The Three-Cornered World
Translated by Alan Turney
A nameless young artist travels into the mountains, in search of the refreshments of nature. Staying at a small hot spring hotel, he soaks in the water and takes walks nearby, always with the intention of painting - though he never seems to get around to actually doing so. Instead, he finds himself transfixed by the daughter of the hotel owner, an enigmatic young beauty.
His preoccupation is neither romantic nor sexual, but aesthetic: why is he so drawn to O-Nami's changeable face, now hostile, now serene? And what prevents him finally putting brush to paper and painting her picture? As the holiday goes on, these two circle each other, pursuing barbed yet friendly conversations about art and despair. And the more he learns about her life - a divorce, a rumoured entanglement with a local priest, a cousin in the army about to travel to the Manchurian front - the more he comes to realise that experiencing O-Nami's beauty to the full requires not just gazing upon her, but understanding her.
One of the foundational classics of modern Japanese literature, The Three-Cornered World is a masterful exploration of the beauty of nature, the artist's temperament and the hidden springs of human sympathy.
-
Free Shipping for orders $150+
Book Publication Date:
Book Publication Year:
Book Binding:
Book Authors:
Book Pages:
Book Publisher:
Publishing has a diversity problem. There are less 'diverse' books being published which limits the discoverability and reach of those authors.
Representation is important. Read more about why we exist here.
An anti-racist social enterprise bookstore specialising in BIPOC books.
Only about 11% of books published are by BIPOC authors — so unless you specifically seek out books by BIPOC authors, you aren't likely to find very many of them organically. At Amplify, BIPOC authors are highlighted and celebrated. Here, they don't have to fight to be seen, and you don't have to fight to find them.
We hope that in our shop, you can discover a new favourite read, find stories that speak uniquely to you, learn about a culture outside your own (or more about your own histories), and gain a better understanding of the systems that connect us all.
Looking for something super specific?
Have a scroll through our tag directory to help direct your search and bring you to curated collections, as grouped by subgenres, identity markers, and more!
