Do you have an all-time favorite author?

Yes. My favorite English-language author isElmore Leonard, though my single favorite English-language novel isThe Friends of Eddie Coyleby George V. Higgins, a book that was a strong influence on Leonard.

But my favorite author isYasunari Kawabata. I love all of his books, with the exception ofThe Master of Go, which I like. But if I had to pick one favorite of his books, I think it would beThe Sound of the Mountain.