Welcome to Litsy!

A man receives three letters after his mistress dies: one from her, one from her daughter and one from his wife.

The unreliability of individual perception forms the central theme of this Japanese novella, in which nothing is what it seems.

What I saw on the ocean that night was without a doubt a figure, the perfect figure, of the distress, the fleeting, this-worldly writhing that is a woman‘s life.

[More eye rolling from me as Inoue‘s character thinks about a ship she watched burn; photo from Internet.]

“To love, to be loved—how sad such human doings are.”

Is this author a misanthrope? This book makes it seem like life is nothing but a tragedy, and the woman who admits to being happy worries that she has been TOO happy. FFS

This became a hate-read, as I disliked its melodrama more and more as I went along, but it‘s only about 100 pages, so I resolved to see it through. It‘s the author‘s first published work, and he himself calls it green. As for me, “I am simply reaping the punishment I am due as a woman [reader] incapable of enduring the pain of loving [insert dramatic hand to forehead gesture], who wanted for herself only the joy of being loved.” 🙄

… if you had driven into my pulsing heart an unmistakable loathing for your person—then, perhaps, against all odds, I might have fallen meekly into your arms.

🙄

“On my birthday, I asked that even the maids wear ribbons and then threw a raucous party to which only university students were invited.”

I had to google this wearing of ribbons business. I think it means obi? I assume the style of women‘s clothing was a class thing in 1930s Japan. Littens, do you have further insight for me?

#hetjachtgeweer #yasushiinoue

I've read this book for the third time since the Haloween exchange. An astonishingly emotional story of love and betrayal written in an almost cold prose, under which everything is full of emotions. Anger, resentment, guilt, love, bitterness, regret ...all this on 106 pages in the form of three letters of three women about one man (who recognizes himself in a poem about a hunter) who is troubled by the question of how well we know our loved ones.

I found it! The Hunting Gun and Bullfight in Japanese 💖😘

Zen-halloweenish five o‘clock tea for #litsypartyofone New book, tasting new tea and @sisilia you are right! I‘ve never drank jasmine tea before and is delicious. Aromatic, warm and not too heavy, just perfect 👌

This little green #ShortBook is gorgeous and powerful. Pictured with two other delightful slim volumes.

In other news, it‘s the first day of autumn! Someone forgot to tell the weather—especially in @MicheleinPhilly ‘s neck of the woods. 😓

#30DaysofReadathon

Exquisite. That's the one word to describe this book. Such beautiful prose; so much is revealed in just few pages. The translation work is amazing it's poetic. Now I must get the Japanese version to indulge myself in this masterful writing.

Thank you @shawnmooney for the recommendation. What a treat!

I probably ought to have narrowed it down a bit more, but here are my top ten books of 2017 #sofar.

Thanks to Litsy for every single one of these recommendations!

Would you look at the time? It's already wine o'clock! I'm getting fancy tonight with a glass of Three Buck Chuck. 💁 Is it dangerous to drink while reading books titled after weapons?

#deweys24hrreadathon

This little stack is just a small sampling of recent #bookmail that I hereby emphatically blame on the ever handsome and brilliant @shawnmooney . He has yet to steer me wrong!

Three women connected by an affair write letters to the man. Through the letters, written in beautifully spare prose, we learn the history of the affair. Masterful at revealing each woman's character and leaving us to think about where our sympathies lie. A small book, perfectly formed, this is a treat. Partly set on Izu Peninsula where I'll be visiting soon, so I liked the feel of the landscape & Japanese sensibility.

Just arrived!! Thank you @shawnmooney for these books. I've never heard of any of them and that's the exciting part 😊

After noticing a hunter in the bush one day, a poet writes a poem about him. Later, he receives a letter from that hunter, who'd recognized himself in the published poem. Even more strangely, 3 deeply personal letters to the hunter are enclosed. These letters form the narrative. Within a very few pages and such an inventive structure, Inoue spins a taut, utterly compelling tale of love, betrayal, and death. The Hunting Gun blew me away. (ahem)

I have no idea what sort of letter would make anyone want to do that, but I'm sure as heck curious!

SUNDAY AFTERNOON USED BOOK HAUL #5 of 7

My first Pushkin Press book!