Four Huts: Asian Writings on the Simple Life Paperback – July 16, 2002

The title of this entrancing little book is somewhat misleading. A collection of prose pieces by four famous poets, it certainly focuses on the subject of dwellings. But one poet occupies a large property with separate buildings for his family, books, and devotions. The other poets live simply, but their thoughts and impressions are not always simple. There are hidden depths here to intrigue the philosophical reader.The four writers are:* Po Chü-i, Chinese poet official in the Tang Dynasty. In 817 he writes of a remote two-room dwelling with a lotus pond where he achieves a state of utter calm.* Yoshishige no Yasutane, Japanese government official and poet in the Heian period. In 982 he describes his secluded mansion in the capital, comparing himself to a snail at peace in his shell.* Kamo no Chomei, Kamakura poet and musician. In 1212, afflicted with gloomy thoughts about impermanence, he writes poignantly of his ten-foot-square mountain hut.* Matsui Basho, wandering Edo poet. In 1690 he writes joyously of living in an abandoned hut by a neglected shrine, with only his shadow for company.These poets admired the spiritual ideal of detachment from the world, but they were frankly and charmingly attached to their dwellings, whether grand or minimal, and touchingly affected by the sights and sounds of nature. Po Chü-i putters happily around his hut indulging his weakness for landscape gardening. Camo no Chomei listens to the plaintive wail of wild monkeys while moon gazing. It's all so evocative, we're right there with them.Four Huts is a subtle exploration of Asian thinking on spiritual matters and earthly marvels from four very personal viewpoints. It's not what I expected. It's much more.

The preface helps in the enjoyment of the reading

This is a sweet book of four essays all within a particular genre of Chinese and Japanese writing; the simple life on the edge of wilderness. The 'hut' in each of the essays is described in detail and serves as a metaphor for retreating from civilization to a place of quiet and simplicity. The Watson translation is fluid, direct and not ornamented. The book is small and the first and last essays are by far the most moving. The Matsui Basho piece reads like a classic and is the one essay to return to again.

This was the perfect gift for a friend. The book was in better condition than I expected.

given as a gift

This class was terrible so my review is going to be a bit biased. I did not enjoy the book or the class. I thought the book a bit confusing, just like the class is.

FOUR HUTS: Asian Writings on the Simple Life, translated by Burton Watson (1994). Don't let that last phrase fool you. There's nothing of Marie Antoinette dressing-peasant here. These are short records--essences caught--of lives of real retirement from the world and often of a poverty we would call stark rather than simple. There are pieces by Po Chu-I, Yoshishige no Yasutane, Kamo no Chomei and Matsuo Basho, ranging from the ninth to the seventeenth century. The title of the last piece, "Record of the Hut of the Phantom Dwelling"--"And yet we all in the end live, do we not, in a phantom dwelling?"--captures the insistent Buddhist theme of impermanence. Kamo no Chomei's Hojoki, "Record of the Ten-Foot-Square Hut" is one of the touchstone pieces of Japanese literature, a survivor's record of the fires and famines that attacked Kyoto in the twelfth century, and his reclusion to a mountain hermitage. It's also one of those indelible, unforgettable pieces that marks anyone who reads it attentively. Watson captures the range of mood and styles--read them over a couple of quiet evenings and see if you ever forget them. One of the best essays in Sam Hamill's collection of essays mentioned above is the beautiful "Basho's Ghost," a short record of a long life dedicated to the perfecting of a poetic gift.Glenn Shea, from Glenn's Book Notes at www.bookbarnniantic.com

The four huts are four short essays about retreat from the world, specifically retreat to small and private home. I'm not a very romantic person, but I started to feel that longing for a thoughtful, simple life as I read these essays.The four cover an 800-year period, starting in China then moving to Japan. The earliest writing, by Po Chu-I, may be my favorite. The first part is brief and business-like, a description of the hut, its environs, and the views from it. Although the writing is plain, I can't help imagine the drifting Chinese landscape paintings I've seen, with mists and peaks off to the edge of vision. This piece ends with two brief poems that express some of the writer's quiet passion. I was quite taken by the way the prose and poetry are used to express different parts of the author's experience.The second writing in this book struck me, at first, as disingenuous. Again, the hut is simple but sturdy and well-made, and the environs capture many different aspects of natural beauty. The landscaping is completely man-made, though, and the property was acquired and developed at huge expense, near the capitol. My second impression was that yes, the scene has some Disney artificiality about it, but the urge that drove it was as real as any. Even at that time, the start of the Heian era or just before it, urban crowding was a reality, and urban gentrification was as much a factor as in any modern city. If "The Pond Pavilion" could not be an actual withdrawal from the world, it was a lovingly built homage to the ideal.The third essay, the Ten Square Foot Hut, has appeared elsewhere, and is still worth reading. This focuses less on the hut itself than on the process of withdrawal and the life of the near-hermit. It is pervasively Buddhist, and does not promote complete isolation from the world. It does, however, offer an appealing look at an old man, usually alone but never lonely, doing what he has worked for many years to do.The final essay may be the shortest. It is certainly the most recent, written some time in the 17th century AD. It is also a symmetric end to the collection - Basho's lttle essay reads much like the first.This book is quite brief, and even shorter if one skips over the translator's noted. It seemed to be over much too soon. Still, the book's brevity and simplicity are modeled after the scenes it describes. It was hard to close the book and come back to the reality of the modern world.

A fine edition throughout. The Hojoki is especially moving.

Such a sweet book! While reading it I realized just how alike we as human beings remain throughout the centuries.

A beautiful read. This book more than any other makes one appreciate the joy and peace that accompanies living simply. An absolute must-read.