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Product Description
Jason Cowley, New Statesman
'a highly refined elegy of a kind that would come to define Kawabata in the second half of his life'
Daily Telegraph
`This is a quiet book, a restful book...it is sweet, and pleasing, and supremely, even nostalgically, Japanese'
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The game of Go is ancient and, although originating in China, may be said to have reached its zenith in Japan where it was further developed and its experts revered. You do not need to understand the intricacies of tactics and rituals, however, in order to fully appreciate this beautiful work.
Based on contemporary reports made by the author while he was working for the Mainichi newspapers, this 'chronicle-novel' (as Liza Dalby calls it in her succinct but informative introduction) relates the details of and events surrounding the last ever match played by the Master and his opponent Kitani Minoru (called Otake in the novel) in 1938.
Owing to the Master's illness, the match was prolonged by three months and thus lasted for six. Even the originally allotted time-span, however, was longer than most other comparable matches and was the result of accommodating the needs of the aging Master, who was used to the old ways where moves were not timed and sealed plays not permitted.
Although all that happens in this novel is this match and a description of Shusai's death (as detailed in the blurb), it held my attention throughout. It is beautifully written and is,indeed, as the Washington Post describes it, "one of modern literature's greatest, most poignant elegies". The prose is simple but beguiling and it is easy to see why Kawabata was a Nobel Prize winner. Treat yourself.
Based on contemporary reports made by the author while he was working for the Mainichi newspapers, this 'chronicle-novel' (as Liza Dalby calls it in her succinct but informative introduction) relates the details of and events surrounding the last ever match played by the Master and his opponent Kitani Minoru (called Otake in the novel) in 1938.
Owing to the Master's illness, the match was prolonged by three months and thus lasted for six. Even the originally allotted time-span, however, was longer than most other comparable matches and was the result of accommodating the needs of the aging Master, who was used to the old ways where moves were not timed and sealed plays not permitted.
Although all that happens in this novel is this match and a description of Shusai's death (as detailed in the blurb), it held my attention throughout. It is beautifully written and is,indeed, as the Washington Post describes it, "one of modern literature's greatest, most poignant elegies". The prose is simple but beguiling and it is easy to see why Kawabata was a Nobel Prize winner. Treat yourself.
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This novel by Nobelist Yasunari Kawabata is a mixture of real-world events and fiction: it is a description of a real-world Go match, fought in 1938 between Honinbo Shusai and Minoru Kitani. Kawabata was present at the game, reporting it to the newspaper that had organized the match. In this book, Kawabata has taken certain liberties, though: some names and events have been changed, there's a dose of fiction in the story.
Fiction or not, it is a beautiful story. Kawabata's style is subtle and even though not much happens in the book, it is an intriguing tale that hooks the reader as the events unfold both on the Go board and outside it. The Go match is in the focus, yet at the same time Kawabata offers so much more: the clash between tradition and modern rationalism and the struggle between two strong personalities.
I don't know how much one can enjoy the book without any knowledge of Go. Go was the reason I read this book, and I was satisfied - the match was very central to the story. The story is, however, very beautiful and Kawabata - or at least the translator Edward Seidensticker - knows his way with words, so it was a pleasure to read, Go or no Go.
Fiction or not, it is a beautiful story. Kawabata's style is subtle and even though not much happens in the book, it is an intriguing tale that hooks the reader as the events unfold both on the Go board and outside it. The Go match is in the focus, yet at the same time Kawabata offers so much more: the clash between tradition and modern rationalism and the struggle between two strong personalities.
I don't know how much one can enjoy the book without any knowledge of Go. Go was the reason I read this book, and I was satisfied - the match was very central to the story. The story is, however, very beautiful and Kawabata - or at least the translator Edward Seidensticker - knows his way with words, so it was a pleasure to read, Go or no Go.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The quality of the writing of this book is well known and can be best described by the other reviewers. In short, it's a fascinating account of an important time in the history of Go.
What I'd like to draw attention to is the poor quality of the diagrams in this book and the notes that accompany them. Throughout the story diagrams of the Go board are included so you can understand how the game itself was played and is of incredible interest to anyone who plays Go themselves. Unfortunately, many of the references to the board are in correct and stones in the diagrams are often left unnumbered for no reason, making it incredibly difficult to follow the plays on the board as they are described in the story.
Nevertheless, this is a great book and a great read for anyone with knowledge of the game of Go. The poor publishing is a disgrace on such a fine piece of writing.
What I'd like to draw attention to is the poor quality of the diagrams in this book and the notes that accompany them. Throughout the story diagrams of the Go board are included so you can understand how the game itself was played and is of incredible interest to anyone who plays Go themselves. Unfortunately, many of the references to the board are in correct and stones in the diagrams are often left unnumbered for no reason, making it incredibly difficult to follow the plays on the board as they are described in the story.
Nevertheless, this is a great book and a great read for anyone with knowledge of the game of Go. The poor publishing is a disgrace on such a fine piece of writing.
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