A good deal of Thousand Cranes takes place in the context of tea ceremonies and tea dishes, so I must rant for a bit about tea.I'll admit it: probably my favorite thing to do with friends is have tea. It's important to set the scene just right. I have no education whatsoever on what is considered proper conduct when having tea formally, but at my house there are a few rules that cannot be broken: we must sit on the floor, we must use a proper kettle and/or pot and tea cups, and you are not allowed to pour tea for yourself at any point. Tea is a great setting to talk about everything you've been forgetting to tell each other because life is so busy. Tea is NOT a great setting to brag about the tea bowl that you have acquired that was once your dead affair partner's other mistress's dead husband's in front of said other mistress and her daughter. Really not your best moment, Chikako. Maybe that's why no one every wanted to marry you (I refuse to believe it is because of the reason put forth by the narrator). ( )

Yasunari Kawabata's novels hark back to a lost period of decorum and suppressing culture. The short novel contrasts the fleeting with what remains, the shortness of a lifetime with the longevity of objects, culture and ceremony. This is brought to the forefront in the tea ceremony and the use of age-old teaware, tea cups and other ceramics which have had a long history and were used by different people in the family. The stark contrast between the cherished heritage also highlights the pettiness of strive between people.

Kawabata is one of Japan's Nobel Prize winners, and the high quality of his writing, while transcending the specific Japanese cultural background to embrace universal life experience is proved by this short novel. ( )

Absolutely perfect. The psychological landscape was captivating. I would have read it in one sitting, but I unfortunately fell asleep. ( )

Now that I've decided to try to 'review' each book that I have cataloged, there will be books( like this one) where I may recall reading it some years ago, may or may not remember how or why I liked it, but still can recall only a few or maybe no details about the experience. ( )

Tsuru, 鶴
In Giappone la gru è il simbolo della longevità e della buona salute ed è convinzione comune che chi realizza nella vita mille gru con gli origami, potrà realizzare i propri desideri di cuore e vivere più a lungo.

Delle vecchie diapositive si scombinarono tra loro - sovrapponendosi - i vari volti divennero un unico volto che li racchiudeva, riassumeva e confondeva…
ma ogni cuore soggiace solo per un istante all’ebbrezza dell’unione
e dal mucchio raccoglie solo una diapositiva
per poi dimenticarla tra i mille fogli di un libro mai scritto.

Piu’ che a lei, Kikuji si era rivolto al proprio cuore inquieto: si era lasciato condurre con naturalezza in un altro mondo, nel quale pareva che non esistesse alcuna differenza tra lui e suo padre. (72)

La Ota era morta per non aver potuto sottrarsi al sentimento di vergogna che la tormentava? Oppure si era tolta la vita, travolta da una passione incontenibile? Per una settimana Kikuji aveva inutilmente tentato di risolvere il dilemma. (79-80)



Fumiko non conosceva la madre sotto quell’aspetto.
Il fatto che i figli ignorino il corpo della madre, da cui pure sono nati, reca in se’ qualcosa di stranamente bello, come stranamente bello e’ il rivivere di quel corpo in quelle delle figlie. (89)

Un oggetto che era stato della Ota veniva ora maneggiato dalla Kurimoto, e alla morte della Ota era passato nelle mani di Fumiko, e da queste in quelle di Kikuji.
Che strane vicende! Ma forse questa era la sorte che spettava a tutte le porcellane destinate alla cerimonia del te’. (122)

( )