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In Praise of Shadows (Vintage classics) | 
| Author: Jun'ichiro Tanizaki
Publisher: Vintage
Category: Book
List Price: £5.99
Buy New: £1.94
You Save: £4.05 (68%)
New (22) Used (5) from £1.94
Avg. Customer Rating:  7 reviews
Sales Rank: 7372
Media: Paperback
Edition: New edition
Pages: 80
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.6 x 5.2 x 0.3
ISBN: 0099283573
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN: 9780099283577
ASIN: 0099283573
Publication Date: May 3, 2001
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand New. Shipped from UK Mainland. Delivery is usually 2 - 3 working days from order by Royal Mail, International Delivery is by Airmail.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 2 more reviews...
 Embrace the dark side! July 11, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This book has a foreword from someone at UCLA's School of Architecture - so perhaps that is a clue to where it is aimed.
Tanizaki makes a good argument that Japanese art (eg, lacquerware, calligraphy, gold statues, no and kabuki, etc.) cannot be best appreciated in bright, white and shiny surroundings, which he characterizes as Western. He prefers a natural diffused light, softer colours and the 'wear and tear' of wasi-sabi.
At this point in his life Tanizaki (1933) had turned against Western influence, so this is really "In Praise of All Things Japanese!" He does stray from his subject and ramble on like a 'Grumpy Old Man,' which he admits. Partly nostalgia - for he is really railing against the Japanese who had already embraced the 'bright lights' of the West, I'd say he crosses the politically correct line several times and made me feel uncomfortable.
Nevertheless, Tanizaki offers us a valuable link to a rich past, and there is still much we can learn from there. Like how a setting can enhance or destroy our appreciation of an object, a person or theatre. Or, why we should not be afraid of the dark!
Learning without realising you're learning! April 20, 2005
7 out of 8 found this review helpful
This was a very erudite, neat essay. It taught me a lot about the world we live in, and how we live. It was a history lesson too, but surprisingly modern in its approach and the subjects it dealt with. If you want to know about Japan and Japanese design, its houses and its philosophy, this book will provide you with many interesting insights.
Written by a novelist, it is lyrical and poetic too, so you don't have to feel you're making a huge effort to sit down and read some non-fiction!
 Illuminating and Brilliant April 21, 2004
10 out of 12 found this review helpful
Recommended for anyone studying architecture, design, sculpture or art,but I've been giving it out as a general gift for years. Not a novel, butan elegant short essay regarding space, shadow, and light. Veryenlightening (pardon the pun) and will make you think about the space youoccupy in a new way, and may even encourage you not to switch the light sooften....charming and brilliant.
A poetic resume and down to earth approach to architecture July 6, 2000
8 out of 10 found this review helpful
This is a wonderful account of the personal experience of the author with the interior architecture and the pleasure that the emplacement of objects and the light that they catch brings to him.
FOR THOSE WHO PPRECIATE SHADOWS February 1, 1999
3 out of 14 found this review helpful
FOR ANYONE WHO APPRECIATES SHADOWS. THIS BOOK IS SENSITIVE IN NATURE, MANY FEELINGS & TEXTURES. IT WILL TOUCH YOUR SOUL
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