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Although he was the first Japanese writer to win the Nobel Prize, Yasunari Kawabata (1899-1972) remains much more obscure in the West than his high-profile protégé Yukio Mishima. Yet he's a writer of formidable talents. For one thing, Kawabata recognized early on the affinity between Japanese poetry--with its abrupt transition from image to image--and the jump-cut flavor of modernist prose. He also explored erotic life at a truly microcosmic level. Some may find a novel like The Mole--which revolves around a woman's habit of fiddling with her eponymous birthmark--a little too molecular in its approach. But sex, like God, is in the details, and throughout his career Kawabata has unearthed some surprising truths about our most urgent appetites.
First Snow on Fuji, a collection of stories originally published in 1958, is a fairly representative slice of the author's oeuvre. In "Her Husband Didn't" (a classic Kawabata title, by the way), a woman's earlobe becomes the discreet object of desire:
The earlobe was just as round and plump as an earlobe ought to be--it was small enough that Junji could squeeze it between the tips of his thumb and forefinger, no bigger than that--yet it filled him with a sense of the beauty of life. The smooth skin, the gentle swelling--the woman's earlobe was like a mysterious jewel.... He had never known anything with a texture like this. It was like touching the lovely girl's soul.
For Kawabata's characters, the physical usually leads straight to the metaphysical, which is what prevents him from deteriorating into a soft-core thrill merchant. And in several of the other stories here, he proceeds directly to the weightier issues. "Silence," for example, is at once a study in failing inspiration and a gloss on Kawabata's own career (the latter argument is made very effectively by translator Michael Emmerich in his introduction). And the title story offers an intriguing take on memory, which Kawabata seems to regard as a distinctly feminine operation: it's "the docility of women that makes it possible for them to return to the past."
What we love most in a writer--the idiosyncratic music of his or her prose--is the hardest thing for a translator to capture. There are times, alas, when Emmerich's ear seems inadequate to the task. His rendering never falls beneath a certain literate level--but for a writer of Kawabata's minimalistic delicacy, a clunky transition or flatfooted phrase can sink the whole enterprise. Readers might prefer to start, then, with Thousand Cranes or Snow Country. But for all its linguistic flaws, First Snow on Fuji reminds us that in literature most of all, less can be more--much more. --James Marcus
Book Description
The stories of Yasunari Kawabata (Winner of the 1968 Nobel Prize for Literature) evoke an unmistakably Japanese atmosphere in their delicacy, understatement, and lyrical description. Like his later works, First Snow on Fuji is concerned with forms of presence and absence, with being, with memory and loss of memory, with not-knowing. Kawabata lets us slide into the lives of people who have been shattered by war, loss, and longing. These stories are beautiful and melancholy, filled with Kawabata's unerring vision of human psychology. First Snow on Fuji was originally published in Japan in 1958, ten years before Kawabata received the Nobel Prize. Kawabata selected the stories for this collection himself, and the result is a stunning assembly of disparate moods and genres. This new edition is the first to be published in English.
Customer Reviews:
So-so on Fuji.......2007-01-15
"First Snow on Fuji" is a mixed bag. I enjoy Kawabata's succinct prose. One story, 'Silence', is tremendous, and worth the price of the book by itself. It's about a writer who, b/c of a stroke, can no longer speak or write, and his daughter; and the main point of the story is whether or not the writer, Akifusa, should try to communicate through his daughter or not. It's a grand statement on the human power of communication. The other stories, though interesting, are not as good - and for that I give it a mediocre rating.
Inner heart revealed.......................2006-07-27
Yasunari Kawabata is the first Japanese writer to be awarded the Noble Prize for Literature. First Snow on Fuji is a collection of short stories written in a minimalist fashion, where each word and turn of phrase carries a depth and profoundness. It feels as if each word is uniquely suited to the telling of that particular tale. The stories cover a vast array of life's events, love, desire, loss and discovery. It is not that the inner hearts of the characters are revealed to the reader, but that the reader is allowed to observe while the characters inner hearts are revealed to themselves.
Michael Emmerich translates the writing of Kawabata with a perfect blend of both elegance and simplicity. This is a classic Japanese collection of short stories by an author with the delicate touch of perfection.
Concentrated Novels, Just Add Water.......2006-03-24
This is a fine collection of short stories by Kawabata. These are longer than his "Palm of the Hand" stories but still display to the full his incredible talent to suggest a whole large-scale novel with the barest minimum of words and phrases. The deep suggestiveness and resonance typical of Kawabata is present in these brief works, though somewhat more flat-footed than elsewhere--one wonders if this is an effect of translation or whether Kawabata was a just a wee bit off his game here.
This collection also includes a rarity, a drama by Kawabata, which comes across as incredibly flat, wooden, and dull. It seems that drama was not a medium suited to him, although perhaps the play works well when actually performed--many a Kabuki play looks lame on paper but comes alive on the stage. But as it stands it seems an awkward ending to an otherwise fine collection of stories. This is not Kawabata at his best, but quite good still.
Earlobes, novels, and cheating wives.......2002-07-19
This was the 8th Yasunari Kawabata book that I have read. Kawabata finished writing this book back in the year 1959. It was during a time in his life in which he spent more time touring Japan and the worls than actually writing, so the reader must keep in mind that he wrote these beautiful stories while he was basiacally on the run from place to place. The stories in the book are all pretty sad. The first "This Country, That Country" deals with a young housewife named Takako who is having an affair behind her husband's back the thing is she is not having the affair with the man she wants to be having the affair with. The reader sees Takako torment when she talks to her secret love or even just thanks of him. She seems to know more about him than his wife. Oh, did I mention that she is the neighbor of her secret love?
That is just an example of the stories that Kawabata weaves here. They are short and can be read in a short reading, but Kawabata's short stories have more meaning than some authors' 700 page novels. I really liked the stories "Nature" and "Silence" myself, and the story "Yumiura" is one of the saddess pieces of literature that I have ever read. A good book, but if you are new to Kawabata read _Thousand Cranes_ or beauty and Sadness instead.
Beautiful.......2001-11-11
This volume should be in every library. Elegant and subtle language weave each tale that are delicately, and often painfully, human. The conclusions, abrupt and ambiguous, are haunting and thought provoking. This is a collection of stories that moves you and speaks to you long after you've finished.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from World Literature Today, published by University of Oklahoma on June 22, 2000. The length of the article is 550 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: First Snow on Fuji.(Review)
Author: Erik R. Lofgren
Publication:
World Literature Today (Refereed)
Date: June 22, 2000
Publisher: University of Oklahoma
Volume: 74
Issue: 3
Page: 587
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Average customer rating:
- A perfect poolside book for Palm Springs
- Benbow not as HOT as in previous efforts!
- For Boys Only
- Great Gay Read
- SO MUCH FUN...
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Summer Cruising
Dave Benbow
Manufacturer: Palari Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Gay | Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Gay & Lesbian | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1928662072 |
Book Description
Sweeping romance and steamy sex are the daily activities for the hunky passengers of the RMS Princess Diana, as they set sail on a rollicking all-gay cruise through the sun-drenched Mediterranean and its stunning ports of call...But this idyllic holiday abruptly ends when a calculating psychopath sets in motion a dastardly plan to send the luxurious liner to the bottom of the sea. Soon daring escapes, personal sacrifices, and heart-pounding rescues replace romance and the men of the Diana struggle to survive the sinking ship and each other...
Customer Reviews:
A perfect poolside book for Palm Springs.......2007-05-12
An enjoyable romp with perfect men with sculpted bodies and story book lives enjoy lots of sex and a bit of intrigue in exotic locales. Unfortunately, I didn't wait for my poolside vacation to read it. I wanted a bit of literary distraction to wind down at night, and this book, like the author's previous works, were welcome and apt.
It's a delight in this world of chaos and often generalized ugliness to have some feel-good fiction, complete with happy endings, for the gay community.
Benbow not as HOT as in previous efforts!.......2007-04-19
I have read both "Male Model" and "Daytime Drama" and gave them outstanding reviews. I was glad to get my hands on "Summer Cruising" because I have really enjoyed Mr. Benbows previous work. Well sadly, I was rather disappointed in this one as it was so predictable, the characterization was minimal, and the storyline was to say the least, a little ridiculous. The sex in this one was as good as it gets, however, there was just so much of it, it seemed as if after every scene someone found themselves between the sheets. (I don't mean to sound prudish...but I was expecting more substance to the plot). As always the covers of Benbow's novels are very exciting (I wish they would have shown the cover model, Brandon's face...is he to die for or what?). I just wish that the story was as exciting as the cover shot! I will surely read Benbow's next effort where I hope we find him back to his old self.
For Boys Only.......2006-12-11
A series of hot, shirtless guys with perfect bodies cavort on an all-gay cruise ship touring the Mediterranean, while a serial killer lurks behind the scenes. Soap opera style romance weaves through the cast of characters, punctuated by graphic and often sticky sex scenes.
The simple plot reads like a James Bond thriller that requires little effort to guess the mysterious bad guy. Yet the characters, and there are quite a few of them, are easy to visualize, as are the lush and luxurious settings.
Summer Crusing is a book for gay men to put on their summer escapist reading list, or to read now, when the weather outside is frightful and readers long for a sexy vacation for the imagination.
Great Gay Read.......2006-11-10
David Benbow has done it again. Another gay story with some substance...not only just sex (but it was hot), but a story line that was believeable...especially in this day of terrorism. Even though it wasn't a terrorist plot. His depiction of the cruise as well as the cities along the way was great. It seemed like I was on a guided tour. A fun sexy read for any gay guy!!!!
SO MUCH FUN..........2006-11-09
Casual writing, florid details, abundant sex, mind candy, intrigue, adventure, romance, and just plain hot writing combine to create a MUST READ.
Average customer rating:
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Cruising Endless Summer: -Exumas-
Roger Mummah , and
Susie Mummah
Manufacturer: 1st Books Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Travel | Writing | Reference | Subjects | Books
Narratives | Sailing | Water Sports | Sports | Subjects | Books
Excursion Guides | Sailing | Water Sports | Sports | Subjects | Books
General | Sports | Subjects | Books
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Essays & Travelogues | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books
Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books
General | Travel | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0759627525 |
Customer Reviews:
Cruising made simple!.......2001-09-21
Roger & Susie have made cruising to the Bahamas look easy and simple. This book has paid special attention to every detail and is well worth the few bucks it cost.
If you are planning this type of a cruise or just read about their adventures it worth every penny and more. Maybe we should send Roger & Susie some money for writing the book too!
Average customer rating:
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Summer Cruising
Dave Benbow
Manufacturer: Palari Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0739470426 |
Average customer rating:
- Great practical reference for the cruising sailor
- A Specialty Book
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Summer sail: Cruising Green Bay's historic waters
John B Torinus
Manufacturer: Laranmark Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General | Wisconsin | States | United States | Travel | Subjects | Books
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Excursion Guides | Sailing | Water Sports | Sports | Subjects | Books
General | Sports | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0910937206 |
Customer Reviews:
Great practical reference for the cruising sailor.......2003-04-28
Loaded with good local cruising information not found elsewhere. A must if you are cruising GreenBay/Door County.
A Specialty Book.......2002-09-14
Excellent for Cruising Green Bay. Everything you need for a successful sail.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Trailer Boats, published by Ehlert Publishing Group on March 1, 2004. The length of the article is 2315 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Capital cruising: thinking of visiting Washington, D.C., this Summer? Don't forget your boat.(TBM Destination)
Author: Ron Stob
Publication:
Trailer Boats (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 1, 2004
Publisher: Ehlert Publishing Group
Volume: 34
Issue: 3
Page: 50(5)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Cruising Rider, published by Ehlert Publishing Group on November 1, 2004. The length of the article is 1695 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Southwest test: Elsinore Motocross hosts Douglas Wheels Dirt Days of Summer series.(On Track)
Author: Jesse Wozniak
Publication:
Cruising Rider (Magazine/Journal)
Date: November 1, 2004
Publisher: Ehlert Publishing Group
Volume: 7
Issue: 8
Page: 108(8)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Average customer rating:
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Cruising among the Caribbean,: Summer days in winter months,
Charles Agustus Stoddard
Manufacturer: C. Scribner's sons
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
History | Subjects | Books | Africa | Americas | Ancient | Arctic & Antarctica | Asia | Australia & Oceania | Books on CD | Books on Cassette | Europe | Gay & Lesbian | Historical Study | Large Print | Middle East | Military | Military Science | Russia | United States | World
ASIN: B00085QBAA |
Average customer rating:
- Historical setting-- elements of black magic and passion
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Papa La-Bas (Carr, John Dickson)
John Dickson Carr
Manufacturer: Carroll & Graf
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Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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Book Description
The scene in Papa La-Bas is New Orleans in 1858. There, strong men, lovely women, dark magic and violence swirl around Senator Judah P. Benjamin, who can solve any problem by logical analysis, and Richard Macrae, Her Majesty's Consul, when they witness a devilish murder.
Customer Reviews:
Historical setting-- elements of black magic and passion.......1998-10-26
This gripping mystery is set in 19th century New Orleans. There is passion and even discreet references to sex-- New Orleans in those days was a very exotic place. The characters are well drawn, and the plot involves murder (of course), jealosy, witchcraft, romantic rivalries. The historical setting really comes to live in every detail. Carr must have researched carefully. You will not be disappointed.
Average customer rating:
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Papa La-Bas
John Dickson Carr
Manufacturer: Harper and Row, Publishers. NY,
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000QLZJ5O |
Average customer rating:
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Papa La-bas
John Dickson Carr
Manufacturer: Harper and Row. NY.,
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000QM1GIW |
Average customer rating:
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Papa La-Bas
John Dickson Carr
Manufacturer: Harper and Row, Publishers. NY,
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000QM17T0 |
Product Description
Full of twists and turns, ruin and redemption, revelation and mystery, this study of Genesis 1250 keeps participants captivated by the God who stars in it!
Throughout 10 weeks of exciting, engaging intrigue, participants will plunge into the heart of Genesis, to Gods remarkable pursuit of relationship and to the unfolding of His earthly plan: that through one nationand ultimately, one manall people on earth will be blessed. Many of the most profound and enduring concepts in the whole counsel of Gods Word are initiated in this marvelous book of beginnings.
Participants will explore concepts such as blessing, covenant, and promise, and the bearing each has on a New Testament believers life today. Group members will also explore the Hebrew names of God introduced on the early pages of Scripture.
The Patriarchs gives participants the opportunity to see a perfect and holy God endure in His relationship to man, whether man is at his best or at his weakest. (11 sessions)
Customer Reviews:
Not just for women.......2007-10-05
Although, Beth Moore's studies are geared toward women, we just finished this Bible Study in our couples small group. Both men and women enjoyed and got a lot out of the study. The men did have to put up with a few "girly moments" but they didn't seem to mind since they found the rest of the study so fascinating. I highly recommend the study.
PATRIARCH MEMBER GUIDE.......2007-09-29
This study is EXCELLENT! It's a ton of material but whatever you can do in homework will be a real blessing.
Dynamic Study!!.......2007-05-02
This study is, at present, the best Beth Moore Indepth Bible Study I've taken part in! Like the reviewer, LL, stated, an honest look at our "heroes of the faith" provides such a swell of comfort in knowing that God can use the flawed, the failing, and bring them into lives of victory. God was with them, loved them, and blessed them despite many glaring obstacles. The study was a tremendous blessing to me. Mrs. Moore's ability to discern deep truths and her knowledge that allows her to pull the Old Testment references together and to the New Testament confirmations amazes me. God is not afraid to show us the real struggles faced by His people.
The Patriarchs.......2007-03-30
My Bible Study group, just finished the Patriarchs. It was truley a blessing to have done this study. This was my first time with Beth Moore and she is simply amazing. Every lesson reached my heart and soul. Her workbook is great and the CD's that are with this study are just awesome. This study covers the book of Genesis, from Abraham to Jacob, and showed how God tied Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to the present and the future. It is a study well worth taking.
Beth Moore, a gifted teacher.......2006-10-30
I respectfully disagree with every last word of the previous review. The Patriarchs study was well-done and I believe God-inspired. Beth Moore does an excellent job of revealing the flawed humanity and sin-nature of every human being, including the patriarchs of the O.T. She does so to encourage all who might feel "too far gone" in their sin or inadequate in some way to serve the Lord and show that with Christ, all things are possible. He doesn't choose those who appear qualified in the world's eye, but those He deems worthy in His own sovereign knowledge. This study provides a wonderful foundation of the book of Genesis in a way that is relevant, respectful and that brings the characters to life. The patriarchs were no more or less perfect than anyone else, yet I am amazed at how God used these sinful, imperfect men to bring His covenant to a lost world.
Book Description
The central theme of this book is that all the famlies of the earth have been blessed in th epast, are currently being blessed, and will continue to be blessed through God's covenantpeople, the house of Israel in the future. These blessings will continue as the house of Israel, in particular, and all the people of the world in general. do His work and will strive to walk uprightly before Him and become perfect. The book covers events in the lives of Abraha, Isaac and Jacob from the birth of Abram in Ur to the death of Jacob in Egypt. Jacob was buried in Canaan alongside his father Isaac and his grandfather Abraham, in the cave of Mach-pelah 307 years later.
Customer Reviews:
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.......2000-08-09
This is a unique treatment of Old Testament material. The author uses cannonized scripture and other sources to piece the fragments of the story together for a broader understanding for the reader. The author uses great skill to inject bridging comments and let the original manuscripts speak for themselves. The reader is provided with the information and free to connect the dots as they feel appropriate.
Customer Reviews:
5 star plus.......2004-12-29
Every book of Watchman Nee's, I am very impressed with. But this book shed so much light that I can no longer be dependent on myself but on God. This in turn will cause us to trust in God, and love Him to the uttermost! I am extremely happy that I am a believer!
A book for life-application.......1999-08-02
Watchmann Nee takes the well-known yet elusive stories of these three men in Genesis and turns them into a palatable feast sampling the full Christian experience. Beginning with Abraham knowing God as the Father to the Israel fully matured and transformed, one is brought from the initial stage of God's calling through to the stage of maturity in the Christian life and as a functioning member of the corporate Body of Christ. His writing inspires thousands of Christians to endeavor to experience Christ in such a way, so that one grows deeper and deeper into God and with God.
A Christian life should be a balanced life:.......1999-07-23
Besides Watchman Nee's Normal Christian Life which is based on the book of Romans, this book gives us a vivid and living picture of a normal Christian life which is a balanced, overcoming, and God's ordained life, based on the story of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the book of Genesis. These three persons together characterize three main aspects of a normal Christian life - justified by faith, bestowed all the riches from the father, and transformed to be an over-comer by God's ordained way. The book is really helpful and encouraging in experiencing a balanced Christian life, in understanding God's ordained way, and in bearing cross to follow the Lord in an absolute way.
Book Description
A vivid and unflinching account of the harrowing Holocaust experience of Chaim Wolgroch that he presents as evidence for God's inaction, or indifference. After surviving the Warsaw Ghetto, various work camps, Aushwitz, and the Death March, Chaim asks God,"Where were you?Why did you allow this to happen?"
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- Going Somewhere Soon: Collected Stories & Drawings
- Grand Emporiums: The Illustrated History of America's Great Department Stores
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- Homo Zapiens
- i never knew what time it was
- Illustrated Incumbered Estates
- In the Fold: A Novel
- Intertextualidad Generativa En: El Beso De LA Mujer Arana, De Manuel Puig (Coleccion Polymita) (Coleccion Polymita)
- Ira Foxglove
Books Index
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Snow Country
