Snow Country: Book Review


Book Review


Title: Snow Country

Author: Yasunari Kawabata

Genre: Translation (Japanese)

 

This title piqued my interest especially since the author won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1968 and that Snow Country was one of three books cited by the Nobel committee. 

 

The story takes you to the beautiful snowy mountainous landscapes in Japan, to a remote village where two individuals attempt to connect despite realizing the future and consequences. 

 

Shimamura, a wealthy married man who often returns to the mountains to recover the lost side to his personality.He forges an acquaintance with Komako-a mountain Geisha. Shimamaru also forms a bond with another character Yoko-whom Komako appears to dislike. The story delves and explores the complexity of human relationships. 

 

The writing is aesthetic and beautifully weaved in a poetic style. There is a certain sensuality that the author brings to his descriptions of the beauty of the snow laden mountains and the milky way. Nature is equally an intricate part of the plot along with the characters. The entire setting is cold and icy which is artfully interspersed with the emotions of the characters, who largely experience loneliness, sadness and feelings of isolation. 

 

It will also be interesting to note that the geisha mentioned in this book is different from the Geisha that is highlighted in ‘Memoirs of a Geisha’ by Arthur Golden. Snow Country is slow paced with great emphasis on characterization and settings. The scenes take a while to unfold after which it moves at a steady pace. This book can be read for the richness of the language and makes a perfect read for winter. 

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

100 meters : Movie Review

Image
Watched this inspiring Spanish film over the weekend on Netflix!  100 meters is a based on a true story of a man named Ramon who is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. He is told that he will be able to even walk 100 meters in the next one year. Determined to prove this wrong, he takes up the challenge of doing the grueling Ironman race which involves 2.4 miles swimming, 112 miles biking and 26.2 miles running.  With the help of his father in law with whom he initially shares a shaky relationship with, he begins to train relentlessly. Ramon faces challenges on the way and is almost pushed to the brink of being bed ridden. He overcomes every hurdle with grit and a positive frame of mind. It remains to be seen if he actually finishes the race.  This movie struck a chord in many ways. A triathlon is not just a race-its a humbling journey which alters your life forever. The training period is especially a challenging one as it demands a lot out of you. The film showcases the importance of f
Read more

The Chennai resistance

Image
-By Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=3cd78548-4240-47c3-a608-8432df372190 Mentality of a Chennaite is something that never fails to amaze me and other people of different cities. This city has a rich cultural heritage and people indeed try their best to preserve it as much as possible. However in spite of globalization descending upon them, with BPOs lurking at every corner, with the Burgers and pizzas invading their eateries, the typical chennaite will go by his time tested staple food. Times have changed, and Chennai itself is now invaded by population from other cities not only in India but form the world, thanks to the IT boom and the automobile hub centre that it has become. One can see the metamorphosis almost everywhere; old buildings have given way to modern architecture, arterial roads choked to the brim with modern vehicles, individual bungalows replaced by the apartments. Only the age old temples have withstood this onslaught, but they too
Read more

My friend Ganesha: Friendship with God

Image
-By Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=b7ab149a-5f35-4861-8859-6a890ddb71fe Loneliness often propels one to longingly seek a friend. Times like these often push us into a solitary stance or we find our solace in the road to spirituality striking an unspoken friendship with God. My friend Ganesha is one such film which depicts this divine friendship between a child and the elephant faced God and takes you down the mythological lane. The movie revolves around a family consisting of Ashu, his parents, aunt and the maid Gangubhai who places her sincere devotion in Lord Ganapathy. Ashu is a lonely child devoid of any friends and to top it all he is bullied by his counterparts at every given opportunity. To make matters worse, his parents who are caught up with the corporate lifestyles hardly spend time with him. One day he ends up saving a little mouse from the harsh rains. On sharing this with the maid, leaves her enthralled enough to tell him of being the
Read more