A painter in early twentieth-century Japan travels into the mountains to escape the noise of the modern world and to find a pure artistic perspective. At a hot-spring inn, he meets the owner's mysterious daughter Nami and notices how he can look at people, as he would at paintings, without emotional involvement. Soseki's short novel mixes landscape description, ideas about haiku and Chinese poetry, and gentle comedy.
A good fit for readers of Japanese literature who like contemplative, essay-like fiction about art and detachment. It has little plot and rewards a slow, quiet read.
Deep, inward-looking, contemplative and thought-provoking; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Wisdom Collector. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1906
- Language
- EN
