Vorrei potermi liberare così dai suoni umani che mi sono penetrati nelle orecchie e ascoltare soltanto la tua splendida voce
Speaking about such a great author is always a bad idea. First, I am not a critic, nor a literature grad; second, I didn’t read many Kawabata novels. However, I would suggest to approach Kawabata Yasunari and the Japanese literature, and to enter into this ancient world slowly and with grace, on your tiptoes. These two could be a good starting point.
The Lake (Mizuumi, 1954) is a painting of an ancient past, in post-war Japan, where destruction and pain dominate the atmosphere, and where the national tragedy is entwined with the personal tragedy of the protagonist.
Si considerava un saggio viandante che conosceva l’ora dell’addio.
Immagini di cristallo (this is the italian translation) is a collection of five short stories (Onsen yudo, 1929; Izu no Kaeri, 1926; Gisei no Hanayome, 1926; Suisho Genso, 1931; Shimen, 1932) written between the Twenties and the Thirties, where Kawabata explore the interest – and the obsession – for the woman, in a intense rendition of the different shades of eroticism.
For more inspiration on Japanese literature, I suggest you take a look at the other article in the series JS Readings, and my reading list.
