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alida_f's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
fishbones's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Contorto al punto giusto
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexism, and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Sexual content
rnclgr's review against another edition
4.0
Lacul îmi amintește de Kafka și Süskind. Pelicula de apă separă raționalul și prezentul de trecut și de tot ce e tulbure și inexplicabil în lume. Brațul îmi amintește de Cărtărescu prin realismul magic în parte erotic și-n parte coșmaresc. Grabnic se va scutura îmi amintește puțin de Bulgakov. Cel mai mult mi-a plăcut Lacul; e o lume a umbrelor, a nopții, a nuanțelor trecătoare, a părții în defavoarea întregului de orice fel. Și acum mă bântuie imaginea clarobscurului creat pe drum de crengile copacilor luminate de lună. Coperta ediției ăsteia e superbă și contribuie la experiența lecturii.
„Oricum, îi era probabil scris să se ducă la fund în valurile întunecate” (p. 95)
„Copacii aliniați care se înălțau întunecat deasupra capului său, proiectându-și umbrele pe asfalt în lumina lunii, trezeau teamă în sufletul lui” (p. 104)
„astfel că iluzia auditivă nu putea fi, bineînțeles, decât lacul din satul mamei sale” (p. 128)
„În viziunea pe care o avea, fata lăsată pe pod mergea pe sub arborii de gingko, cu colivia atârnând, să-și viziteze iubitul bolnav” (p. 129)
„putea interpreta că astfel își aprinsese simbolic propria inimă pentru trupul ei” (p. 130)
„Dacă dintre unghiile lungi ale fetei și vârfurile degetelor ei ar izvorî lacrimi de femeie...” (p. 179)
„Însă tot cam aici, în zona unde se sfârșește datoria justiției, nu începe sarcina prozatorului?” (p. 185)
„— Am totuși impresia că nefericirea ființei umane a început din momentul când aceasta a învățat cum să îl [trecutul] conserve în mod artificial.” (p. 194)
„O mașinărie lipsită de sentimente putea oare privi cu ochii divinității?” (p. 218)
„Oricum, îi era probabil scris să se ducă la fund în valurile întunecate” (p. 95)
„Copacii aliniați care se înălțau întunecat deasupra capului său, proiectându-și umbrele pe asfalt în lumina lunii, trezeau teamă în sufletul lui” (p. 104)
„astfel că iluzia auditivă nu putea fi, bineînțeles, decât lacul din satul mamei sale” (p. 128)
„În viziunea pe care o avea, fata lăsată pe pod mergea pe sub arborii de gingko, cu colivia atârnând, să-și viziteze iubitul bolnav” (p. 129)
„putea interpreta că astfel își aprinsese simbolic propria inimă pentru trupul ei” (p. 130)
„Dacă dintre unghiile lungi ale fetei și vârfurile degetelor ei ar izvorî lacrimi de femeie...” (p. 179)
„Însă tot cam aici, în zona unde se sfârșește datoria justiției, nu începe sarcina prozatorului?” (p. 185)
„— Am totuși impresia că nefericirea ființei umane a început din momentul când aceasta a învățat cum să îl [trecutul] conserve în mod artificial.” (p. 194)
„O mașinărie lipsită de sentimente putea oare privi cu ochii divinității?” (p. 218)
cristi_ivan's review against another edition
3.0
The collection contains three novellas, all sharing a common theme – obsession about young girls.
The Lake revolves around Momoi Ginpei, a former high school teacher that is profoundly attracted to young girls, so much it becomes impossible for him to abstain from his decadent desires. His teaching career was terminated after he followed home one of his students and convinced her to start a torrid relationship, hiding themselves from prying eyes, in an abandoned lot.
One Arm is even more disturbing in its magical realism and oneiric qualities. A girl removes her right arm and gives it to a man, to keep it for the night. Once the man arrives at his home, he starts a perverted game involving the girl’s arm, imagining the virginal qualities of the girl. Everything escalades once he removes his right arm and replaces it with the girl’s arm, creating thus an asexual connection far above anything physical.
Soon They Will Scatter is a detective story about the absurd murder of two young girls, in their sleep. The narrator tries to find the answer among the confusing declarations of the killer, but sometimes it seems like he has far more disturbing reasons – an obsession of beauty in death.
The prose is exquisite, but I found the stories repetitive and sometimes even boring; it was difficult to keep my mind on what I was reading and often I found myself thinking about other things. While reading this collection, I had strong Nabokov’s Lolita vibrations, but it seems that part of the collection was published before Nabokov’s famous novel. *** stars.
The Lake revolves around Momoi Ginpei, a former high school teacher that is profoundly attracted to young girls, so much it becomes impossible for him to abstain from his decadent desires. His teaching career was terminated after he followed home one of his students and convinced her to start a torrid relationship, hiding themselves from prying eyes, in an abandoned lot.
One Arm is even more disturbing in its magical realism and oneiric qualities. A girl removes her right arm and gives it to a man, to keep it for the night. Once the man arrives at his home, he starts a perverted game involving the girl’s arm, imagining the virginal qualities of the girl. Everything escalades once he removes his right arm and replaces it with the girl’s arm, creating thus an asexual connection far above anything physical.
Soon They Will Scatter is a detective story about the absurd murder of two young girls, in their sleep. The narrator tries to find the answer among the confusing declarations of the killer, but sometimes it seems like he has far more disturbing reasons – an obsession of beauty in death.
The prose is exquisite, but I found the stories repetitive and sometimes even boring; it was difficult to keep my mind on what I was reading and often I found myself thinking about other things. While reading this collection, I had strong Nabokov’s Lolita vibrations, but it seems that part of the collection was published before Nabokov’s famous novel. *** stars.
effloress's review
3.0
“The Lake” offers a more sinister flavor for those who are accustomed to Kawabata’s routine and customary employment of 物の哀れ. Follow Gimpei as he achingly recounts a somber past and finds fleeting solace in a dangerous obsession with stalking numerous women. Here you’ll find imaginary foot fungus colliding with an ugly truth about our world societies.
franceswilde95's review
idk, all of the "chase down the enamoring attractive woman!" stuff got kinda boring and un-feminist for me
vonnegutian's review
3.0
Despite a somewhat sensitive subject matter (the main character is obsessed with following attractive young women) I found 'The Lake' another example of Kawabata's mastery. Having previously read Snow Country/Thousand Cranes, albeit a long time ago, I had already experienced how his light prose skilfully translates deep underlying issues between characters and issues compromised by Japanese tradition and social pressures.
We are told the story of the aforementioned Gimpei in delineated fragments and find him to be an unsettling character complete with disfigured feet and a mysterious and defamed past (losing his job as a teacher after pursuing and having a relationship with one of his students). Dissecting this already broken narrative further, Kawabata intertwines stories of characters that Gimpei's life has directly or indirectly affected. They serve to further illuminate the unbalanced protagonist and leave you with unsettled yet intrigued feelings about the life he has led and what other things he may have done.
We are told the story of the aforementioned Gimpei in delineated fragments and find him to be an unsettling character complete with disfigured feet and a mysterious and defamed past (losing his job as a teacher after pursuing and having a relationship with one of his students). Dissecting this already broken narrative further, Kawabata intertwines stories of characters that Gimpei's life has directly or indirectly affected. They serve to further illuminate the unbalanced protagonist and leave you with unsettled yet intrigued feelings about the life he has led and what other things he may have done.