House of the Sleeping Beauties and Other Stories

by Yasunari Kawabata | Literature & Fiction |
ISBN: 4770029756 Global Overview for this book
Registered by wingLeishaCamdenwing of Alna bydel, Oslo fylke Norway on 1/27/2009
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10 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by wingLeishaCamdenwing from Alna bydel, Oslo fylke Norway on Tuesday, January 27, 2009
From the front cover:

'''An esoteric masterpiece.'
Yukio Mishima'

From the inside flap of the dustjacket:

'Nobel prize-winning author Yasunari Kawabata is noted for his combination of a traditional Japanese aesthetic with modernist, often surreal trends. In these three tales, superbly translated by Edward Seidensticker, erotic fantasy is underlaid with longing and memories of past loves.
In the title story, the protagonist visits a brothel where elderly men spend a chaste but lecherous night with a drugged, unconscious virgin. As he admires the girl's beauty, he recalls his past womanizing, and reflects on the relentless course of old age.
In One Arm, a young girl removes her right arm and gives it to the narrator to take home for the night; a surreal seduction follows as he tries to allay its fears, caresses it, and even replaces his own right arm with it.
The protagonist of Of Birds and Beasts prefers the company of his pet birds and dogs to people, yet for him all living beings are beautiful objects which, though they give him pleasure, he treats with casual cruelty.
Beautiful yet chilling, richly poetic yet subtly disturbing, these stories make compelling reading and reaffirm Kawabata's status as a world-class writer.'

This is a trade paperback edition, albeit a fancy one with a dustjacket and everything. :-) Published in 2004 ... the book was originally published in 1969. The three stories in the book were originally published separately in 1961, 1964 and 1933.

I haven't read anything by this author yet, but I will definitely read this book. It sounds fantastic. Update will follow, sooner or later ... :-)

I bought this book at the thrift store Askeladden in Sandvika in Bærum outside of Oslo on Thursday, October 4th, 2007.

Journal Entry 2 by wingLeishaCamdenwing at Alna bydel, Oslo fylke Norway on Saturday, December 20, 2014
Oops ... ! I have actually read this, and years ago even, but I've been forgetting to journal it ... ! It was quite a lovely book as I recall, unusual stories, beautifully written. I definitely plan to read more by Kawabata.

This book is ready to travel now ... ! :-)

Released 9 yrs ago (12/20/2014 UTC) at -- By post or by hand/ in person, RABCK , bookring/ray, Oslo fylke Norway

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This book is going on a journey in the mail to Sweden, where it will find a new reader, hopefully, as part of the Christmas present exchange on the Scandinavian forum. :-) Merry Christmas, babelfisk! :-)

Journal Entry 4 by babelfisk at Jönköping, Småland Sweden on Tuesday, December 30, 2014
A beautiful and lovely gift! I really look forward to reading it!! Thanks LeishaCamden!
Thanks also for the chocolate.

Journal Entry 5 by babelfisk at Jönköping, Småland Sweden on Thursday, February 19, 2015
A beautiful (both cover and text) book. I had some trouble getting into it but after a while I found it very captivating. Love, grief, sadness and Beauty - all insolubly intertwined.

Journal Entry 6 by babelfisk at Jönköping, Småland Sweden on Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Bookray:

Bookworm-lady (Spain - can post internationally)
Bibliovore
erpax (Finland - can post anywhere)
ruzena (Finland - can post anywhere)
romy86 (can post anywhere)
gaboyd (New Zealand - can post international)

Journal Entry 7 by babelfisk at Jönköping, Småland Sweden on Saturday, April 25, 2015

Released 8 yrs ago (4/25/2015 UTC) at Jönköping, Småland Sweden

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On its way to Bookworm-lady.

Journal Entry 8 by wingBookworm-ladywing at Madrid, Madrid Spain on Thursday, April 30, 2015
The book is here... and what a lovely book it is, with a picture by Klimt in the cover!
Thanks for taking the time for wrapping it so nicely, and thanks for the lovely postcard from Smaland...
Looking forward to reading this one, so I will try not to take long.
Thanks for sharing!! :)

Journal Entry 9 by wingBookworm-ladywing at Madrid, Madrid Spain on Thursday, December 17, 2015
Currently reading it; I will ask for Bibliovore's address.

Journal Entry 10 by wingBookworm-ladywing at Madrid, Madrid Spain on Thursday, January 7, 2016
Well, mixed feelings about this book.
I really liked the title story; it reminded me of a very similar Spanish film, "Bellas durmientes", which I caught one night on TV, and I found most intriguing.
The premise is the same; but though it is beautifully written, I always got the impression that I was missing something... maybe the translation?
On the other hand, I struggled with "One Arm", and after some tries decided to give up.
Thanks for sharing, babelfisk, this is a book I might not have chosen, but I definitely enjoyed reading the first short story.
Soon to continue on its way to bibliovore.

Journal Entry 11 by wingBookworm-ladywing at Madrid, Madrid Spain on Monday, January 11, 2016

Released 8 yrs ago (1/11/2016 UTC) at Madrid, Madrid Spain

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On its way to Bibliovore, in Canada.
Thanks for sharing... and have a safe trip, little book! :)

Journal Entry 12 by Bibliovore at Gatineau, Québec Canada on Monday, January 18, 2016
It just arrived safely, accompanied by the nicest-looking card! I'll get into it right away. Thanks, everybody!

2016-02-11 -- Still no sign from erpax. I'll PM the next in line.

2016-02-16 -- For the first time in my BookCrossing career, I feel linked to all those who read or are about to read this little book. In my mind, this translates as a kind of commitment -- I don't know how to express it better.

"Old" Eguchi... We're repeatedly told he's old, but he's not that old, like the others who go to the House, that he can no longer strangle a sleeping young woman. That strange confusion between masculinity and violence -- what does it mean? What does it mean, for Old Eguchi, to lie down in a womb-like room (all these red curtains), in the heat of an electric blanket and the cold of death? A vampire for youth, beauty and life, Eguchi can only impart death to others, and be brought back to his own end.

This is a deeply unsettling book by Kawabata, but then, most of Kawabata is that way.

Superb foreword by Mishima.

Journal Entry 13 by wingruzenawing at Vantaa, Uusimaa / Nyland Finland on Friday, February 26, 2016
Received today. Thank you!

Journal Entry 14 by wingruzenawing at Vantaa, Uusimaa / Nyland Finland on Sunday, March 20, 2016
House of the Sleeping Beauties was such an impressive text that when reading, I personally felt sexually harassed. Large nipples and small nipples, flat nipples and raised nipples, dark nipples and whatever nipples. Teeth like this and teeth like that, evaluated in the way they estimate horses... I think I got it.
It reminded me of Memories of My Melancholy Whores by Gabriel García Márquez, but this was more staggering. Can't say I enjoyed either of them.
Bibliovore above made good remarks.

The rest of the stories were awesome too, but caused less personal suffering. :D

-ruzena

Journal Entry 15 by wingruzenawing at bookray/bookring, A Bookray -- Controlled Releases on Sunday, March 20, 2016

Released 8 yrs ago (3/20/2016 UTC) at bookray/bookring, A Bookray -- Controlled Releases

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I learned that erpax does exist and will be the next reader.

Journal Entry 16 by wingerpaxwing at Helsinki, Uusimaa / Nyland Finland on Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Still hanging in here. I am very sorry, Bibliovore!

Looking forward to reading these stories (although ruzena already pointed out something). Kiitos! :)

Edit:
29.3.2016

I didn't really enjoy reading the book, but I definitely wanted to read it. It is probably one of the most disturbing books I've ever read, and found it hard to get through at some places, even though it is beautifully written. Especially while reading Of Birds and Beasts, I felt very uncomfortable. I guess these stories will haunt me for some time.

Thanks for sharing!

Journal Entry 17 by wingerpaxwing at Bookring/Bookray, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- Canada on Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Released 8 yrs ago (3/29/2016 UTC) at Bookring/Bookray, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- Canada

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Travel safely!

Journal Entry 18 by romy86 at Perth City, Western Australia Australia on Friday, April 15, 2016
Arrived today. Thanks so much for sending this. I look forward to starting it next week.

Journal Entry 19 by romy86 at Perth City, Western Australia Australia on Thursday, April 21, 2016
I love Japanese fiction generally. Got to admit, I struggled a bit with this as it was just quite disturbing (even though the old man doesn't do anything too terrible, his thoughts are a bit much in places).
I'm wondering if the movie "sleeping beauty" staring Emily Browning might be loosely based or influenced on this story. I saw it some time ago and I've forgotten the little details, but I remember she played a girl who does this job to get money to pay for college.
I remember being less disturbed by the movie than by this, which I guess is a bit odd!
It's very well written with a lot of detail for a 100 page story (like others, I didn't bother with the two shorter stories tacked on the end. I started on "the arm" and it just seemed too peculiar to me, plus I could see it was extremely short, which I also dislike, so I decided to base this review on the main story). I couldn't say I loved it, but I was interested enough to keep reading. The recollection about the 14 year old prostitute gave me the icks, though.
I will contact the next reader shortly and get this on its way. Thank you again for including me. I am glad I had a chance to read this.

Journal Entry 20 by romy86 at Perth City, Western Australia Australia on Sunday, April 24, 2016

Released 7 yrs ago (4/26/2016 UTC) at Perth City, Western Australia Australia

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off to nz on Tuesday.

Journal Entry 21 by winggaboydwing at Christchurch, Canterbury New Zealand on Tuesday, May 3, 2016
Recieved today, in the post

Journal Entry 22 by winggaboydwing at Christchurch, Canterbury New Zealand on Thursday, May 19, 2016

Released 7 yrs ago (5/19/2016 UTC) at Christchurch, Canterbury New Zealand

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Released while at the Postoffice

Journal Entry 23 by amberC at Darwin, Northern Territory Australia on Wednesday, June 15, 2016
Taken from the bookbag

Journal Entry 24 by amberC at Darwin, Northern Territory Australia on Tuesday, September 3, 2019
Strange and disturbing. I read a fair bit of erotica of all sorts but this was....something else. The title story was the best. I too remember the movie of the same name.

Journal Entry 25 by amberC at Darwin, Northern Territory Australia on Saturday, November 30, 2019

Released 4 yrs ago (11/30/2019 UTC) at Darwin, Northern Territory Australia

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Travelling with another book.

Journal Entry 26 by wingjeniwrenwing at Greigs Flat, New South Wales Australia on Wednesday, December 11, 2019
Received travelling with another wishlist tag game book. So nice when books get to travel in company. I plan to pack this one in my lunch bag for work and short stories are ideal for those short snatches of reading :)

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