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Attributed to Tenji emperor (VII century): "in the autumn fields, the temporary hut: its thatch is rough, and the sleeves of my robe are dampened with dew". Dew forms at night in the coarse hut where the rice farmer resides, and is associated with tears of solitude. There is a very beautiful Utagawa print (1842) that contrasts the farmers, hard at work, and the emperor, sitting idly in a residence in the background.

This year want to tackle the most popular collection of poems in Japanese literature, spacing from the Asuka 飛鳥 period (592-710) to the Kamakura 鎌倉 period (1168-1333). I'm taking advantage of the fact that I now have a professional commentary booklet, a fun middle-school-targeted manga commentary, and did some research for a uni project, and also use this site as a source: https://100poets.com/. let's dive in :)

"Poi venne improvvisamente la fine, dopo una notte lunghissima, che mi parve eterna: ed ero così stanco, spaventato dal buio, che accolsi il sole morente come un amico. Esso rimase immobile nell'oscurità dominante, consumando la sua ultima luce, nutrendosi di se stesso nella sua terribile agonia".

I felt such a profound sense of awe when the writer described the vast mountain arena, in that blood red desert planet, surrounded by ancient monstrous gods with the head of a donkey, or a pig, or no eyes, or a face suspended in the middle of the body, and many others hidden between the mountains... man I love cosmic horror

only thing hornier than bram stoker describing dracula's wives trying to bite jonathan is emily bronte 50 years before writing heathcliff digging cathy's grave to cradle her body

母性の尊重は必ずしも家父長権の強さと相対立するものではなく、むしろそれを前提とするものであった。そして、母性の尊重はかならずしも女性の人間的存在価値の重視とイコールにならない。

中世の家を家父長権一色に塗里込めるのは一面である。それは一種の家父主義ともいうべきものである。原始的な無階級社会の平等か、家父長制か、平等か服従か、二者択一に考えるのは単純というべきである。家父長制と、家婦の権限は必ずしも矛盾するとは限らない。身分、階級社会においては、その階級差と男女差の双方が考察の射程に入らねばならぬことはすでに述べた通りである。男女差を考える場合にのみ同一身分のように抽象化して論じるわけにはゆかないのである。

"確立した父権は支配者となった男性のみが握り、大部分の男性もその支配下に組みしかれるわけであるから、女性のみの問題とはいえない。古代社会や中世社会はいうまでもなく、身分社会であり、階級社会の始まりである。そこから男女関係のみを取り出して云々することはあまり意味がない。そこへ主従関係、身分関係、支配関係などを入れてゆくとどうなるかを考えなければならないと思う".

"Because misery and degradation, and death, and nothing that God or Satan could inflict would have parted us, you, of your own will, did it. I have not broken your heart - you have broken it; and in breaking it you have broken mine. [...] Kiss me again; and don't let me see your eyes! I forgive what you have done to me. I love my murderer - but yours! How can I?"

emily you cooked like fucking crazy here

"Oh, I'm burning! I wish I were out of doors! I wish I were a girl again, half savage and hardy, and free; and laughing at injuries, not maddening under them! Why am I so changed? why does my blood rush into a hell of a tumult at a few words? I'm sure I should be myself were I once among the heather on those hills".

the time when I read unironically young adult novels is long gone so I'm mostly here to see these characters bone and/or kill each other at this point

"But, Nelly, if I knocked him down twenty times, that wouldn't make him less handsome or me more so. I wish I had light hair and a fair skin, and was dressed and behaved as well, and had a chance of being as rich as he will be!"

the way this novel is astoundingly clear in the way it portrays class conflict and racism and yet readers will gloss over it for their own comfort

"He is a dark-skinned gypsy in aspect, in dress and manners a gentleman: that is, as much a gentleman as many a country squire: rather slovenly, perhaps, yet not looking amiss with his negligence, because because he has an erect and handsome figure; and rather morose. [...] He'll love and hate equally under cover, and esteem it a species of impertinence to be loved or hated again".

"Home was not simple nor tranquil. It was full of competition, invisible restraints, oppression that had to be submitted to. It locked everyone in place like components on a circuit board. Inside, there were deaths, power struggles, the just who were deprived of happiness due to false accusations. What kind of world was this?".
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"It's all motivated by greed. Desire is the fall of humankind".

"She could no longer live within the order that governed her homeland, but she would always remember her homeland's dreams".
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"The isolation of languages was the result of collusion; it brought profit, engendered hatred, gave birth to manufactured identities, and, above all, generated the desire to buy, buy, buy. Conversation was dying, but commerce grew ever more vibrant".

I've lived in Tokyo six months, came back about a month ago. reading this now, with a cyberpunk playlist in the background, is making me have really strong feelings. I feel projected in Tokyo at night. (even though it's technically Chiba.)

seems like both Locke Lamora and Six of Crows took inspiration from this novel!

I just finished the biography section (it took so long not because of lack of interest, the book is just a challenging read) and it made me so sad to read of Ichiyo's final success quickly swept away by a death that could have been easily prevented by any of her richer friends. I also would love to read an actual novelization of her story. wonder if there's something of the sort in Japanese.

"But that’s the fate of a storyteller. We become nodal points for the grotesque."

damn this crazy fr

ゆっくりゆっくり読んでみるよ

leggendo la bellissima nuova edizione pubblicata da Marsilio. la traduzione di Bonsanti ha uno stile un po' antiquato, ma forse rappresenta bene la scrittura originale di Mishima. Sicuramente un salto forte per me dal più vivace e colloquiale Akutagawa.

every time ma'am Kuang kills a character it's so damn frustrating. not saying it doesn't make sense. it just makes me want to start biting paper

I've been away from this novel long enough that I forgot I actually enjoy reading it... Alas it *is* over my academic special interest. The characters aren't very detailed though, except Griffin, who's probably the most interesting. However all the linguistic infodropping keeps me fascinated

hot girl summer is reading this while keeping open both Matthew Meyer’s Yōkai book and Toriyama Sekien’s Gazu hyakki yagyō on the same entry. I may have a special interest

they way I can't wait to become fluent in Japanese so I can finally read all of Yanagita and Komatsu's writings!!!

kirino natsuo really hates men huh. good for her

so good to see that Samantha Shannon did her research on Heian period history. the Kuposa clan is so clearly based on the Fujiwara family, with them being ambitious regents. And the court of Antuma is so similar so far to the once real Heiankyō one. Such good details if you can notice them