I bought this book at a Friends of the Library sale.

From Goodreads:

"Nobel Prize-winner Yasunari Kawabata's Snow Country is widely considered to be the writer's masterpiece, a powerful tale of wasted love set amid the desolate beauty of western Japan.

At an isolated mountain hot spring, with snow blanketing every surface, Shimamura, a wealthy dilettante meets Komako, a lowly geisha. She gives herself to him fully and without remorse, despite knowing that their passion cannot last and that the affair can have only one outcome. In chronicling the course of this doomed romance, Kawabata has created a story for the ages, a stunning novel dense in implication and exalting in its sadness."

I found this book difficult to read, although it is short. I persevered, but I came away a lot more interested in Japan's "snow country" than in the novel's characters.

I've reserved this book for AlterEgoZoe's Asian/Far East bookbox.

I included this book in the Asian bookbox. Enjoy reading!

I received this in the Far East book box. If I find something to swap with it, I'll keep to read...

I loved the descriptions of the resort and landscape, but I couldn't quite understand the relationship between man and woman. I couldn't quite find the "love" in the story. A quick read and apparently very influential. Maybe you need to understand traditional Japanese culture and gender roles better than I do in order to really understand the psychological nuances. Reserved for the Far East Bookbox coming my way soon.

In Asian themed book box.

Came home from the Far East Box.

When he looked up again Tas had gone. Rising to join the others, he caught sight of something small and abandoned on the floor. "Tas you forgot your pipe." He picked it up and then saw words carved into the wood he had not seen before. Find the music, find the magic.
"Did you carve this?"
Tas did not turn. "Yes," he said, reluctantly. "I have to leave it."
"But, Tas, why?"
Tas squared his shoulders as though firming some resolve. But still he did not turn. "Because the shepherd said that it could only be used once. Thats why I can't get the pipe to play that song-or any song. I've used the magic." He took a deep breath and went on. "And he said that once I found the magic I had the pass the pipe on." he paused and then he did turn, a scamp's humor in his long brown eyes. "It's going to be a long winter. I'm going to leave it here for someone else to find." "Snowsong" by Nancy Varian Berberick

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