In praise of shadows / Jun'ichirō Tanizaki ; translated by Thomas J. Harper and Edward G. Seidensticker.
By: Tanizaki, Jun’ichirō
.
Material type: 
BookSeries: Vintage classics: Publisher: London : Vintage ; 2001Description: 73 pages 20 cm.Content type: text Media type: unmediated Carrier type: volumeISBN: 0099283573 (paperback); 978099283577 (paperback).Uniform titles: Inʼei raisan. English Subject(s): Aesthetics | Shades and shadows in artDDC classification: 111.85 Summary: "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." -- Back cover.
| Item type | Current library | Call number | Status | Barcode | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General lending | MTU Crawford College of Art and Design Library Lending | 111.85 (Browse shelf(Opens below)) | Available | 00230532 |
Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:
Were it not for shadows there would be no beauty.
Nothing evokes the calm and nuance of the traditional Japanese aesthetic more profoundly than this book. Tanizaki's eye ranges over architecture, jade, food, even toilets, examining the design and feel of the intimate places we inhabit. His acute sense of the use of space in buildings, his poetic descriptions of lacquerware under candlelight and his appreciation for natural materials suggest the possibility of a simpler, more beautiful life - one in which the softness of shadows is shielded from the dazzling light of modernity.
'Tanazaki suggests an attitude of appreciation and mindfulness, especially mindfulness of beauty, as central to life lived well' AC Grayling, Guardian
'That it is a work of art can never be in doubt' New Statesman
'Elegant...a delight to read' Independent on Sunday
Translation of: Inʼei raisan. English
Originally published: New Haven: Leete's Island Books, 1977.
"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." -- Back cover.
Author notes provided by Syndetics
Jun'ichiro Tanizaki was born in Tokyo, Japan on July 24, 1886. He was a modern Japanese novelist, whose writing is characterized by eroticism and ironic wit. His novels include Some Prefer Nettles, The Makioka Sisters, The Key, and Diary of a Mad Old Man. In 1949, he won the Asahi Prize and was awarded the Order of Culture by the Japanese government. He died of a heart attack on July 30, 1965.(Bowker Author Biography)