Update and Review: Beauty and Sadness by Yasunari Kawabata
Good evening fellow bloggers and followers,
How are all of you doing tonight? I hope all of you had an amazing and filling Thanksgiving and are excited that Christmas is next week.
As for me, I have been busy still dealing with the house fire that happened in April (yes, I know it feels like forever, but let's hope everything is finished in the next two weeks) and planning next year with regards to new releases, upcoming projects, and signings. I plan on releasing several new titles, two of which are the next books in my Faye and Hound series and the others possible standalones. I also plan on releasing a book I am co-authoring on as well (I'll have more information on that in the upcoming months). Let's just hope my characters talk to me and 2018 won't deal me too many hardships, but either way I will strive to stay on track.
Next, I am excited to announce that I will be starting a Youtube channel. I know I have been talking/thinking about doing this for a long time and I have been hesitant to do it. However, I have finally decided to go forward with my Youtube idea. I plan for the content on my page to revolve not only around my writing but also on my doll repaints that I am going to start next year, as well as my DIYs. While I am nervous, I am excited to start my channel. I plan for my first video to be in either late January or early February and will be of my progress from drawing the concept for my doll repaint to actually paining the doll... Well, that's all I can say on it for now. I pray all goes well.
With that being said, let's move on to the signings and conventions I am planning on going to in 2018. So far I have officially confirmed my Penned Con signing, I am also in the process of getting everything together for Once Upon a Book. I wanted to go to this signing this year but life wouldn't have it that way. So I am giving it another shot. Then there is RT in Reno next year that I am planning on going to. Not going to lie, I am still up in the air about RT, mainly because of the price and the fact I feel that I don't get my money's worth out of it. Of course I always meet new friends and see old ones, but that doesn't change the fact that I don't feel as if I get the bang for my buck. So I may go to Reno for the weekend but not register for RT. We will see.
Whelp that's pretty much it for my updates. So let's move on to this review, shall we?
Here we go...
Review: Beauty and Sadness by Yasunari Kawabata
Little fun fact about me, when I took my classes for literature I took a foreign literature class. Instantly I was drawn to foreign writers and over time foreign literature became one of my favorite genres.
I was first introduced to Mr. Kawabata's writing in my English literature class. I read his novel Snow Country, a enticing story revolving around a Geisha and a wealthy man and their somewhat fruitless love. Snow Country instantly became one of my favorite books in the class (I wrote one of the term papers on it) and Mr. Kawabata's name was added to my list of authors to read again.
Thus, how I ended up reading Beauty and Sadness and while it took my a long time to finish this book, due to how distracted I was by the world around me, I must say that while Beauty and Sadness didn't pull me in like Snow Country it was still a amazing read.
Just like his other work, Beauty and Sadness was filled with (at times overly) detailed and beauty descriptions. Hills, sunsets, the little restaurants and shops were so well described that I (as the reader) was easily able to envision the characters surroundings and feel as if I was there with them.
The characters surroundings were not the only things that were eloquently described, the characters as well were described with a sort of poetry beauty that was haunting beautiful. Even their emotions were described in such a way that the reader was able to picture the characters expression clearly.
Speaking of characters, in Beauty and Sadness, it seems that there are several main character, although when you read the back of the book it seems as if it is two. But as you read the story and get pulled deeper into the world you start to realize that there are three main characters, and then even still you realize (or at least it seemed to me) that the true main character of this book was Keiko, the young and beautiful lover of Otoko.
Otoko is a young woman who had an affair with a married writer named Oki. Their affair is portrayed as both a wirlwind romance that consumes the young and at the same time a haunting true love that haunts both Otoko, Oki, Keiko and all those who come into contact with them. As you continue to read you quickly find out that Otoko and Oki's love affair was torn apart by Otoko's miscarriage. This event is what shapes the world of these characters, making it impossible for them to move on with their lives. Otoko, although she is with Keiko, remains unmarried and seems to only tolerate Keiko because the young woman forced herself on Otoko.
When it comes to Otoko, I found her a bit selfish (something the character points out several times in the story), cruel, and childish. All these traits come out as you watch her interactions with Keiko, while Keiko is a character herself, Otoko's actions, always pinning and longing for Oki, while knowing Keiko's feelings and keeping her at her side, it cruel to Keiko. As the young woman wants all of Otoko's love but it is clear that this is something that will never happen so long as she is attached to Oki.
With that being said, Otoko's actions and emotions are understandable as she is dealing with the loss of her baby, her mothers death, and the book Oki wrote about her that continues to dig up and reopen old wounds. Yet, I can't help but feel as if Otoko gets some type of satisfaction knowing that Oki also is unable to let her go.
As far as Oki is concerned, while he is a main character he doesn't stand out as one. Oki simply fades into the background as the women and their twisted relationship comes to the forefront. Married with two children, he is a boring character and didn't appeal much to me. Even when we are given his point of view and his feelings it feels lackluster.
And then there is Keiko, the most interesting character in the book to me. She comes off as obsessive and manipulating. What I like about Keiko, is that her motives are never really clear. While it is obviously pointed out that she has feelings for Otoko, I question if it is truly love between the pair, or at least on Keiko's side. Affection is there, attraction as well but the love seems to be lacking between the women. Otoko is always pushing Keiko away while at the same time pulling her in. stringing the young and violitie women along. At first Keiko's one objective seems to be getting revenge on Oki and his family for Otoko pain, however, it never seems quite clear (even in her perspective) if she truly means what she says as her actions always say something different. Even so, it is clear this character is a very confident manipulator. By the end of the book I was stil left wondering just what Keiko was thinking and her true feelings towards everything she had done.
At first glance the plot of the book seems simple. An affair with a young girl, something tragic happens, the girl is traumatized and the couple split. Yet when you throw in character like Keiko and they take over the narrative the plot becomes a little messier, especially the twist at the end of the book that left me a little more confused than when I started.
Overall, I enjoyed Beauty and Sadness. I found the characters (not all of them) interesting, others more so. Continually surrounded by beautiful art and surrounding, their inner issues rises to the surface. I see why the title of this book is Beauty and Sadness, because for these character it goes had in hand.
Rating: .3.5/4
Would I recommend? Yes, but I would suggest reading Snow Country first then this just to get used to his writing.
How are all of you doing tonight? I hope all of you had an amazing and filling Thanksgiving and are excited that Christmas is next week.
As for me, I have been busy still dealing with the house fire that happened in April (yes, I know it feels like forever, but let's hope everything is finished in the next two weeks) and planning next year with regards to new releases, upcoming projects, and signings. I plan on releasing several new titles, two of which are the next books in my Faye and Hound series and the others possible standalones. I also plan on releasing a book I am co-authoring on as well (I'll have more information on that in the upcoming months). Let's just hope my characters talk to me and 2018 won't deal me too many hardships, but either way I will strive to stay on track.
Next, I am excited to announce that I will be starting a Youtube channel. I know I have been talking/thinking about doing this for a long time and I have been hesitant to do it. However, I have finally decided to go forward with my Youtube idea. I plan for the content on my page to revolve not only around my writing but also on my doll repaints that I am going to start next year, as well as my DIYs. While I am nervous, I am excited to start my channel. I plan for my first video to be in either late January or early February and will be of my progress from drawing the concept for my doll repaint to actually paining the doll... Well, that's all I can say on it for now. I pray all goes well.
With that being said, let's move on to the signings and conventions I am planning on going to in 2018. So far I have officially confirmed my Penned Con signing, I am also in the process of getting everything together for Once Upon a Book. I wanted to go to this signing this year but life wouldn't have it that way. So I am giving it another shot. Then there is RT in Reno next year that I am planning on going to. Not going to lie, I am still up in the air about RT, mainly because of the price and the fact I feel that I don't get my money's worth out of it. Of course I always meet new friends and see old ones, but that doesn't change the fact that I don't feel as if I get the bang for my buck. So I may go to Reno for the weekend but not register for RT. We will see.
Whelp that's pretty much it for my updates. So let's move on to this review, shall we?
Here we go...
Review: Beauty and Sadness by Yasunari Kawabata
Little fun fact about me, when I took my classes for literature I took a foreign literature class. Instantly I was drawn to foreign writers and over time foreign literature became one of my favorite genres.
I was first introduced to Mr. Kawabata's writing in my English literature class. I read his novel Snow Country, a enticing story revolving around a Geisha and a wealthy man and their somewhat fruitless love. Snow Country instantly became one of my favorite books in the class (I wrote one of the term papers on it) and Mr. Kawabata's name was added to my list of authors to read again.
Thus, how I ended up reading Beauty and Sadness and while it took my a long time to finish this book, due to how distracted I was by the world around me, I must say that while Beauty and Sadness didn't pull me in like Snow Country it was still a amazing read.
Just like his other work, Beauty and Sadness was filled with (at times overly) detailed and beauty descriptions. Hills, sunsets, the little restaurants and shops were so well described that I (as the reader) was easily able to envision the characters surroundings and feel as if I was there with them.
The characters surroundings were not the only things that were eloquently described, the characters as well were described with a sort of poetry beauty that was haunting beautiful. Even their emotions were described in such a way that the reader was able to picture the characters expression clearly.
Speaking of characters, in Beauty and Sadness, it seems that there are several main character, although when you read the back of the book it seems as if it is two. But as you read the story and get pulled deeper into the world you start to realize that there are three main characters, and then even still you realize (or at least it seemed to me) that the true main character of this book was Keiko, the young and beautiful lover of Otoko.
Otoko is a young woman who had an affair with a married writer named Oki. Their affair is portrayed as both a wirlwind romance that consumes the young and at the same time a haunting true love that haunts both Otoko, Oki, Keiko and all those who come into contact with them. As you continue to read you quickly find out that Otoko and Oki's love affair was torn apart by Otoko's miscarriage. This event is what shapes the world of these characters, making it impossible for them to move on with their lives. Otoko, although she is with Keiko, remains unmarried and seems to only tolerate Keiko because the young woman forced herself on Otoko.
When it comes to Otoko, I found her a bit selfish (something the character points out several times in the story), cruel, and childish. All these traits come out as you watch her interactions with Keiko, while Keiko is a character herself, Otoko's actions, always pinning and longing for Oki, while knowing Keiko's feelings and keeping her at her side, it cruel to Keiko. As the young woman wants all of Otoko's love but it is clear that this is something that will never happen so long as she is attached to Oki.
With that being said, Otoko's actions and emotions are understandable as she is dealing with the loss of her baby, her mothers death, and the book Oki wrote about her that continues to dig up and reopen old wounds. Yet, I can't help but feel as if Otoko gets some type of satisfaction knowing that Oki also is unable to let her go.
As far as Oki is concerned, while he is a main character he doesn't stand out as one. Oki simply fades into the background as the women and their twisted relationship comes to the forefront. Married with two children, he is a boring character and didn't appeal much to me. Even when we are given his point of view and his feelings it feels lackluster.
And then there is Keiko, the most interesting character in the book to me. She comes off as obsessive and manipulating. What I like about Keiko, is that her motives are never really clear. While it is obviously pointed out that she has feelings for Otoko, I question if it is truly love between the pair, or at least on Keiko's side. Affection is there, attraction as well but the love seems to be lacking between the women. Otoko is always pushing Keiko away while at the same time pulling her in. stringing the young and violitie women along. At first Keiko's one objective seems to be getting revenge on Oki and his family for Otoko pain, however, it never seems quite clear (even in her perspective) if she truly means what she says as her actions always say something different. Even so, it is clear this character is a very confident manipulator. By the end of the book I was stil left wondering just what Keiko was thinking and her true feelings towards everything she had done.
At first glance the plot of the book seems simple. An affair with a young girl, something tragic happens, the girl is traumatized and the couple split. Yet when you throw in character like Keiko and they take over the narrative the plot becomes a little messier, especially the twist at the end of the book that left me a little more confused than when I started.
Overall, I enjoyed Beauty and Sadness. I found the characters (not all of them) interesting, others more so. Continually surrounded by beautiful art and surrounding, their inner issues rises to the surface. I see why the title of this book is Beauty and Sadness, because for these character it goes had in hand.
Rating: .3.5/4
Would I recommend? Yes, but I would suggest reading Snow Country first then this just to get used to his writing.
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