36 views of Mount Fuji

Fülszöveg

In 1980, Cathy Davidson traveled to Japan to teach English at a leading all-women's university. It was the first of four such journeys, and the beginning of a deep and abiding fascination. In this extraordinary book, Cathy Davidson depicts a series of intimate moments and small epiphanies that together make up a panoramic view of Japan. With wit, candor, and a lover's keen eye, she tells captivating stories-from that of a Buddhist funeral laden with ritual to an exhilarating evening spent touring the "Floating World," the sensual demimonde in which salaryman meets geisha and the normal rules are suspended. On a remote island inhabited by the last matriarchal society in the world, a disconcertingly down-to-earth priestess leads her to the heart of a sacred grove. And she spends a few unforgettable weeks in a quasi-Victorian residence called the Practice House, where, until recently, Japanese women were taught American customs so that they would make proper wives for husbands who... Tovább

Fülszöveg

In 1980, Cathy Davidson traveled to Japan to teach English at a leading all-women's university. It was the first of four such journeys, and the beginning of a deep and abiding fascination. In this extraordinary book, Cathy Davidson depicts a series of intimate moments and small epiphanies that together make up a panoramic view of Japan. With wit, candor, and a lover's keen eye, she tells captivating stories-from that of a Buddhist funeral laden with ritual to an exhilarating evening spent touring the "Floating World," the sensual demimonde in which salaryman meets geisha and the normal rules are suspended. On a remote island inhabited by the last matriarchal society in the world, a disconcertingly down-to-earth priestess leads her to the heart of a sacred grove. And she spends a few unforgettable weeks in a quasi-Victorian residence called the Practice House, where, until recently, Japanese women were taught American customs so that they would make proper wives for husbands who might be stationed abroad.
36 Views of Mount Fuji not only transforms our image of Japan, it offers a stirring look at the very nature of culture and identity. Often funny, sometimes liltingly sad, it is as intimate and irresistible as a long-awaited letter from a good friend.
'Beautifully written 36 Views of Mount Fuji resonates like one of the Japanese temple bells Davidson so hauntingly describes: profound, clear, and unforgettable I did not want to put it down."
-SUSAN ALLEN TOTH, author of Blooming
"Appealing No one could have tried harder to fathom Japanese culture [than Davidson] . The result is a series of illuminations not unlike the sudden break in the clouds that finally lets her glimpse Mount Fuji ,from the window of a bullet train
—FRANCINE PROSE, New York Times Book Review Vissza