Four Huts: Asian Writings on the Simple Life (Sha
by Watson, Burton
- Used
- Condition
- Used - Very Good
- ISBN 10
- 1611806410
- ISBN 13
- 9781611806410
- Seller
-
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
2 Copies Available from This Seller
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About This Item
Shambala. Used - Very Good.
Reviews
On Apr 23 2014, a reader said:
FOUR HUTS: Asian Writings on the Simple Life, translated by Burton Watson (1994). Don’t let that last phrase fool you. There’s nothing of Marie Antoinette dressing-peasant here.
These are short records, essences caught, of lives of real retirement from the world and often of a poverty we would call stark rather than simple. There are pieces by Po Chu-I, Yoshishige no Yasutane, Kamo no Chomei and Matsuo Basho, ranging from the ninth to the seventeenth century.
The title of the last piece, “Record of the Hut of the Phantom Dwelling," “And yet we all in the end live, do we not, in a phantom dwelling?” captures the insistent Buddhist theme of impermanence.
Kamo no Chomei’s Hojoki, “Record of the Ten-Foot-Square Hut” is one of the touchstone pieces of Japanese literature, a survivor’s record of the fires and famines that attacked Kyoto in the twelfth century, and his reclusion to a mountain hermitage. It’s also one of those indelible, unforgettable pieces that marks anyone who reads it attentively. Watson captures the range of mood and styles. Read them over a couple of quiet evenings and see if you ever forget them. One of the best essays in Sam Hamill’s collection of essays mentioned above is the beautiful “Basho’s Ghost,” a short record of a long life dedicated to the perfecting of a poetic gift.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Russell Books Ltd (CA)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- FORT518141
- Title
- Four Huts: Asian Writings on the Simple Life (Sha
- Author
- Watson, Burton
- Book Condition
- Used - Very Good
- Quantity Available
- 2
- ISBN 10
- 1611806410
- ISBN 13
- 9781611806410
- Publisher
- Shambala
Terms of Sale
Russell Books Ltd
For further information - (250) 361-4447 (GST applied to all Canadian orders). Shipping prices are based on books weighing 2.2 LB, or 1 KG. Canadian and U.S. orders sent with Automated Package Tracking and delivery confirmation, where available. If your book order is heavy or over-sized, we may contact you regarding any extra shipping costs.
About the Seller
Russell Books Ltd
Biblio member since 2006
Victoria, British Columbia
About Russell Books Ltd
Family owned and operated since 1961. Located in Downtown Victoria selling new, used, and remainder titles in all categories. We also have an extensive selection of Journals, cards and calendars.