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Love to see classic Japanese literature on here ;) Can also recommend Sei Shonagon's Pillow Book, oshida Kenko's Essays in Idleness, and the Uji collection of

Love to see classic Japanese literature on here ;) Can also recommend Sei Shonagon's Pillow Book, oshida Kenko's Essays in Idleness, and the Uji collection of medieval tales. This constitutes my life hack for decompression. Around 10-11 pm. Turn off everything. And focus your undivided attention on literature that has withstood the test of time. You will feel that anachronistic connection with others who have endured life's trials in a foregone age.

matthewwiese 8y ago
> This constitutes my life hack for decompression. Around 10-11 pm. Turn off everything. And focus your undivided attention on literature that has withstood the test of time. You will feel that anachronistic connection with others who have endured life's trials in a foregone age. Artfully illustrated. That is also more or less mine as well. Sometimes there's nothing better than an evening with good lit; aided by a pen in hand, you can be ready to make note of someone else's insight to further your own. :) Who says a picture need be worth a thousand words? I can think of many writers, event recent ones, whose work opens up a world that pictures cannot.
fermienrico 8y ago
I’d also like to add - “In Praise of shadows” by Tanizaki Junichiro. It is an essay on Japanese aesthetics and how it contrasts with the west.
nyolfen 8y ago
not quite ancient, but adding on to suggest Musui’s Story, the puffed-up autobio of a larger than life 19th century samurai that i found laugh-out-loud funny. my most distinctive memory is him bragging about threatening suicide in front of the peasants in his village to extort more grain from them and how clever that was; or when he made fun of his nephews for failing to prevent the murder of his brother; or bragging about scamming money from nearly everyone in his life. I know that sounds dark but it’s probably mostly a pile of lies anyway.

matthewwiese 8y ago

> This constitutes my life hack for decompression. Around 10-11 pm. Turn off everything. And focus your undivided attention on literature that has withstood the test of time. You will feel that anachronistic connection with others who have endured life's trials in a foregone age. Artfully illustrated. That is also more or less mine as well. Sometimes there's nothing better than an evening with good lit; aided by a pen in hand, you can be ready to make note of someone else's insight to further your own. :) Who says a picture need be worth a thousand words? I can think of many writers, event recent ones, whose work opens up a world that pictures cannot.

fermienrico 8y ago

I’d also like to add - “In Praise of shadows” by Tanizaki Junichiro. It is an essay on Japanese aesthetics and how it contrasts with the west.

nyolfen 8y ago

not quite ancient, but adding on to suggest Musui’s Story, the puffed-up autobio of a larger than life 19th century samurai that i found laugh-out-loud funny. my most distinctive memory is him bragging about threatening suicide in front of the peasants in his village to extort more grain from them and how clever that was; or when he made fun of his nephews for failing to prevent the murder of his brother; or bragging about scamming money from nearly everyone in his life. I know that sounds dark but it’s probably mostly a pile of lies anyway.