In Yasunari Kawabata's Thousand Cranes, young Kikuji attends a tea ceremony, expecting a formal introduction to a potential bride. Instead, he finds himself entangled in a complex web of relationships inherited from his deceased father, drawn into a forbidden affair with his father's former mistress, Mrs. Ota. This liaison, marked by both desire and a pervasive sense of tragedy, slowly unravels, bringing inevitable suffering and destruction.

Why You Should Read?

• Explore profound themes of inherited karma, desire, and guilt within a subtle narrative.
• Experience Yasunari Kawabata's Nobel Prize-winning prose and lyrical style in Edward G. Seidensticker's acclaimed translation.
• Delve into the precise beauty and strict etiquette of the Japanese tea ceremony as a backdrop to human drama.
• Witness a masterfully crafted tragedy of entangled human relationships and their devastating consequences.