiments in Manga
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was familiar with his name. Not just because he won a Nobel Prize, but because he was a close friend of Yukio Mishima, who was my introduction to Japanese literature. Like Mishima, Kawabata also took his own life in 1972, albeit in a much less dramatic and much less public fashion. Thousand Cranes was originally published in Japan in 1952. The novel was first translated into English in 1958 by Edward G. Seidensticker and includes chapter illustrations by Fumi Komatsu. Thousand Cranes was selected for the August 2011 Japanese Literature Book Group, making it the first work by Kawabata that I've read. After both his parents die, Kikuji finds himself living alone with only the maid in his family's large household. Kurimoto, who once briefly had an affair with his father, takes it upon herself to set up nice marriage for Kikuji. In doing so, she invites him to attend a tea ceremony in order to introduce him to the Inamura's daughter Yukiko. Although he has his reservations, Kikuji agrees to go. While he is there, he not only meets Yukiko, who he is charmed by, but also the widowed Ota and her daughter. This was something that Kurimoto did not intend to happen. Ota was the long-time mistress of Kikuji's father, making her Kurimoto's rival. The unexpected meeting between Ota and Kikuji, and their subsequent liaisons, has unanticipated consequence for everyone that is involved.
On its surface, Thousand Cranes is a simple story. But despite how it may first appear, it is highly complicated by human emotions and desire. It may seem reserved, but by paying close attention, the reader will notice a subtle, underlying intensity to the tale. The characters are much the same way--their generally calm and deliberate outward demeanors obscure their turbulent internal passions. They all greatly affect each other by their actions and by their inaction. The presence of Kikuji's father, even after his death, is nearly overwhelming. This is especially true for Kikuji himself, but even the women he is involved with in one way or another find their lives and individual circumstances closely entangled. None of them can really completely escape the influence of Kikuji's father. Honestly, it would be hopeless for them to try not to be. It does give rise to some rather unfortunate situations.
Reading Thousand Cranes, Kawabata's skill as an author was readily apparent to me. It's not a very long novel, well under two hundred pages, and so every phrase and moment must count. But even though Kawabata is able to achieve this with seeming ease and even though Thousand Cranes is a beautifully rendered piece, the story still seems to end rather abruptly. Some passing familiarity with Japanese tea ceremony will be useful for someone who wants to read Thousand Cranes, but it is not absolutely necessary to enjoy the novel. The influence of the tea ceremony on Thousand Cranes is undeniable. The symbolism found in the tea ceremony is incorporated into Thousand Cranes and is then expanded on. While a reader with a basic understanding of Japanese tea ceremony will probably get more out of the novel, Kawabata brings out the elements particularly important to the story. If Thousand Craned is at all representative of Kawabata's novels, I suspect I will enjoy his other work.
Experiments in Manga
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LibraryThing member daniel.links
As with all Kawabata books the slowness of events and the intensity with which they are told are what makes these books so compelling. I find it impossible not to sympathise with the main character, even though he is not someone I would expect to have much sympathy for, and this is generally true
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of all the Kawabata novels I have read. Again, a compelling novel from Kawabata. Show Less
LibraryThing member 1morechapter
Thousand Cranes by Yasunari Kawabata, was first translated into English in 1958. Kawabata won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1968, and he died in 1972.
I found Thousand Cranes interesting, but a little hard to follow. Two of Kikuji Mitani’s father’s mistresses insert themselves into
I also own Kawabata’s Snow Country, which I still plan on reading at some point, but unfortunately I didn’t find Thousand Cranes to be all that exciting.
1949-1952, 1958 for the English translation, 147 pp.
3.5/5
I found Thousand Cranes interesting, but a little hard to follow. Two of Kikuji Mitani’s father’s mistresses insert themselves into
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Kikuji’s life. He falls for one of them, and later her daughter. A tea ceremony is central to the story, but it’s meaning is a little lost on this Westerner. It’s a short novel, but one I’m afraid I just didn’t ‘get.’I also own Kawabata’s Snow Country, which I still plan on reading at some point, but unfortunately I didn’t find Thousand Cranes to be all that exciting.
1949-1952, 1958 for the English translation, 147 pp.
3.5/5
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LibraryThing member BelindaMayers
Kawabata is one of my favorite Japanese authors. I especially loved this book and Snow Country. It's such a subtle book. Very poetic. I tend to like fiction that is a little bit poetic and very well written,m and with characters I can connect with. For some reason this one is just very haunting.
LibraryThing member tronella
This one was a present from my brother. It was all very symbolic and minimalist, with everyone talking in euphemisms, which normally leads to the kind of atmosphere I like in Japanese fiction of this type. But it was mainly about people I didn't like having affairs and being horrible to each other
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for no reason, so I'm afraid it didn't really work for me in this case. Show Less
LibraryThing member stefano
how happy I am to live in an environment where I don't have to worry about elaborate formalities. note that nothing in the book explains *why* the tea ceremony is enjoyable but at every turn people use its intricacies to trip up one another, signal status, etc... I lost patience with such games in
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my early thirties and never regretted it. the Zen-inspired parts of the book are not bad. Show Less
LibraryThing member silentq
Set in around 1950's Tokyo, a young man interacts with two of his father's women, interwoven with a daughter and a potential wife, and tea ceremonies. Some neat foot notes on tea wares add to the significance of the actions taken. Partially dreamy, and partially sharp (when dealing with the jealous
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woman, she's vicious). An interesting read, esp. juxtaposed with recently seeing the movie "Always: Sunset on Third Street", set in the same time period and region. One of the final scenes, with the two young people taking tea from the bowls that belonged to their dead parents, is perfectly beautiful. Show Less
LibraryThing member noronhavaz
“Thousand Cranes” is a fine example of Kawabata’s capability of articulating multi-realities. From one side, the reader is tempted to throw himself willingly to a traditional Japan, where tea ceremony becomes the central piece of the narrative environment. On the other side, much more than
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this, emotions are spurred among the essence of different personalities. The book in itself may be very simple or quite complicated: All depends on how much one is willing to give to the subtleties of the chawana. Show Less
LibraryThing member zasmine
Yukiko, a young boy is years after his parents death still trying to deal with the loss of his father. His father's women surround him, one compels him to love her after she kills herself (Mrs. Ota), the other, who could not get his father to love her, tries hard to influence him (Chikako). There
The 'suicidial' theme of this book is well captured by Kawabata who is believed to have died by his own hand. Mono no aware is also prevalent in the characters outlook.
Kawabata's simple writing interwoven with rich cultural influence makes all his books compelling reads.
I read this book very slowly, I have now read most of his books and I often get saddened that not many of his books are now left for me to read...
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is an arranged match that compels Yukiko in a way Chikako doesnot know and yet Yukiko distances himself from it. Mrs. Ota's daughter Fumiko and Yukiko shared his father and also the grief of Mrs. Ota's death. The 'suicidial' theme of this book is well captured by Kawabata who is believed to have died by his own hand. Mono no aware is also prevalent in the characters outlook.
Kawabata's simple writing interwoven with rich cultural influence makes all his books compelling reads.
I read this book very slowly, I have now read most of his books and I often get saddened that not many of his books are now left for me to read...
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LibraryThing member dtn620
This was a sad book, a book where the main character was never able to escape his fathers shadow. I have read Palm of the Hand stories and much like those Thousand Cranes feels like a book that happens rather than one you read.
LibraryThing member RBeffa
This is a short novel set in post WWII Japan, but really almost timeless as it is built around the many centuries old tea ceremony. A young melancholy man, Kikuji, must deal with life surrounded by people and objects that have come to him following his father's death. It is a strange philosophical
Kawabata received the Nobel prize in literature in 1968. This story was first published in english translation in 1958 but was originally in Japanese from about 1949-1951.
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story but very interesting and left me sad. Poor Kikuji is the victim here, primarily due to the machinations of one of his father's mistresses as well as his own failures. Kawabata received the Nobel prize in literature in 1968. This story was first published in english translation in 1958 but was originally in Japanese from about 1949-1951.
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LibraryThing member nosajeel
This 1952 novel by Nobel-prize winning Yasunari Kawabata is dripping with traditional images Japan--tea ceremonies, mistresses, multiple generations, suicide, and much more besides. I didn't really love it, perhaps unfairly, because of its relatively subtlety and the fact that it felt more like a
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period piece cultural study than a fully absorbing novel. Show Less
LibraryThing member lucybrown
Yasunari Kawabata's quintessential Japanese masterpiece tells the love story of a young man, Mitani Kikuji who passively becomes involved in an affair with his now dead father's mistress, Mrs. Ota. After Mrs. Ota's death, he transfers his fasciantion to her daughter. In the mix is another of his
Thousand Cranes is marked by Kawabata' penchant for the subtle. Perhaps as a Westerner, there are some symbols that I missed, especially in the description of the tea ceremony and the tea utensils. That aside, despite its seeming blankness there is a powerful fullness and depth which remind me of the visual aesthetics set forth in In Praise of Shadows by Junichiro Tanazaki. It is tempting to compare the two writers as they were contemporaries, but as sublime as Tanazaki is, he is redolent in comparison to Kawabata.
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father's former mistresses, a meddling woman whose disfiguring black birthmark suggest the very toxins that jealousy has bred in her. Her goal is to interfere with any relationship that Kikuji might have with the Ota women and to arrange a marriage with another young lady. No matter how repelled he is by this woman, no matter how unnerved be is by her machinations, Kikuji remains impassive, unable to rid himself of her. Both Kikuji and Fumiko Ota are crippled by their parents' loves and guilt. In fact, the themes of love and guilt throb in every single word. Thousand Cranes is marked by Kawabata' penchant for the subtle. Perhaps as a Westerner, there are some symbols that I missed, especially in the description of the tea ceremony and the tea utensils. That aside, despite its seeming blankness there is a powerful fullness and depth which remind me of the visual aesthetics set forth in In Praise of Shadows by Junichiro Tanazaki. It is tempting to compare the two writers as they were contemporaries, but as sublime as Tanazaki is, he is redolent in comparison to Kawabata.
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LibraryThing member lucybrown
Yasunari Kawabata's quintessential Japanese masterpiece tells the love story of a young man, Mitani Kikuji who passively becomes involved in an affair with his now dead father's mistress, Mrs. Ota. After Mrs. Ota's death, he transfers his fasciantion to her daughter. In the mix is another of his
Thousand Cranes is marked by Kawabata' penchant for the subtle. Perhaps as a Westerner, there are some symbols that I missed, especially in the description of the tea ceremony and the tea utensils. That aside, despite its seeming blankness there is a powerful fullness and depth which remind me of the visual aesthetics set forth in In Praise of Shadows by Junichiro Tanazaki. It is tempting to compare the two writers as they were contemporaries, but as sublime as Tanazaki is, he is redolent in comparison to Kawabata.
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father's former mistresses, a meddling woman whose disfiguring black birthmark suggest the very toxins that jealousy has bred in her. Her goal is to interfere with any relationship that Kikuji might have with the Ota women and to arrange a marriage with another young lady. No matter how repelled he is by this woman, no matter how unnerved be is by her machinations, Kikuji remains impassive, unable to rid himself of her. Both Kikuji and Fumiko Ota are crippled by their parents' loves and guilt. In fact, the themes of love and guilt throb in every single word. Thousand Cranes is marked by Kawabata' penchant for the subtle. Perhaps as a Westerner, there are some symbols that I missed, especially in the description of the tea ceremony and the tea utensils. That aside, despite its seeming blankness there is a powerful fullness and depth which remind me of the visual aesthetics set forth in In Praise of Shadows by Junichiro Tanazaki. It is tempting to compare the two writers as they were contemporaries, but as sublime as Tanazaki is, he is redolent in comparison to Kawabata.
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LibraryThing member ExplodingSuns
While I loved the image that Kikuji Mitani presented--someone completely unable to escape from the shadow his father had cast over his life--I wanted that image to be ingrained a bit more deeply. I didn't feel it enough to be duly shocked when he slept with Mrs. Ota, and, with that, I felt much of
The writing was beautiful, though--Kawabata didn't win the Nobel Prize for nothing.
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the impact of the story was lost on me. Perhaps this is a book I'll need to pick up again, in many years, but it just rolled off of me.The writing was beautiful, though--Kawabata didn't win the Nobel Prize for nothing.
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LibraryThing member lucybrown
Yasunari Kawabata's quintessential Japanese masterpiece tells the love story of a young man, Mitani Kikuji who passively becomes involved in an affair with his now dead father's mistress, Mrs. Ota. After Mrs. Ota's death, he transfers his fasciantion to her daughter. In the mix is another of his
Thousand Cranes is marked by Kawabata' penchant for the subtle. Perhaps as a Westerner, there are some symbols that I missed, especially in the description of the tea ceremony and the tea utensils. That aside, despite its seeming blankness there is a powerful fullness and depth which remind me of the visual aesthetics set forth in In Praise of Shadows by Junichiro Tanazaki. It is tempting to compare the two writers as they were contemporaries, but as sublime as Tanazaki is, he is redolent in comparison to Kawabata.
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father's former mistresses, a meddling woman whose disfiguring black birthmark suggest the very toxins that jealousy has bred in her. Her goal is to interfere with any relationship that Kikuji might have with the Ota women and to arrange a marriage with another young lady. No matter how repelled he is by this woman, no matter how unnerved be is by her machinations, Kikuji remains impassive, unable to rid himself of her. Both Kikuji and Fumiko Ota are crippled by their parents' loves and guilt. In fact, the themes of love and guilt throb in every single word. Thousand Cranes is marked by Kawabata' penchant for the subtle. Perhaps as a Westerner, there are some symbols that I missed, especially in the description of the tea ceremony and the tea utensils. That aside, despite its seeming blankness there is a powerful fullness and depth which remind me of the visual aesthetics set forth in In Praise of Shadows by Junichiro Tanazaki. It is tempting to compare the two writers as they were contemporaries, but as sublime as Tanazaki is, he is redolent in comparison to Kawabata.
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LibraryThing member dbsovereign
A poet of the emotions, Kawabata makes us look at love and desire in a new way. Mere gestures can knock things into another world.
LibraryThing member macha
"In a gourd that had been handed down for three centuries, a flower that would fade in a morning." a timeless, exquisite book in language as spare and evocative as the fragile pieces surrounding the tea ceremony, describing a series of encounters and missed connections just out of sight and between
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the lines. about guilt and sorrow, what we inherit and what we contrive to lose. i read it again every year, and it's always new and surprising. Show Less
LibraryThing member thorold
Another lovely (but not exactly cheerful) Kawabata miniature, a book you can read in the time it takes to sip a couple of mugs of good strong Yorkshire tea, but will leave you sitting there a long time afterwards trying to work out what it was about...
After his parents' death, Mitani Kikuji is
After his parents' death, Mitani Kikuji is
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disconcerted to find his father's discarded ex-mistress Chikako trying to take their place and run his life for him. Especially when another, more recent ex-mistress turns up, the widow of old Mr Mitani's fellow tea-ceremony enthusiast, Mr Ota. The action of the story takes place over the course of a series of tea-drinkings, each a little less dignified and tranquil than the one before, and everything is played out in the symbolism of centuries-old drinking cups, water jugs, and other paraphernalia. The underlying theme again seems to be the alarming moral and cultural emptiness of a post-war world where it isn't possible to take refuge in the continuity of traditions any more. Show Less
LibraryThing member amsee
I’m not sure I understood half of what happened in this book; it was enjoyable, but left me feeling somewhat untethered myself at the end. If I had read it as a part of a class or had more of a background in Japanese culture, I could probably give a more glowing review with context about what I
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don’t understand. Show Less
LibraryThing member SqueakyChu
This is the story of Kikuji, a man whose father's scorned lover Chikako was cast aside for another woman. Although Kikuji's father is no longer alive, Chikako still works for the family and comes occasionally to care for the cottage in which are housed historic and prized bowls and vases used for
Like most contemporary Japanese fiction, the tempo of this story is graceful and slow. I love that! It almost reads like a poem because the novel is so short. It infuses beauty (that of fine china and flowers) within the main story line. It incorporates much Japanese culture into how the story unfolds. I would have liked this book a bit more, perhaps, had it not had one scene which made me cringe.
The ending was not what I expected, but then I probably should have made a better guess as to what would happen, taking Japanese culture into account. Take a chance on this short novel. I found it appealing.
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the tea ceremony. Chikako has designs on whom she'd like Kikuji to marry so she sets up a time and place for Kikuji to see the woman she has in mind. Enter Mrs. Ota, a woman with whom his father lived for many years, and all did not go as Chikako planned. Like most contemporary Japanese fiction, the tempo of this story is graceful and slow. I love that! It almost reads like a poem because the novel is so short. It infuses beauty (that of fine china and flowers) within the main story line. It incorporates much Japanese culture into how the story unfolds. I would have liked this book a bit more, perhaps, had it not had one scene which made me cringe.
The ending was not what I expected, but then I probably should have made a better guess as to what would happen, taking Japanese culture into account. Take a chance on this short novel. I found it appealing.
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LibraryThing member jonfaith
Yasunari Kawabata adheres to some stoic code. He employs the game of Go and tea ceremonies. These are tacit traditional affairs. They mask such terrible behavior. Thousand Cranes depicts self-possession under such threat. This is a novel where tradition attempts to check waves of resentment, and it
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does to varying results. The events begin in the wake of a man death. His son finds himself at a tea ceremony with his father's two mistresses. Thus begins a series of triangles and slights. Seldom is a voice raised in anger. most of the tension is sublimated into passion, while the deceit of one characters smolders on the outskirts of madness. There are a number of section breaks which push the narrative forward. The young man looks at a tea bowl and recognizes that in its 400 years of existence it has been owned by people with very strange professions. There is little revelation here, only a series of colors and sparse emotional palette well suited for such. Show Less
LibraryThing member lydia1879
Well, this feels like something of a classical masterpiece.
Thousand Cranes is almost the lovechild of Ernest Hemingway and post-war Japan. I feel like this book isn't for everyone -- it's a bit like green tea, some people find it too bitter, some people find it too strong.
But Kawabata is something
I really liked that he paired such delicate, fragile images with such intense and ugly human emotions. Sullenness and someone's delicate, thousand crane handkerchief, disappointment and dying fireflies, all those things add up to make a beautiful narrative.
The book itself is quite short, only 100 pages, and it does skip forward in each part and often only implies major events in the plot.
I was surprised by the subtlety in this book, despite how harsh it is, surprised at Kawabata's craft.
I thought I'd done away with more masculine novels, with a cast of totally unlikeable characters, but the author's delicacy has shown me otherwise.
I look forward to reading more of his works.
(cw: suicide and suicidal ideation)
Thousand Cranes is almost the lovechild of Ernest Hemingway and post-war Japan. I feel like this book isn't for everyone -- it's a bit like green tea, some people find it too bitter, some people find it too strong.
But Kawabata is something
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of a master, like I said. There is no word in this novel that is not intentional, and so I found myself rereading a lot of the same passages over and over, examining each word, each slice of dialogue. I really liked that he paired such delicate, fragile images with such intense and ugly human emotions. Sullenness and someone's delicate, thousand crane handkerchief, disappointment and dying fireflies, all those things add up to make a beautiful narrative.
The book itself is quite short, only 100 pages, and it does skip forward in each part and often only implies major events in the plot.
I was surprised by the subtlety in this book, despite how harsh it is, surprised at Kawabata's craft.
I thought I'd done away with more masculine novels, with a cast of totally unlikeable characters, but the author's delicacy has shown me otherwise.
I look forward to reading more of his works.
(cw: suicide and suicidal ideation)
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Language
Original language
Japanese
Original publication date
1952
1958 (English)
1960 (French)
Physical description
144 p.; 6.9 inches
ISBN
0425028690 / 9780425028698