PENGUIN Beauty and Sadness Kawabata, Yasunari and Hibbett, Howard

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

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!

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.

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 BeautyA lovely poignant, sombre and solemn portrait of Japanese culture and relationships.

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. Anovel that stays with you.