A review by oliviachen7
Autumn Light: Season of Fire and Farewells by Pico Iyer
4.0
This book left my heart tender and open. Through the lens of autumn in Japan, Iyer’s gentle prose and observant gaze made the age-old questions about time and death still feel poignant: “how to hold on to the things we love even though we know that we and they are dying. How to see the world as it is, yet find light within that truth.” There’s also something to be said for a book finding you at the right time — I’m glad I read this at a time of transition between chapters and I think it resonated more because of that.
I think aging is often depicted as a very depressing experience (and there are still themes around elders getting left behind by their children, as they have the freedom their parents wished for them), so I really loved his descriptions of skilled octogenarians he regularly plays ping pong with - they have a full life. The beauty of his other quotidian observations made me want to seek more beauty and joy in the simple occurrences of daily life, not in the grand moments.
I think aging is often depicted as a very depressing experience (and there are still themes around elders getting left behind by their children, as they have the freedom their parents wished for them), so I really loved his descriptions of skilled octogenarians he regularly plays ping pong with - they have a full life. The beauty of his other quotidian observations made me want to seek more beauty and joy in the simple occurrences of daily life, not in the grand moments.