aruarian_melody's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
3.5
I don't think I was the target audience for this one. At the beginning the author points out that "what you will find here is not scholarship, and it is not to be given credit, all my protestations notwithstanding". His sources are mostly anecdotes and oral history. While that can be interesting, I found it difficult to separate which points are well-known and what is just speculation. I think someone with more knowledge about the presented topics might get more out of this. It isn't an introduction to Kyoto or Japanese culture. Still, a lot of these things were really interesting and the illustrations were phenomenal.
chadkoh's review against another edition
5.0
Kerr’s conversational tone and profusion of insights (mundane, holy, and profane) draws the reader in quickly. Another Kyoto is a pleasurable read, bursting with knowledge, and it is best to just go along for the ride.
See full review: https://chadkohalyk.com/2019/09/30/walking-and-talking-a-review-of-another-kyoto/
See full review: https://chadkohalyk.com/2019/09/30/walking-and-talking-a-review-of-another-kyoto/
meryberry's review
informative
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
4.75
This book is both the Mount Sumeru of the quincunx and the Cosmic Wall which leads us out of the chaos of our lifes.
talhorn04's review against another edition
5.0
Not what I was expecting, really interesting cultural history of Japan, learnt a lot— weird that Japan just kind of owned being not as good as China for so long
tallyn_____'s review against another edition
5.0
Not what I was expecting, really interesting cultural history of Japan, learnt a lot— weird that Japan just kind of owned being not as good as China for so long
captainfez's review
3.0
This is the third of Kerr's books I've read. The first, I found vital, the second not so much. So this sits neatly in the middle, for me. Where it departs from the first two books, though, is in its level of personality: in Another Kyoto I think the reader receives much more of a sense of the author as a person.
Why? Because this book focuses on parts of a city - Kyoto, as you've guessed from the title - and scrutinises them with exquisite focus. This is a at once travel book and a little treatise on tea and form, history and behaviour that makes you want to visit its subject and enjoy its riches anew.
The book covers a couple of topics in great depth, mostly things which may be considered either structural or ornamental to some degree: walls, tatami, plaques, gates, screens and so forth. There's elements of history and design development in his writing, but it's all anchored in the idea of observation: of actually going to the places and seeing the things you're reading about. I'm a little disappointed that I didn't save the book for a week in the city, so I could visit and experience what's written about in person - such is the enthusiasm conveyed in the writing.
It's well-illustrated throughout, with clear line-drawings indicating the concepts at hand, be it multi-screen painting or demon exhalation.
If you know a little about Kyoto - ideally you've been there already and have seen the tourist spots before - then this book is delightful. It's a brief course in observation: Kerr's lifetime of studying and living in Japan is distilled in a series of quasi-histories which serve the purpose of teaching the reader how to see. The book serves to draw attention to some parts of Kyoto which may otherwise be unregarded, except by locals. While they may eventually end up on the tourist trail, for now the places described in here - and very specific aspects of those places in particular - serve as a guide for those who want to go beyond the well-known.
Why? Because this book focuses on parts of a city - Kyoto, as you've guessed from the title - and scrutinises them with exquisite focus. This is a at once travel book and a little treatise on tea and form, history and behaviour that makes you want to visit its subject and enjoy its riches anew.
But in Japan, compulsive behavior goes much further, and I think it's because Japanese society, especially Kyoto society — hierarchical, inbred, focused on itself, aristocratic, and for centuries at peace — was a fertile breeding ground for repetitive detail. Compulsive behavior was constantly reinforced and refined, until it became art.Another Kyoto isn't aiming for a comprehensive survey, as earlier books may have done. Instead, this is the equivalent of a whispered conversation from a knowledgeable friend. It's full of the sort of arcane detail that delights the enthusiast, and while there's a lot of knowledge there's not quite so much criticism as you'll find in his earlier works. I like to think that this is because Kerr is writing about the things he loves, here, rather than becoming angry about the things he doesn't.
The book covers a couple of topics in great depth, mostly things which may be considered either structural or ornamental to some degree: walls, tatami, plaques, gates, screens and so forth. There's elements of history and design development in his writing, but it's all anchored in the idea of observation: of actually going to the places and seeing the things you're reading about. I'm a little disappointed that I didn't save the book for a week in the city, so I could visit and experience what's written about in person - such is the enthusiasm conveyed in the writing.
It's well-illustrated throughout, with clear line-drawings indicating the concepts at hand, be it multi-screen painting or demon exhalation.
If you know a little about Kyoto - ideally you've been there already and have seen the tourist spots before - then this book is delightful. It's a brief course in observation: Kerr's lifetime of studying and living in Japan is distilled in a series of quasi-histories which serve the purpose of teaching the reader how to see. The book serves to draw attention to some parts of Kyoto which may otherwise be unregarded, except by locals. While they may eventually end up on the tourist trail, for now the places described in here - and very specific aspects of those places in particular - serve as a guide for those who want to go beyond the well-known.
aerdna's review
4.0
Kerr is a detail oriented fellow with an immense depth of knowledge on (and perhaps more important, love for) Kyoto, and these essays read like a chat with him about some of his pet topics. They lean heavily towards architecture and design elements, but also how these tie into religious and historical periods in Japan. Maybe the biggest strength of the book is the way it teaches you to pay attention to details you would have otherwise missed.
I lagged in different parts that were less interesting to me, but you could easily skip sections and still get a whole lot out of the book as a whole.
I lagged in different parts that were less interesting to me, but you could easily skip sections and still get a whole lot out of the book as a whole.