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Beauty and Sadness (Penguin Modern Classics)
£8.60£9.50 (-9%)
The successful writer Oki has reached middle age and is filled with regrets. He returns to Kyoto to find Otoko, a young woman with whom he had a terrible affair many years before, and discovers that she is now a painter, living with a younger woman as her lover. Otoko has continued to love Oki and has never forgotten him, but his return unsettles not only her but also her young lover. This is a work of strange beauty, with a tender touch of nostalgia and a heartbreaking sensitivity to those things lost forever.
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Additional information
| Publisher | Penguin Classics (6 Jan. 2011) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Paperback | 144 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 0141192615 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0141192611 |
| Dimensions | 12.9 x 0.79 x 19.81 cm |
by Laura
Well written, rich, poetic use of language but a disturbing story of lust, love and revenge. I really wish that I hadn’t read this book. It has left me feeling quite sick.
by Amazon Customer
A very moving and strange short novel full of details about Japanese culture. There is a sense of inevitable tragedy as the plot develops but somehow the book isn’t depressing, perhaps because the writing is so beautiful and the characters are so well drawn. A
novel that stays with you.
by barbara wallis
This is a beautifully crafted novel which grabs your attention on the first page .Why does the married man suddenly want to spend New Year with an ex -mistress from way back ? What is their connection ?The mistress has a young female friend , who wants revenge on the man for past wrongs she perceives to have been inflicted on her friend .What is her motivation and does she achieve her aim ? This story gives an insight into Japanese culture which was very important at the time the book was written, 1961, and from recent meetings with Japanese friends, would seem to be equally important today .Intriguing and thought -provoking , this book is a must-read.
by Grace
I’m not impressed with this Penguin edition of this beautiful novel – it must be one of the cheapest quality prints out there. If you can source an older publisher then its worth your while – this edition arrived and looks like a pamphlet, it flimsy and very poor cover; easily damaged and pages are almost loose
by Stormcloud
Bought as a present for my sister who loved it.
by Martin Brent
A beautifully written tale, full of contrasts, sadness, manipulations and strange behaviour in the name of love/affection. To a European reader the characters emphasis behaviour which is on the one hand universal but always with a clear expression of a Japanese culture giving a feeling of alienation. A book once entered there is a necessity to discover its conclusion!
by H. Tee
So how does a mature married man reflect on his relationship with a 15 year old twenty-five years on? – then, in a novel he wrote about the affair and the wife he loves. How does the girl now a famous artist living with a lesbian partner, feel about the lost baby? Is there love?
What there is, is Sadness and Beauty
A lovely poignant, sombre and solemn portrait of Japanese culture and relationships.
by GilleFeadaig
This is a late work by one of Japan’s finest writers, and it has, even before its darker purpose is revealed, a sense of melancholy about it. Readers of Kawabata’s ‘Snow Country’ will recognise many of Kawabata’s motifs, but in my opinion, this book is even better. It is beautiful, subtle, intriguing and compelling. I was reminded of Thomas Mann’s ‘Death in Venice’, not so much by any similarity of theme or plot, as by the sense of mastery achieved.