Quite a different book but still relevant. This deals with most important issue " what makes life exciting!?" But in comical way
" We are never free uQuite a different book but still relevant. This deals with most important issue " what makes life exciting!?" But in comical way
" We are never free until some institution frees us; and liberty cannot exist till it is declared by authority "
"This is the real truth, in the saying that second thought are best. Animals have no second thoughts;man alone is able to see his own thought double, as a drunkard seesa lamp post; man alone is able to see his own thought upside down as one sees a house in a puddle "
" In the same way the vulgar people want to enjoy life just as they want to enjoy gin - because they are too stupid to see that they are paying too big a price for it. That they never find happiness - for it - is proved by the paralyzing clumsiness and ugliness of everything they do. "
" For ages looking up an eternal perspective it might be true that life is a learning to die. But for these little white rats it was just as true that death was their only chance of leaning to live. "
" Stick to the man who looks out of the window and tries to understand the world. Keep clear of the man who looks in at the window and tries to understand you " ...more
Even if this book has an interesting title it is just a diary. What makes it interesting is, it was written one thousand years ago by a woman in JapanEven if this book has an interesting title it is just a diary. What makes it interesting is, it was written one thousand years ago by a woman in Japan during the Heian Period.
The diary starts with the day when the author (lady Sarashina), was a young girl and curious about Capital City. She is also a huge fan of "Tale of Genji". The book follows her life as a young girl to a woman, even though quite an important part of her life is not mentioned (like marriage, childbirth, etc) it still gives us an idea about the type of girl she used to be.
As poetry was an important form of literature in Japan, there is quite a lot of poems about nature, the author missing her friends, father and some other things.
As a translator, Ivan Morris did a wonderful job, as we can still relate to her after 1000 years!!! that's something.
One thing truly different about this book/diary is Lady Sarashina never belittles anyone or gets jealous, or envious of someone. She just lives her life, reads fiction (and daydreams about it), in later years pilgrims to holy places, also works as court lady. There is also a detail about death and her grief afterward.
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