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This is an essay on aesthetics by one of the greatest Japanese novelists. The text ranges over architecture, jade, food, toilets, and combines an acute sense of the use of space in buildings, as well as perfect descriptions of lacquerware under candlelight and women in the darkness of the house of pleasure. The essay forms a classic description of the collision between the shadows of traditional Japanese interiors and the dazzling light of the modern age.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book has a foreword from someone at UCLA's School of Architecture - so perhaps that is a clue to where it is aimed.
Tanizaki makes a good argument that Japanese art (eg, lacquerware, calligraphy, gold statues, no and kabuki, etc.) cannot be best appreciated in bright, white and shiny surroundings, which he characterizes as Western. He prefers a natural diffused light, softer colours and the 'wear and tear' of wasi-sabi.
At this point in his life Tanizaki (1933) had turned against Western influence, so this is really "In Praise of All Things Japanese!" He does stray from his subject and ramble on like a 'Grumpy Old Man,' which he admits. Partly nostalgia - for he is really railing against the Japanese who had already embraced the 'bright lights' of the West, I'd say he crosses the politically correct line several times and made me feel uncomfortable.
Nevertheless, Tanizaki offers us a valuable link to a rich past, and there is still much we can learn from there. Like how a setting can enhance or destroy our appreciation of an object, a person or theatre. Or, why we should not be afraid of the dark!
Tanizaki makes a good argument that Japanese art (eg, lacquerware, calligraphy, gold statues, no and kabuki, etc.) cannot be best appreciated in bright, white and shiny surroundings, which he characterizes as Western. He prefers a natural diffused light, softer colours and the 'wear and tear' of wasi-sabi.
At this point in his life Tanizaki (1933) had turned against Western influence, so this is really "In Praise of All Things Japanese!" He does stray from his subject and ramble on like a 'Grumpy Old Man,' which he admits. Partly nostalgia - for he is really railing against the Japanese who had already embraced the 'bright lights' of the West, I'd say he crosses the politically correct line several times and made me feel uncomfortable.
Nevertheless, Tanizaki offers us a valuable link to a rich past, and there is still much we can learn from there. Like how a setting can enhance or destroy our appreciation of an object, a person or theatre. Or, why we should not be afraid of the dark!
22 of 24 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Recommended for anyone studying architecture, design, sculpture or art,but I've been giving it out as a general gift for years. Not a novel, butan elegant short essay regarding space, shadow, and light. Veryenlightening (pardon the pun) and will make you think about the space youoccupy in a new way, and may even encourage you not to switch the light sooften....charming and brilliant.
17 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Some reviewers were troubled by parts of the essay that are "weird" or politically incorrect. However, this work is a preservation of a disappearing era, and succeeds in pinpointing the roots of the beauty in the things it describes. Those things themselves, then, are not as relevant as the underlying lesson in appreciating and understanding spaces, moods, customs, and the day-to-day. Here is a subtly delivered train of thought, demonstrating the gentle delineation and enjoyment of nuances that are easily and commonly ignored.
Short, cheap, and easy to read, it can be recommended to almost any thoughtful person. It is well worth taking as a companion to Tanizaki's novels, too, as an elucidation of his style of thought. (In particular, 'Some Prefer Nettles' addresses related themes of culture, custom, enjoyment and appreciation.)
Short, cheap, and easy to read, it can be recommended to almost any thoughtful person. It is well worth taking as a companion to Tanizaki's novels, too, as an elucidation of his style of thought. (In particular, 'Some Prefer Nettles' addresses related themes of culture, custom, enjoyment and appreciation.)
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Disappointing.
As an enthusiast of Japanese aesthetics in all of its major forms, I found this to be a terribly superficial and unfulfilling work. Read more
Published 2 days ago by Stumblebum
A Contemplation
In Praise of Shadows is an essay on aesthetics by one of my favourite Japanese writers, it was originally published in 1933, with the English translation coming out in 1977. Read more
Published 4 months ago by PL
Book review
Truly wonderful essay that depicts a nostalgic, yet attentive narrative of japanese cultural identity in modern society.
Published on 18 May 2010 by G. A. Messina
insightful book
This book would be excellent brain fodder for design and architecture students. There is a wealth of thinking around space and light which provokes thought processes and design... Read more
Published on 13 Nov 2009 by Susan D. Rivers
nice contrast between different cultures
once you start reading the book you see the contrast between the care that is taken in japan for everyday situations if you compare it to occidental countries. Read more
Published on 16 April 2009 by ONA
shadowy
I came across Junichiro through seeing 'Shunkin' at the Barbican (Bite2009) and wanting to know more as I loved the delicacy of the play, and am disappointed that I can't seem to... Read more
Published on 5 Mar 2009 by currer bell
Learning without realising you're learning!
This was a very erudite, neat essay. It taught me a lot about the world we live in, and how we live. Read more
Published on 20 April 2005 by Parsley
A poetic resume and down to earth approach to architecture
This is a wonderful account of the personal experience of the author with the interior architecture and the pleasure that the emplacement of objects and the light that they catch... Read more
Published on 6 July 2000
FOR THOSE WHO PPRECIATE SHADOWS
FOR ANYONE WHO APPRECIATES SHADOWS. THIS BOOK IS SENSITIVE IN NATURE, MANY FEELINGS & TEXTURES. IT WILL TOUCH YOUR SOUL
Published on 1 Feb 1999
Rationale of the Senses
I found this book originally 4 years ago for $1 in a discount bin at a tiny, cheesy bookstore in a mall. Read more
Published on 10 Oct 1998
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