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Stephen P(who no longer can participate due to illness)'s Reviews > Kusamakura
Kusamakura (Penguin Classics)
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Stephen P(who no longer can participate due to illness)'s review
bookshelves: favorites
Dec 18, 2014
bookshelves: favorites
A thirst for the purity of an openness that eschews all restrictions of internal will or external codes. The rare locale of an artist. A place of imagination and dreaming existing apart from the vulgarity of movement-the world. Seeking it removes any chance of finding it. The locale is something which arrives. A splendor of reverie for those patient enough to wait. A book that replenishes the inspiration of awaiting.
We travel with the narrator, a 30 year old Japanese artist. His steps takes him into a valley, an Inn where he is the only visitor. What is to be sought in this quiet splendor is, what is an artist? How is this manifested within a person, how is this manifested within a person's response to the world.
Residing within his mind , his thoughts which exist between the breaths of prose, verse carrying pearls of metaphor, we live through his travails, temptations, experiences, and experiences of experience. A dedicated pilgrim of the mind he has that unique gift to express the ephemeral in, beautific language while carrying out a plot not inserted but grown from seed and carefully tended.
My only complaint, a small one, there was a couple of time the descriptive language slid over the borderline into overuse and slowed the narrative. A loss of a 0/5 stars.
However, due to the reading of this slender novel-memoir-autobiographical interlude-travelogue, I understand rather than know, one may be an accomplished artist without painting, composing, writing, playing a musical instrument. Living within each moment invites us to live within the world of art as opposed to the contrast of living within the taint of the disquieted world.
Please do not take my review as alluding to that this quiet writing is instructive. The author is filled with grace and gracefulness in the practice of his craft. The book was difficult to put down. During the day it proved a burdensome task to close its covers within my mind. It is difficult now to be in ANY situation as I had been before. Anything new is uncomfortable for me at first. There are riches here though. Many more than meets the eye.
4.5/5
We travel with the narrator, a 30 year old Japanese artist. His steps takes him into a valley, an Inn where he is the only visitor. What is to be sought in this quiet splendor is, what is an artist? How is this manifested within a person, how is this manifested within a person's response to the world.
Residing within his mind , his thoughts which exist between the breaths of prose, verse carrying pearls of metaphor, we live through his travails, temptations, experiences, and experiences of experience. A dedicated pilgrim of the mind he has that unique gift to express the ephemeral in, beautific language while carrying out a plot not inserted but grown from seed and carefully tended.
My only complaint, a small one, there was a couple of time the descriptive language slid over the borderline into overuse and slowed the narrative. A loss of a 0/5 stars.
However, due to the reading of this slender novel-memoir-autobiographical interlude-travelogue, I understand rather than know, one may be an accomplished artist without painting, composing, writing, playing a musical instrument. Living within each moment invites us to live within the world of art as opposed to the contrast of living within the taint of the disquieted world.
Please do not take my review as alluding to that this quiet writing is instructive. The author is filled with grace and gracefulness in the practice of his craft. The book was difficult to put down. During the day it proved a burdensome task to close its covers within my mind. It is difficult now to be in ANY situation as I had been before. Anything new is uncomfortable for me at first. There are riches here though. Many more than meets the eye.
4.5/5
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Reading Progress
December 18, 2014
– Shelved
December 18, 2014
– Shelved as:
to-read
January 30, 2015
–
Started Reading
February 6, 2015
–
52.63%
"The world or transcendence? A search for the meaning of art. All through the serenity of poetic line after line. So far stunningly unique."
page
80
February 10, 2015
–
Finished Reading
February 13, 2015
– Shelved as:
favorites
Comments Showing 1-19 of 19 (19 new)
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Dolors wrote: "What an understated, fine review Stephen. I guess it mimics the delicacy of this Japanese artist who made of life a from of expression. Also, I loved this thought:"During the day it proved a burd..."
Thanks Dolors for your always encouraging comments. Other than Murakami this was my first venture into Japanese literature. If this is typical of the style there will be many more. I hope you join me on some.
You arrange your words so delicately until they resemble some fragile artwork that needs to be admired from a distance at a gallery. Beautifully written as ever, Stephen. I must read more Soseki since he seems to be one of those few Japanese authors whose writing gets the better of the language barrier and reads elegant even in translation.
Hi Stephen. One of my favourite Japanese books is a collection of short stories: Masuji Ibuse's Salamander & Other Stories (AKA Lieutenant Lookeast & Other Stories). They're subtle, quiet pieces, very finely wrought, quite funny in parts, with an off-kilter atmosphere that never quite tips over into the magical.
Beautiful review. It's one of my favorites.
Samadrita wrote: "You arrange your words so delicately until they resemble some fragile artwork that needs to be admired from a distance at a gallery. Beautifully written as ever, Stephen. I must read more Soseki si..."Yes Sam, please do read him and I will do more of the same.
Since I have no scruples when it comes to feeding my ego I am going to carry with me that beautiful compliment and image. Thanks so very much Sam.
Ben wrote: "Hi Stephen. One of my favourite Japanese books is a collection of short stories: Masuji Ibuse's Salamander & Other Stories (AKA Lieutenant Lookeast & Other Stories). They're subtle, quiet pieces, v..."Thanks Ben. I knew I could count on you. :) Will order next week.
I want to thank you again and again for recommending Kusamakura. What a unique and rare reading experience.
Mariel wrote: "Beautiful review. It's one of my favorites."Thanks Mariel. This reminds me to go to my home page and list this book and author as one of my favorites. What a rare reading experience.
Ah Stephen, I'm so happy when you like something I've suggested. Each time you act enthused I wonder "Will this be right for him?" With Kusumakura I really wasn't sure. But in some way your instinctive/emotional response reassures me that my instincts are working, that I'm not just intellectualising my reasons for liking these things. Juan Rulfo was the turning point, I think, especially The Burning Plain; when you liked that so much I thought, wow, Rulfo really is powerful. It sounds slightly ridiculous saying it, given that (so I hear) he's virtually deified in Mexico. But to hear it from a real person in real-time without an axe to grind is something else. It's like when my wife loves something I love: we are such different people that I figure if a book can bridge the gap between us then it's really something.One of these days I must read Lispector's Breath of Life. I got diverted by The Passion According to G.H., which I kept hearing about, and my budget isn't lavish. But I will get to it.
Ben wrote: "Ah Stephen, I'm so happy when you like something I've suggested. Each time you act enthused I wonder "Will this be right for him?" With Kusumakura I really wasn't sure. But in some way your instinc..."You sure seem to know Ben my literary taste and needs. Maybe better than I do. These books, as with this one, you have sent my way have not only provided reading pleasure but have broadened my literary horizons and reading life. I would never have known of these books and authors who have brought a greater understanding of what can be accomplished within a book. And yes, you have broken down my barriers against the short story. I am a convert.
Just got Passion of GH and will probably read within the next month.
Long live the short story!And I'm sure you will love The Passion. I just ordered Breath of Life too.
(One of these days I know I'm gonna suggest something that doesn't please you, though. They can't all be Sosekis and Rulfos, after all.)
One last thing before I go to bed: Samadrita's right, there's some beautiful stuff in this review. You make me see the book again from another direction, and that first line's a killer! I think I disagree about the descriptive language, though; I must be a sucker for that sort of thing, especially as Soseki does it.
Excellent and so beautifully put.
Praj wrote: "Excellent and so beautifully put."Thank you Praj! Your kind comment brought me back to Sōseki's sensitive and penetrating writing. You've made my day. :)
'Living within each moment invites us to live within the world of art as opposed to the contrast of living within the taint of the disquieted world.'Every time I read a review of yours, Stephen, you leave me with a thought that I ponder over for hours together then. This review, is a vibrant splash of artistic rainbow, that holds in its bosom many meanings. I loved how you guide us a little and leave at a suitable point, to explore on your own. Marvellous!
Seemita wrote: "'Living within each moment invites us to live within the world of art as opposed to the contrast of living within the taint of the disquieted world.'Every time I read a review of yours, Stephen, ..."
Thanks Seemita! I would never have had the opportunity to know of the books I have been introduced to or the skills to appreciate them if not for the fine people such as yourself on this site. This book, recommended by GR Friend Ben Winch, fits the bill. It led me to pondering while reading and even more so while writing about it. So in essence you got to see through my review my process in action, and the true magic of this book. Enjoy!
Ben wrote: "One last thing before I go to bed: Samadrita's right, there's some beautiful stuff in this review. You make me see the book again from another direction, and that first line's a killer! I think I d..."These recent comments have brought me back to this review. Thinking about it I want to run something by you and see what you think. It strikes me that this story and, The Passion According to G.H., have something integral at stake. Both seem to be holding forth that to reach the state of becoming, of being internally an artist, means not striving for it. The lesson or paradox is that striving, aiming for, prevents that which one may want. Although in very different styles the message seems to be -to strive for not striving? No, that ain't it. But to be inside the moment. Constantly present in the present. So, exquisitely put in, Kusamakura, and with the immediacy of sweat and blood of one woman in, The Passion According to G.H.
Am I over reaching and seeing what I want to see or am I possibly under reaching and this is something obvious to you which is why you encouraged me to read, Passion? Both in their particular way great books. The type of struggle I thrive on in well written literature as you well know being the messenger over time leaving this potent missives at my doorstep.
Stephen,Hmm, the short answer is I don't quite know, and no this similarity which you've found between these two disparate books wasn't the reason I recommended G.H. to you, though I see it now you've pointed it out.
But actually I wonder whether both these books go further than that: beyond "not striving" to reach the state of "being internally an artist" to something almost Beckettian - the state of having renounced artistry. Because really, what is an artist who doesn't create? In fact I see in Soseki's (or Soseki's character's) views a kind of doublethink - a trick on the mind to make it accept fallow periods, so as to be ready for inspiration when it strikes. As to Lispector, I see the philosophy you describe threaded through all her books (or all those I've read), but I wouldn't say it's more in evidence in GH, only that it - or the dilemma giving rise to it - is made more concrete in that novel than in the others.
I wonder if that (the above) makes any sense at all? For all the thoughts and criticisms which my reading gives rise to, I'll admit I rarely dwell on what the "message" might be in what I read. That said, in essence I do believe in the philosophy you're espousing (at least as regards writing), though it's certainly not something that comes easy to me.
Maybe it's worth keeping in mind what Isak Dinesen had to say: that she wrote "a little every day, without hope and without despair". (Quote comes to me via Raymond Carver.)
"During the day it proved a burdensome task to close its covers within my mind."
Oh, when a book grips our guts and hearts and minds like that. Beautiful. Adding this one to my TBR pile.