In Praise of Shadows
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.17 (878 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0099283573 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 80 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2016-08-03 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
"An elegant essay on traditional Japanese aesthetics by the great novelist. A delight to read" Independent on Sunday "A highly infectious essay lauding all things shady and subtly hidden" Guardian "The outstanding Japanese novelist of this century" -- Edmund White "This is a powerfully anti-modernist book, yet contains the most beautiful evocation of the traditional Japanese aesthetic More like a poem than an essay" Building Design "I am convinced that Tanizaki is one of the few great writers of ou
The result is a classic description of the collision between the shadows of traditional Japanese interiors and the dazzling light of the modern age.. Tanizaki's eye 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. This is an enchanting essay on aesthetics by one of the greatest Japanese novelists
Tanizaki died in 1965. Junichiro Tanizaki was born in 1886 in Tokyo, where his family owned printing establishment. He studied Japanese literature at Tokyo Imperial University, and his first published work, a one-act play, appeared in 1910 in a literary magazine he helped to found. In 1964 he was elected an honorary Member of the
Let there be Shadows! I feel like one of the original translators trying to describe "In Praise of Shadows." Junichiro Tanizaki wrote this paean for a fading way of life in 1933, and it was later translated to English in 1977 - quite well I must say. I can't imagine it was easy though, because the Western and Eastern cultures are so different. This book sensitized me to how our different cultures use light and the role shadows play in the beauty of architecture and everyday objects.Although it has been eighty years since this essay was first written, the wo. In Praise of Shadows is a very insightful read. I got this books for a college class and found myself learning a lot more than I had expected. In this book you examine why, in Japan, things look the way they do and are built in the ways they are. You really delve into the cultural significance as well as the spiritual, What you take away from this book is an understanding of the why the materials that were used in feudal buildings were and are still used today. Not a boring book at all. It does get dark sometimes while reading, no pun intended, but nothing too drastic. The read was . "In Praise of Shadows" according to C. Pleasants. In Praise of Shadows is a wonderful, inspiring read. I ordered this for my husband after my son had it as required reading in college and loaned his copy to me. I thought I would give it a try even though Japanese design was not something I had ever been interested in. It was so enlightening. The writer instantly engages you. I could not put it down and of course finished in one evening as it is a pretty fast read. I read it again when my husbands copy came and loved it just as much the second time around. It pulls you into those place