Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Publication
Amsterdam Meulenhoff 2022
User reviews
LibraryThing member roulette.russe
(MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS)
I really liked Kawabata's 'Snow Country' and so I was really excited about reading this novella. But wow, was I disappointed!
I really have no problem with 'morality' issues (or lack of) in arts, as long as the artwork is interesting, thought-provoking. But this book was simply
I take no pleasure in reading about an ageing man that fears he will soon be unable to have erections, and even less reading about one who thinks of himself as 'superior' because he is 'actually' still able to have one by sleeping next to a naked young girl.
And the part where he described the 14 year old prostitute (this one not asleep) he once paid for just made me mad.
'Shocking or not' question aside, this book simply fails to explore it's themes in interesting ways. As hard as I tried to understand even a tad bit the hero, this book ended up just making me read faster to get over with it as soon as possible.
If you really want to understand Kawabata's genius, I recommend 'Snow Country', and I recommend you ignore 'House of the Sleeping Beauties'.
Hey, 125 pages *is* short, but how many awesome Yukio Mishima short stories can you fit in that many pages?
I really liked Kawabata's 'Snow Country' and so I was really excited about reading this novella. But wow, was I disappointed!
I really have no problem with 'morality' issues (or lack of) in arts, as long as the artwork is interesting, thought-provoking. But this book was simply
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disgusting. Not disturbing, simply disgusting.I take no pleasure in reading about an ageing man that fears he will soon be unable to have erections, and even less reading about one who thinks of himself as 'superior' because he is 'actually' still able to have one by sleeping next to a naked young girl.
And the part where he described the 14 year old prostitute (this one not asleep) he once paid for just made me mad.
'Shocking or not' question aside, this book simply fails to explore it's themes in interesting ways. As hard as I tried to understand even a tad bit the hero, this book ended up just making me read faster to get over with it as soon as possible.
If you really want to understand Kawabata's genius, I recommend 'Snow Country', and I recommend you ignore 'House of the Sleeping Beauties'.
Hey, 125 pages *is* short, but how many awesome Yukio Mishima short stories can you fit in that many pages?
Show Less
Subjects
Language
Original language
Japanese
Original publication date
1961
ISBN
9789029096089