Penguin Classics
2008 (1906)
152
Classics
Xmas Gift
Natsume Sōseki's Kusamakura follows its nameless young artist-narrator on a meandering walking tour of the mountains. At the inn at a hot spring resort, he has a series of mysterious encounters with Nami, the lovely young daughter of the establishment. Nami, or "beauty," is the center of this elegant novel, the still point around which the artist moves and the enigmatic subject of Sōseki's word painting. In the author's words, Kusamakura is "a haiku-style novel, that lives through beauty." Written at a time when Japan was opening its doors to the rest of the world, Kusamakura turns inward, to the pristine mountain idyll and the taciturn lyricism of its courtship scenes, enshrining the essence of old Japan in a work of enchanting literary nostalgia.
While perhaps not my favourite of Natsume Soseki's works, Kusamakura was still a very enjoyable read. I loved the lyricism of the prose and the wonderful evocation of place. Following the artists journey as he meanders around the area and meets an eclectic group of local residents was fun, and the book created a sense of nostalgia for a fading past. I am giving it 4.5 stars.
No comments:
Post a Comment