From the Bookshelf of Around the World in 80 Books…
Find A Copy At
Group Discussions About This Book
No group discussions for this book yet.
What Members Thought
Basho takes to the road, and, along the way, writes little haiku.
It wasn't always pleasant:
How far must I walk
To the village of Kasajima
This endlessly muddy road
Of the early wet season?
And:
Bitten by fleas and lice,
I slept in a bed,
A horse urinating all the time
Close to my pillow.
But there are also lovely tributes to nature:
It was with awe
That I beheld
Fresh leaves, green leaves,
Bright in the sun.
And:
In the utter silence
Of a temple,
A cicada's voice alone
Penetrates the rocks.
It's a fascinating wal ...more
It wasn't always pleasant:
How far must I walk
To the village of Kasajima
This endlessly muddy road
Of the early wet season?
And:
Bitten by fleas and lice,
I slept in a bed,
A horse urinating all the time
Close to my pillow.
But there are also lovely tributes to nature:
It was with awe
That I beheld
Fresh leaves, green leaves,
Bright in the sun.
And:
In the utter silence
Of a temple,
A cicada's voice alone
Penetrates the rocks.
It's a fascinating wal ...more
Basho is an excellent writer. His travel sketches and poetry are, quite rightfully, renowned throughout Japan and the rest of the world. His work is studied and meditative, while still carrying through it a full range of human emotion. In most of his travel sketches, this is enjoyable. In The Narrow Road to the Deep North, it is transporting. The Narrow Road is the last of the sketches in this volume, Basho's most famous work, and the first work I've read in a long while that sent me genuinely r
...more
Apr 03, 2015
Carla
marked it as to-read
Feb 04, 2017
Mary Paul
marked it as to-read
Sep 23, 2018
Theresa Wright
marked it as to-read
Jan 09, 2020
Ginger
marked it as to-read
Jul 01, 2024
Mike
marked it as to-read
