In Praise of Shadows
Junichiro Tanizaki
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Recommended by Jimmy
‘A lyrical and evocative look at traditional Japanese aesthetics, In Praise of Shadows contains the most beautiful description of a toilet you will ever read.’
From the publisher
Translated by Thomas J. Harper & Edward G. Seidensticker
An intimate reflection on Japanese art and architecture from one of the country's greatest novelists.
This is an enchanting essay on aesthetics by one of the greatest Japanese novelists. Tanizaki's eye ranges over architecture, jade, food, toilets, and combines an acute sense of the use of space in buildings, as well as perfect descriptions of lacquerware under candlelight and women in the darkness of the house of pleasure. The result is a classic description of the collision between the shadows of traditional Japanese interiors and the dazzling light of the modern age.
'Elegant...a delight to read' Independent on Sunday