tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3010961994232034551.post3685866050523504245..comments2023-11-05T06:08:18.056-06:00Comments on Japanese Literature Challenge 2: Snow Country by Yasunari KawabataBellezza http://www.blogger.com/profile/18073864187188953633noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3010961994232034551.post-52355344976416665352008-08-23T02:04:00.000-05:002008-08-23T02:04:00.000-05:00A lot of Kawabata's history comes up in the storie...A lot of Kawabata's history comes up in the stories that make up 'The Dancing Girl of Izu and Other Stories', which is why I wish I'd read it first and then 'Snow Country' not the other way around. I really want to read 'Snow Country' again at some point as I'm sure I'll get more out of it with a second reading. <BR/>I read both of these for last year's JLit challenge. Here are the links to my reviews:<BR/><A HREF="http://tanabata.blogspot.com/2007/12/snow-country.html" REL="nofollow">Snow Country</A><BR/><A HREF="http://tanabata.blogspot.com/2007/12/dancing-girl-of-izu-and-other-stories.html" REL="nofollow">The Dancing Girl of Izu and Other Stories</A>tanabatahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04592550784537825632noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3010961994232034551.post-45301750272726066632008-08-19T21:52:00.000-05:002008-08-19T21:52:00.000-05:00Lynda -I read this one for the first challenge and...Lynda -<BR/><BR/>I read this one for the first challenge and I agree completely with you. It's very sad.<BR/><BR/>My review is here:<BR/><BR/>http://cjreading.blogspot.com/2007/12/book-review-snow-country-by-yasunari.html<BR/><BR/>cjhCJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07798965643027904154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3010961994232034551.post-24016316766889788462008-08-16T19:50:00.000-05:002008-08-16T19:50:00.000-05:00Robin, thanks for responding to my question. I thi...Robin, thanks for responding to my question. I think it's a valuable thing to know more about the author of a work, and yet I rarely find out any biographical information. Your answer would certainly explain a lot of grief coming through his books. I wonder of Banana Y. had similar pain in her life, as "Kitchen" was so sad.Bellezza https://www.blogger.com/profile/18073864187188953633noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3010961994232034551.post-7289669493305184462008-08-16T17:58:00.000-05:002008-08-16T17:58:00.000-05:00Bellezza, I read somewhere that his childhood was ...Bellezza, I read somewhere that his childhood was very sad -- he lost both his parents when he was very young, was taken in by his grandparents, and then his grandmother died when he was 7 and his grandfather died when he was 15 years old. He committed suicide in 1972 (although his wife said it was accidental) after struggling with both Parkinson's Disease and depression, and after the death by suicide of his friend, Yukio Mishima. And, of course, there was the war in there, too! He didn't leave a suicide note, so no one really knows...Robinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01857602206725562335noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3010961994232034551.post-13643935186242124762008-08-15T23:12:00.000-05:002008-08-15T23:12:00.000-05:00Robin, what was going on in his life?Robin, what was going on in his life?Bellezza https://www.blogger.com/profile/18073864187188953633noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3010961994232034551.post-51437189465390095062008-08-15T12:53:00.000-05:002008-08-15T12:53:00.000-05:00Your thoughts on this book are very interesting. ...Your thoughts on this book are very interesting. I haven't read this one, but read his <I>Thousand Cranes</I> for last year's JLC, and felt the same way. The writing was beautiful, but the story left me as you have described so well. When you read about his life, though, you start to understand why he wrote these stories. Nice review.Robinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01857602206725562335noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3010961994232034551.post-8305519193471796852008-08-15T11:01:00.000-05:002008-08-15T11:01:00.000-05:00I have this one on my list as well and am really l...I have this one on my list as well and am really looking forward to reading it--especially after your thoughts (even if it did leave you feeling a little lonely).Trish @ Love, Laughter, Insanityhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17225576485797030511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3010961994232034551.post-73262653989162660802008-08-15T08:38:00.000-05:002008-08-15T08:38:00.000-05:00I'm always so intrigued by love stories which are ...I'm always so intrigued by love stories which are tragic: Madame Bovary, Anna Karenina, The Awakening. I read Ha Jin's Waiting, although I believe it was Chinese, about a married man, and the woman who waits for him, also with devastating results. I'm looking forward to this one, Caitlin.<BR/><BR/>p.s. I do recognize the sad quality you speak of in many Japanese books. As I/we read more of them, let's come back to that topic for discussion.Bellezza https://www.blogger.com/profile/18073864187188953633noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3010961994232034551.post-12574222602096913552008-08-15T08:17:00.000-05:002008-08-15T08:17:00.000-05:00I originally had this on my TBR list for the chall...I originally had this on my TBR list for the challenge, but there are others that have caught my eye instead. A great deal of Japanese Literature (& film) seems very depressing, doesn't it? Beautiful writing certainly, but sad, lonely, depressed? oh, man.<BR/><BR/> I suspect the remaining books I choose will also have that plaintive quality too. It seems to be the nature of the beast!Caitlinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05164500377578376016noreply@blogger.com