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A review by sydsnot71
The Narrow Road to the Deep North and Other Travel Sketches by Matsuo Bashō
4.0
This is a collection of Matsuo Bashō's travel writing. It is made up of five short books: The Records of a Weather-Exposed Skeleton; A Visit to the Kashima Shrine; The Records of a Travel-Worn Satchel; A Visit to Sarashina Village and The Narrow Road to the Deep North.
They are a mix of prose and poetry. Bashō is best known in the West, if he is known at all, as a poet. He seemed to specialise in haiku (both singularly and as part of linked verse.)
Far and distant
Lighter than cherry blossoms
Floating like a mirage
The pine tree of Karasaki
First published in 1966 and translated by Nobuyuki Yuasa this is a fascinating collection. Yuasa's introduction is absolutely worth reading for contextualising both the poems and the poet.
Although this is ostensibly travel writing there is a subtext, which is that of a man trying to find his place in the world and to find the courage to devote himself to poetry. In The Records of a Travel-Worn Satchel this is explicitly outlined in a really strong section explaining this process and that ends:
"The fact is, it knows no other art than the art of writing poetry, and therefore, it hangs on it more or less blindly." (p71)
These are the journeys of man going out into the world to find himself and his muse. He struggles to write poetry when he feels he should be able to because of all the stimuli* around him.
It isn't a long read. Without the introduction and footnotes the text of the five books is only 92 pages, but I think the introduction is essential. I really enjoyed reading it and the next time I'm travelling I might take it with me to read as I'm out and about to remind me to 'stop and stare.'
*I'm not sure stimuli is the right word, but I'm tired and my brain is struggling to find the correct one.
They are a mix of prose and poetry. Bashō is best known in the West, if he is known at all, as a poet. He seemed to specialise in haiku (both singularly and as part of linked verse.)
Far and distant
Lighter than cherry blossoms
Floating like a mirage
The pine tree of Karasaki
First published in 1966 and translated by Nobuyuki Yuasa this is a fascinating collection. Yuasa's introduction is absolutely worth reading for contextualising both the poems and the poet.
Although this is ostensibly travel writing there is a subtext, which is that of a man trying to find his place in the world and to find the courage to devote himself to poetry. In The Records of a Travel-Worn Satchel this is explicitly outlined in a really strong section explaining this process and that ends:
"The fact is, it knows no other art than the art of writing poetry, and therefore, it hangs on it more or less blindly." (p71)
These are the journeys of man going out into the world to find himself and his muse. He struggles to write poetry when he feels he should be able to because of all the stimuli* around him.
It isn't a long read. Without the introduction and footnotes the text of the five books is only 92 pages, but I think the introduction is essential. I really enjoyed reading it and the next time I'm travelling I might take it with me to read as I'm out and about to remind me to 'stop and stare.'
*I'm not sure stimuli is the right word, but I'm tired and my brain is struggling to find the correct one.