Fiction

Snow Country

Snow Country

  • Downloads：3704
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2023-01-21 09:51:54
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Yasunari Kawabata
  • ISBN：0241597366
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Summary

Little Clothbound Classics: irresistible， mini editions of short stories， novellas and essays from the world's greatest writers， designed by the award-winning Coralie Bickford-Smith。

Tired of the bustling city， a man takes the train through the snow to Japan's mountains， to meet with a geisha he believes he loves。 Beautiful and innocent， she is tightly bound by the rules of a rural geisha， and lives a life of servitude and seclusion。 Snow Country， Yasunari Kawabata's masterpiece， is a delicate， subtle meditation on love and its limits。

'A work of beauty and strangeness， one of the most distinguished and moving of Japanese novels' New York Herald Tribune

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Reviews

Tharushi Bowatte ，

Really good。 Snow Country: notes on pathetic fallacy。Snow Country: all women inevitably suffer。 Snow Country: marriage is the weak shadow behind the bright light that is adultery。

Abigail ，

3。5

Paige ，

3。5

Marco Bermudez ，

If you've seen pictures of Kawabata， he always has a faraway look in his eyes like he's staring into the abyss and the abyss is staring right back at him， as I'm getting the general sense how he thinks and feels about the world and people through the novels I've read--it seems perfectly representative of how morbid and cold he can beThe way he writes dialogue in a haiku-like seemingly unrelated phrases that work together in beautiful harmony is something I was able to pick-up more on this novel If you've seen pictures of Kawabata， he always has a faraway look in his eyes like he's staring into the abyss and the abyss is staring right back at him， as I'm getting the general sense how he thinks and feels about the world and people through the novels I've read--it seems perfectly representative of how morbid and cold he can beThe way he writes dialogue in a haiku-like seemingly unrelated phrases that work together in beautiful harmony is something I was able to pick-up more on this novel rather as opposed to Thousand Cranes。 。。。more

Robin ，

Mooie taal en zo maar ik snapte er helaas niets van

Jennie ，

Short， but maybe too subtle for me。 Or maybe I don’t have enough understanding of Japanese culture。 Or maybe something got lost in translation。 Or maybe it’s not a very good story。 🤷🏻‍♀️

Miss Öykü ，

Birkaç senedir Japon edebiyatına karşı meraklıyım。 Konuşmayan karakterleri， komplike olmayan kurguları， sıradan hayatları oldukça sıradan bir şekilde anlatması beni cezbediyor。 O yüzden önüme çıkan Japon yazarlara -kitabın konusuna çok takılmaksızın- bir şans tanıyorum。 Kitabın acayip dünyaları anlatmayacağının bilincindeyim。 Karlar Ülkesi'ni ise konusunu da çok beğenerek almıştım。 Bir geyşa ile sıradan bir adamın aşkını anlattığını söylüyordu çünkü。 Bir yerde trajik aşk varsa hemen orada biteri Birkaç senedir Japon edebiyatına karşı meraklıyım。 Konuşmayan karakterleri， komplike olmayan kurguları， sıradan hayatları oldukça sıradan bir şekilde anlatması beni cezbediyor。 O yüzden önüme çıkan Japon yazarlara -kitabın konusuna çok takılmaksızın- bir şans tanıyorum。 Kitabın acayip dünyaları anlatmayacağının bilincindeyim。 Karlar Ülkesi'ni ise konusunu da çok beğenerek almıştım。 Bir geyşa ile sıradan bir adamın aşkını anlattığını söylüyordu çünkü。 Bir yerde trajik aşk varsa hemen orada biterim ben。Dili çok sade olsa da Japon romanlarını okumak beni çok yoruyor。 Karlar Ülkesi de aynı şekildeydi。 Okurken ruhum çekildi yine。Shimamura， evli bir adam。 Tokyo'da yaşıyor。 Mirasyedi birisi diyebiliriz。 Batı hayranı。 Karlar Ülkesi olarak geçen bir şehre gidiyor dönem dönem。 Bir otelde kalıyor， geyşalar ile vakit geçiriyor， hayattan kaçıyor。 Çünkü böyle bir lüksü var。Komako， Shimamura'nın ilk seyahatinde karşılaştığı bir geyşa。 Tanışmalarından itibaren sohbete dayalı bir ilişkileri var。 Hemen her konuda sohbet ediyorlar。 Birbirlerini sevdikleri aşikar olsa da ikisi de böyle bir şey düşünmüyor。 Sadece vakit geçiriyorlar。 İlişkileri oldukça özel fakat belli bir sınırı asla aşmıyorlar。 Korkuyorlar aradaki ilişkinin farklı bir boyuta geçip bozulmasından。 Komako， onun yanında geyşa olmaktan korkuyor。 Shimamura öyle bir birliktelikten。Roman boyu Shimamura'nın dönem dönem yaptığı seyahatleri ve Komako ile yaşadıklarını okuyoruz。 Her seferinde birbirlerini daha çok çekiyorlar。 Shimamura Karlar Ülkesi'ne gitmeden duramıyor。 Komako daha gelmem dese de vakitli vakitsiz Shimamura'nın otel odasında buluyor kendisini。Bir de Yoko var。 Komako'nun - neredeyse- nişanlısının yeni sevgilisi。 Saf， masum， hayat dolu bir kız。 Ama hasta sevgilisine bakmak zorunda。 Yoko neden var， Shimamura'nın duruşunu göstermek için mi sadece derken yazar Komako ile Shimamura'yı tanımanız için yazdım Yoko'yu diyor。 Şaşırtıcı bir son beklemeyen okur sondaki hamleyle olduğu yere çöküyor。Karlar Ülkesi'ni kağıt üzerinde beğendiğimi söyleyebilirim。 Ama beni çok vurdu， günlerce etkisinden çıkamadım gibi bir durum yok。 Okurken de elime büyük heveslerle aldığımı söyleyemeyeceğim。 Böyle kısa bir metni bu kadar uzun sürede okumazdım zaten aksi halde。 Duygularım karışık olduğundan üç yıldız verip kitabı kapatıyorum。 。。。more

Sophia Tseng ，

Beautiful， spare novel describing the futility of unrequited love and the emptiness of living an unrealized life。 Through just a few words， Kawabata manages to convey the essence of the place and people who characterize this story。 The heart breaks for Komako and the wasted effort， consideration and longing she has wasted on someone for whom she is no more than a diversion。 Perhaps even the sympathy the reader feels for her wasted effort is in vain however， as just as her enjoyment of “literatur Beautiful， spare novel describing the futility of unrequited love and the emptiness of living an unrealized life。 Through just a few words， Kawabata manages to convey the essence of the place and people who characterize this story。 The heart breaks for Komako and the wasted effort， consideration and longing she has wasted on someone for whom she is no more than a diversion。 Perhaps even the sympathy the reader feels for her wasted effort is in vain however， as just as her enjoyment of “literature” does not extend beyond a depth of local magazines and short stories， the feeling she has for the protagonist Shimamura may be deeply savored feelings that give meaning to her life where there was none。 In fact by the end of the novel Shimamura has recognized how drawn he is to the flame of her love and despite telling himself that he should withdraw home， seems to act in an opposite manner。 He has fallen into a warm quicksand of feeling from where it will be difficult to escape。 。。。more

Megan ，

I don’t think I was in the headspace needed to read this。 Nothing translated across to me or made me feel what was meant to be felt。 Two characters I didn’t quite understand。 Maybe I’ll revisit later on down the road when I get back into reading fictional novels。

Bill Keefe ，

The book was certainly captivating。 Kawabata creates an intense， almost palpable density in a remote winter resort。 The main characters; a self-involved dilettante older male who comes up periodically from Tokyo to rest and get away from his family， and a younger local woman who is part of a group of geisha that cater to male travelers' whims become more and more involved with each other over a series of three visits during the course of the tale。 I was going to say "emotionally" involved but th The book was certainly captivating。 Kawabata creates an intense， almost palpable density in a remote winter resort。 The main characters; a self-involved dilettante older male who comes up periodically from Tokyo to rest and get away from his family， and a younger local woman who is part of a group of geisha that cater to male travelers' whims become more and more involved with each other over a series of three visits during the course of the tale。 I was going to say "emotionally" involved but there really is no evidence that the male is emotionally involved with the woman， or for much else， for that matter。And here lies the rub for this reader。 As intriguing as the story might be， as tightly wound， as tersely descriptive， I couldn't get past reading this as a view into the societal benefits of established older males in Japanese society。。。at least through the '50s。 Everything， every gesture， every systemic response in this novel is designed to meet the needs or whims of the male protagonist。 Women die， sacrifice themselves， or wither their way into old age so that essentially disinterested males can go on exploring their pleasures， or their failure to find pleasure。I won't be surprised if anyone reads this and responds by saying， "。。。why limit your revulsion to Japan in the '50s？！" Good point and perhaps one that makes me all the more angry in reading this。。。being in that group that has cause to be self-conscious in the reading。 But I struggled most with what I thought was the author's perspective。 Kawabata is certainly aware of the dysfunction in the relationship but， to me， he's stuck in the system。 While he explores the nuance and sensitivity of the characters to each other， he seems， not oblivious to， but insensitive to the societal backdrop that underpins the story， itself。DisclaimerFirst， I may be wrong about this。 One reading and I'm no expert on Japanese culture。 （Happy to hear from others！） And， second， one can correctly say that he doesn't owe us a polemic on Japanese cultural deficiencies， he's writing about one situation within that culture， which， in itself is a solid story。。。and you can extrapolate from it anyway you'd like。 I think this if fair。 My problem is just that， my problem。 As true as that last sentence is， I was constantly fighting with this anger while reading the story。 Didn't make the story worse， just my experience less pleasant。 。。。more

Jiapei Chen ，

意境 — if I had to distill this book down to a word， it’d be this Chinese phrase。 The turning of a love affair， nestled in the turning of seasons， replete with wasted gestures somehow evoking a feeling of cleanliness and purity。

Dana Lazzaro ，

3。5

Jenna ，

3 1/2 stars — idk if I’m just dumb， but it just didn’t fully click for me。

Rachel ，

This was interesting。 I definitely liked it and completely got the vibe and the mood and loved how intricately everything was presented。 It took a little while to properly figure out what was going on but that’s no fault of the book， necessarily。 In fact， i was worried the no chapters was going to make it drag but it was the complete opposite， i think; it was so seamless。 As for the relationships between Shimamura， Komako and Yoko I feel i didn’t quite get to the real depths of them but， again， This was interesting。 I definitely liked it and completely got the vibe and the mood and loved how intricately everything was presented。 It took a little while to properly figure out what was going on but that’s no fault of the book， necessarily。 In fact， i was worried the no chapters was going to make it drag but it was the complete opposite， i think; it was so seamless。 As for the relationships between Shimamura， Komako and Yoko I feel i didn’t quite get to the real depths of them but， again， i have a strong sense that this is not at the fault of the book。 Beautiful and moving when i least expected。 。。。more

kelvyk ，

read the final 60 pages as chloe put riverdale on in the background and it was that dull it kept distracting mepart I was far more intriguing though

Ashleigh Sidney ，

got in blind date with a book from Notting Hill - absolutely beautiful。

Amanda ，

3。5

Joanna ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Estuvo troste。 Me gustó que empieza con nieve y termina con fuego。 Aunque sigo prefiriendo la Bailarina de Izu。

Seyda SEN ，

Yazım dilinin sadeliğini， abartmadan kullandığı betimlemeler ile adeta kasabadaki soğuğu hissetmemizi sağlamasını çok sevdim ama konu zengin ve evli bir erkeğin ilişkisi ve yaşadıkları olunca hiç bir empati yapamadım ve açıkçası yapmakta istemedim o yüzden sıkıcı geldi。

Kilburn Adam ，

Snow Country by Yasunari Kawabata is a novel that delves into the themes of love， seclusion and the comparison between urban and rural life through the narrative of a romantic relationship between a city man and a geisha， Shimamura and Komako， which takes place in a remote mountain hot-spring village。 The snowy environment serves as an allegory for the emotional divide and solitude between the characters。 The structure of the novel is evocative of haiku poetry， utilizing intricate and subtle det Snow Country by Yasunari Kawabata is a novel that delves into the themes of love， seclusion and the comparison between urban and rural life through the narrative of a romantic relationship between a city man and a geisha， Shimamura and Komako， which takes place in a remote mountain hot-spring village。 The snowy environment serves as an allegory for the emotional divide and solitude between the characters。 The structure of the novel is evocative of haiku poetry， utilizing intricate and subtle details， as well as short vignettes to craft a larger story。 。。。more

Steve ，

j'ai adoré les descriptions fantastiques， juste enchanteresses et magiques je suis amoureuse de la plume de l'auteur so on my way de lire ses autres romans j'ai adoré les descriptions fantastiques， juste enchanteresses et magiques je suis amoureuse de la plume de l'auteur so on my way de lire ses autres romans 。。。more

Kevin Beale ，

3。5

Lola ，

3。75

Robert ，

Spare elegant。 Cold？ A sad story of a vulnerable woman and an emotionally unavailable and selfish man。

Dylan Ganchala Revilla ，

Pensé que se trataba de un mapa en Genshin Impact y en lugar de eso terminé con un sentimiento de vacío y melancolía。

Ye Rin ，

the beauty of futility라 쓰고는， 생각한다。차라리 허무가 아름답다고 느끼는 것은산과 눈으로 국경을 이룬 고립 속에 아름답게 담겨 있기 때문인지，알 수 없는 정서에 대한 어렴풋한 동경에서인지，아니면 이미 허무에 잔뜩 물든 나에 대한 연민 때문인지。

Wania ，

This is not a well translated book and on top of that this story is entirely ludicrous。 Did not like this one bit。 Maybe in its original language， it would have stirred the heart of people with the writing style but all that was lost in translation。 The story did not hold any charm for me， hence why this was a disappointing， miserable read。

Marie Zahnle ，

Lyrical language。 Sadness prevails。

Mitch Sherman ，

Captures incredible atmosphere of beauty and sadness。 In a way fits into set of love stories of the “what could have been” variety， but they do follow through with it。 It’s kind of that， but with knowledge that it can not and will not work/happen。 A great way of exploring the idea of “mono no aware”。 Subtly we notice the seasons passing， he leaves and comes back， the ways their lives are different， the sadness they both have， but the acceptance they have as well。 The writing is something else。 T Captures incredible atmosphere of beauty and sadness。 In a way fits into set of love stories of the “what could have been” variety， but they do follow through with it。 It’s kind of that， but with knowledge that it can not and will not work/happen。 A great way of exploring the idea of “mono no aware”。 Subtly we notice the seasons passing， he leaves and comes back， the ways their lives are different， the sadness they both have， but the acceptance they have as well。 The writing is something else。 The way Kawabata describes it， simply and to the point， allows for so much of the emotion to be our end。 。。。more

Jane ，

"Et højdepunkt i japansk litteratur" var jeg blevet lovet af en anmelder og forfatteren fik da også Nobelprisen i litteratur， så forventningerne var høje， men blev desværre ikke indfriet。Nuvel， naturbeskrivelserne var sublime og jeg har også fået en eminent indføring i japansk kultur， men så stopper superlativerne også der fra min side。Karaktererne er flade， jeg har ingen fornemmelse af overhovedet hvad der har formet dem som mennesker， der bliver indimellem "krattet" lidt i overfladen til noget "Et højdepunkt i japansk litteratur" var jeg blevet lovet af en anmelder og forfatteren fik da også Nobelprisen i litteratur， så forventningerne var høje， men blev desværre ikke indfriet。Nuvel， naturbeskrivelserne var sublime og jeg har også fået en eminent indføring i japansk kultur， men så stopper superlativerne også der fra min side。Karaktererne er flade， jeg har ingen fornemmelse af overhovedet hvad der har formet dem som mennesker， der bliver indimellem "krattet" lidt i overfladen til noget， der kunne være spændende， men som forfatteren ikke gør yderligere ved og hovedpersonen Shimamuras andet liv hører vi slet intet til udover， at han er gift og har børn。Mette Holm er en gudsbenådet oversætter， dét ved jeg， sproget flyder og ingen kender Japan som hun， men sprogblomster er der desværre ingen af， det kunne måske have hevet bogen op på 3 stjerner。Er man til smukke naturbeskrivelser og vil man gerne lære mere om japansk kultur， skal man bestemt ikke springe over her， men karaktererne forekommer mig blot at være staffage， ikke just nogle， der går i hjertekulen， desværre。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Snow Country

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Snow Country&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Snow Country&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0