Wabi-Sabi Paperback – 22 August 2017

侘寂 Wabi-Sabi [a concept](n.) the discovery of the beauty of imperfection; the acceptance of the cycle of life and deathI have always been fascinated by the Japanese concept of Wabi-Sabi. I was immediately intrigued when I came across this book, and was even more so once I read the blurb. That being said, I sadly did not enjoy it as much as I would have liked.I realize the kind of impression this book was meant to leave but I didn’t appreciate it for two reasons. The first is that the idea of romanticizing mid-life crises-inspired journeys to far off lands where the protagonist finds a mysterious woman whose sole purpose throughout his stay is to show him a night of passion and give him some insights where his existential angst is concerned is just not my cup of tea. I personally do not buy into flighty notions of trips to mystical lands to find yourself – this is why this book didn’t appeal to me personally. Perhaps this method works for others.Secondly, even if what the author’s trying to sell was something I did not approach with skepticism, I would still find it poorly executed, because it was a rather short story with some rather shallow insights into the protagonist’s evolution from uptight lecturer to godfather, and possible adoptive father, of the son of his cat’s veterinarian – this sounds ridiculous, but it is what happens. The writing I thought was very simplistic for the kind of weighty ideas that the author was trying to deal with. So in the end, although I thought the book started off quite well, it felt very hollow and not very credible.Also, I would really like to know what the point of Daniel Lumbreras was.

I absolutely loved this little book. It's as delicate and charming as a sakura tree in the spring!I highly recommend it!

I found this book whilst rooting around on Amazon. I'd never heard of the title or the author. However, I decided to take a chance and buy it. So glad I did! Once I picked up this book I couldn't put it down and read it in a couple of hours. The story is well crafted. It deals with usual affairs of the heart but in an original and quirky manner. The characters have individuality and depth. The author describes Japan really well and makes you feel as if you are there. Also, I enjoyed learning about 'Wabi Sabi' , a concept which underlies the whole story. Indeed, it compelled me to do more research about 'Wabi Sabi'. All in all, a very enjoyable book. In fact, I found it so enjoyable that I have purchased "Love In Small Letters" by Frances Miralles. This book deals with the same characters but its storyline predates that of "Wabi Sabi".

Fantastic book!!!