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Quote by Yasunari Kawabata

Work

The Master of Go

In a society where the game of Go is revered and deeply integrated into daily life, 'The Master of Go' explores the life of a young player who aspires to greatness. The story delves into the intricate details of the game, its rich history, and the profound impact it has on the characters' lives. The novel is a meditation on skill, determination, and the pursuit of mastery, set against the backdrop of a world where Go transcends mere entertainment. more

Author

Yasunari Kawabata
Yasunari Kawabata

Yasunari Kawabata was a renowned Japanese novelist born on June 14, 1899, and passed away on April 16, 1972. His works are known for their delicate emotional descriptions and unique cultural background of Japan, making him an indispensable figure in the history of Japanese literature. more

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“How should we be able to forget those ancient myths that are at the beginning of all peoples, the myths about dragons that at the last moment turn into princesses; perhaps all the dragons of our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us once beautiful and brave. Perhaps everything terrible is in its deepest being something helpless that wants help from us. So you must not be frightened if a sadness rises up before you larger than any you have ever seen; if a restiveness, like light and cloudshadows, passes over your hands and over all you do. You must think that something is happening with you, that life has not forgotten you, that it holds you in its hand; it will not let you fall. Why do you want to shut out of your life any uneasiness, any miseries, or any depressions? For after all, you do not know what work these conditions are doing inside you.”

“You could lose the ones you loved in the blink of an eye—and he was willing to bet, when it happened, you weren’t thinking about all the reasons that could have kept you apart. You thought of all the reasons that kept you together. And, no doubt, how you wished you’d had more time. Even if you’d had centuries… When you were young, you thought time was a burden, something to be discharged as fast as possible so you could be grown-up. But it was such a bait-n-switch—when you were an adult, you came to realize that minutes and hours were the single most precious thing you had. No one got forever. And it was a fucking crime to waste what you were given.”