Bree Claffey of ii-ne-kore , Australia
Master of Go by Yasunari Kawabata.
Bree Claffey writes, "My book is not a design book, but a novel. I love his book Snow Country as well. But I chose this book for your list. I love the quiet and space in his prose, and the poetic imagery are beautiful, particularly to do with his characters, and the way he uses descriptions of scenery and seasons. He often deals with the tensions between old and new.
I embrace modern Japan, and cannot obviously relate to his deep yearning for the way of the old. But that tension, and the interface between tradition and modern is one of the most fascinating things about Japan and its culture, for me."
"In addition to remaining true to traditional forms, Kawabata often focused on retaining traditional culture in the face of the modern world as the subject of his fiction. He presented and defended such traditional Japanese forms as the tea ceremony in Sembazuru (Thousand Cranes; 1952), the game of Go in Go sei-gen kidan (The Master of Go;1954), and folk art in Koto (The Old Capital; 1962). Kawabata wrote in a style similar to traditional Japanese haiku poetry, known as renga, or linked poetry. His work is filled with imagery and symbolism." from here...
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Bree Claffey BA (Philosophy), University of Melbourne MA (Publishing and Editing), University of Melbourne. Her blog ii-ne-kore is a constant source of inspiration for me. She now has a shop and gallery in Melbourne called, Mr Kitly, full of fantastic things & art! can't wait to check it out in person!