Hojoki: Visions of a Torn World (Rock Spring Collection of Japanese Literature) [Paperback]

Kamo no Chomei (Author), Michael Hofmann (Illustrator)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1880656221 | ISBN-13: 978-1880656228 | Publication Date: June 1, 1996

The single great work of literary witness in medieval Japan, Hojoki is a short social chronicle prompted by a series of calamities that overtook old Kyoto in the late 12th century. By building a rude home in the forest and eliminating desire, poet and Buddhist priest Chomei believed he would be spared the anguish that had befallen the townspeople. Yet at the end we find the author consumed with self-doubt, questioning his own sanity and the integrity of his purpose. His voice reaches out from the distant past and speaks directly to our hearts, surprisingly modern and intensely human.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Poet, reporter, social philosopher, monk, Kamo-no-Chomei is one of the great noble and solitary figures in all of Japanese literature, his incomparable Hojoki as relevant today as it was eight hundred years ago. Thanks to Yasuhiko Moriguchi and David Jenkins for this luminous translation and for their brilliant introduction to the ancient masterpiece." -Sam Hamill -- Review

"Presents us with insight anew into the depth, compassion, and wisdom of this exquisite classic." -New Asia Review -- -New Asia Review

Kamo-no-Chomei was tormented by the instability of the material world. All about him, things were falling apart. There was violence and natural catastrophe. The citizens of old Kyoto were in despair. As so Chomei, a Buddhist monk in 13th century Japan, left the city. He built a small hut for himself in the forested mountains. There he led a pastoral,contemplative, Buddhistic life. Still, there were doubts about whether this was the proper Way. This modern-verse translation has a message as timely and profound as anything written about the Los Angeles riots, the Kobe earthquake, or the horrors of modern war. Hojoki will raise questions, inspire discussion, and move readers with its passionate descriptions of the human condition. Hojoki is one of the wonderfully timeless books about the human experience, the meaning of life, and the proper conduct thereof. -- Midwest Book Review

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Japanese

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Stone Bridge Press (June 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1880656221
• ISBN-13: 978-1880656228
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #113,565 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #29 in Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > Japanese
  • #53 in Books > Literature & Fiction > History & Criticism > Asian

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brief and beautiful, November 22, 2003

By 

wiredweird "wiredweird" (Earth, or somewhere nearby) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Hojoki: Visions of a Torn World (Rock Spring Collection of Japanese Literature) (Paperback)

This is the most poetic book of prose I have ever seen. Kamo-no-Chomei starts the book with recollections of a series of disasters that struck Kyoto in the late twelfth century: fire, plague, famine, and more. The descriptions are personal and vivid. The near-poetic form of the writing puts intense feeling behind the words. Although Chomei wrote many years after the events, his grief and horror came through as very fresh.

The second part of the book describes Chomei's gradual withdrawal into solitary monasticism. The string of successively less grand homes ends in his famous 'ten square foot hut.' He was not strictly a hermit, but seemed mostly content with a small and simple kind of life. I was especially moved by his descriptions of time spent with a small boy. It brought to mind the end of Hesse's Glass Bead Game.

It would be easy to write a review longer than the work itself, so let me finish with a few words about the translation. The text is readable, elegant, and unaffected, quite an achievement for a book of this sort. The historical footnotes add real insight to the text, they are not just academic filler. It won't take long to read this book, but I promise time well spent to the thinking reader.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars hojoki, a hermit poet's retreat, June 10, 2008

By 

F. Simpson (marin county, California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hojoki: Visions of a Torn World (Rock Spring Collection of Japanese Literature) (Paperback)

This short, but ancient and valuable little book is a Japanese classic.
Anyone into japanese tea ceremony, haiku poetry, etc. will love this book.
I'm SOOOO glad I bought it!