Master of Go has been sitting on my shelf for an incredibly long time. I recall reading Kawabata's book Thousand Cranes several years ago and truly relishing it. So, I must admit, I was somewhat disappointed in this particular work. That being said, there were indeed sections that I did find appealing: namely, those that had no connection whatsoever to the game of Go.

This novel is based on the 1938 Go match between the Go Master, Shusai, and a significantly younger challenger, Kitani. As per Wikipedia, Kawabata covered the match for a newspaper chain, and certain portions of his articles were reworked for this book.

Shusai appears to mirror the declining traditional Japanese society following World War II, while Kitani represents the new modern Japan. It's an interesting juxtaposition that Kawabata explores, although perhaps not as deeply as I had hoped. Overall, while Master of Go has its moments, it didn't quite live up to my expectations.

EDIT: I wonder, would a pun(?) like 明治ん - 名人 be acceptable...? It's quite an interesting thought.

A masterpiece, perhaps? Kawabata's work seems to be a collection of all his sentiments crammed into one book rather than just an observation of a Go match. Although his ideals don't necessarily strike me as being entirely sensible, for some mysterious reason, this book touches me more deeply than I ever anticipated.

After reading this, I found myself thinking that for a moment, I could almost understand the reasons behind his suicide. It's a profound and somewhat disturbing thought.

This is yet another one-sitting read for me. I rate it 4 stars, with an additional 1 personal star for the impact it has had on me. It's a book that lingers in the mind and makes one reflect on the deeper aspects of life and human nature.

I had high expectations for this book by a Nobel laureate. I thought there would be a lot of philosophy, wisdom, and delicate Japanese landscapes.

However, it turned out to be a very long reportage, lasting half a year, about the last game of the famous master Susaya Honinbo XXI in go. The name of Susaya shone in tournaments throughout three eras - Meiji, Taisho, and Showa. He had to fight simultaneously with two opponents - Otake and a heart disease, and once the game was postponed for three months due to the hospitalization of the master.

The players demonstrate different styles of behavior. Onoda, a sixth-dan player, "sat quietly with his eyes closed when it was his opponent's turn. Later, he explained that he was trying to overcome his thirst for victory in this way." Others turned off their consciousness while the opponent was thinking.

This was a time when the rules of go were changing, and it was a time when a new society was replacing the old one, the Meiji era. Therefore, this game symbolized the change of eras. The many directions in go that had existed for centuries disappeared, just as other remnants of the feudal era in Japan collapsed.

"After all, now the game is regulated to the smallest detail, the elegance of go as an art has disappeared, respect for the elderly has been lost, and even mutual respect among people seems to have decreased. The beautiful Japanese and generally Eastern customs have been forgotten even in go - now everything is calculated, everything is regulated by all kinds of rules. The transition to the next dan, which has a significant impact on the life of a professional, is now subject to a detailed point-scoring system. In go, a tactic that can be called 'victory at any cost' has prevailed; there is no time to think about the beauty of the game, about taste. Today, the desire to play at all costs on an equal footing prevails, even if your opponent is a master, and this has nothing to do with Otake. After all, go is not only an art, it is also a struggle, a competition, and therefore such a course of events is probably inevitable."

Susaya was the last of the masters who respected the tradition of go as a way of life and an art.

The book contains diagrams of the placement of stones on the board. Only those who can play can understand them.

"In China, go was considered a game of the gods, and there was something divine hidden in it. But the idea that the three hundred and sixty-one intersections on the board encompass all the laws of the universe, both divine and human, was born in Japan."

I think the philosophical meaning of this book lies in how these three hundred and sixty-one intersections encompass all the laws of the universe, both divine and human. But in the book, this thesis is not developed, so the meaning will be understood by those who are initiated into this knowledge, to which I do not belong.

Wielki powrót!

Kawabata, as always, enchants with his elegant, lyrical style and subtle symbolism. During his lifetime, he often said that he was given the gift of life to bear witness to the beauty of traditional Japanese culture. In his works, he explored themes of solitude, beauty, and the fleeting nature of life.

"Meijin - The Master of Go" is essentially a longer narrative, a particularly special work in the author's oeuvre, as it focuses on the description of a single game of Go, sometimes rather ignorantly called "Japanese chess."

Go is one of the oldest board games in the world. Its origins can be traced back as far as 4000 years. The first written mentions of Go date back to the 5th century BC, but the game was probably known even earlier. It is said that Emperor Yao or Shun invented it to develop the strategic skills of his son, but this is probably just a legend. The fact remains that from the beginning, it was one of the ways for the aristocracy to pass the time, along with writing poetry, calligraphy, and so on.

Of course, Go is more popular in Asia, its place of origin, in China, but also in Korea and Japan. The game of Go was introduced to Japan around the 7th century by Buddhist monks who came from China. Centuries later, Tokugawa Ieyasu recognized the strategic and intellectual value of Go and established official Go schools. The best player from each school received the title of "meijin" (master) and an annual pension from the shogunate. The first official meijin, Honinbo Sansa, was a key figure in the development of Go in Japan. His influence and teachings laid the foundation for future generations of players. The hero of Kawabata's story - playing his last professional match - holds the title of the next Honinbo.

In Japan, Go is not just a game but also a part of the country's cultural heritage. It is a tool for developing strategic skills, patience, and concentration. The Japanese approach to Go, with its deep respect for tradition and mastery, still inspires players around the world.

In Poland, Go has only been around since the second half of the 20th century. That's when the Polish Go Association (PSG) was founded. It is the organizer of the Polish Go Championships and is a member of the European Go Federation and the World Go Federation as the representative of Poland.

Selected quotes:

"I suddenly felt a longing for people. I felt as if, after a long journey, I had crossed a mountain ridge and seen the smoke rising above a village. I craved that common hustle and bustle associated with the preparations for the New Year's festivities" (14).

"I used a Contax camera with a Sonnar 1.5 lens, which, regardless of my qualifications, performed decently, according to its capabilities. The lens is indifferent - alive or dead, human or thing. It is indifferent to emotions and respect. Well, simply, I didn't make a big mistake in operating it, and the rest was done by the Zeiss lens. And it was the merit of the lens that, although the image showed the face of a dead man, it gave the impression of depth and softness. [...] I gradually came to the conclusion that photographs do not convey either life or death. [...] I thought that photographs are a manifestation of something mysterious that we are not allowed to see" (35).

"I realized that it was, however, reckless of me to photograph a dead man and then joke that I had done so. It is probably not right to immortalize the images of non-living people in photographs. But it is also true that in these images, the extraordinary life of the Master returns" (36).

"It can be said that in the last game of his life, the Master suffered because of the rationalism typical of modern times, which, subordinating everything to pedantic rules, caused the charm and ingenuity of Art to disappear somewhere, that there was no place for respect for the elderly, for mutual respect. The beauty of Japan, the beauty of the East, which was passed down through generations, flew away from the Road of Go, and was replaced by calculation and regulations. The pursuit of ever-higher ranks, to which the life of a professional player is subordinated, has been subjected to the rigors of meticulous scoring. The most important thing in the tactics of the game has become the striving for victory, but there is no place for savoring the charm and dignity of Go as an Art" (59-60). #university #professor #academy #academics

"Everything seems to be leading to the fact that [...] the title of master will become, above all, a symbol of supremacy, something like a laurels of victory, and from the point of view of the tournament organizers - a product" (60-61).

"Perhaps it is true that such institutions as the lifetime title of master, the system of ranks and promotions, as well as the system of schools and licenses issued by their heads, which is in force in the world of traditional Japanese arts, belong to feudal relics" (61).

"And now, when the spirit of boastfulness is going for the better with iconoclasm, the Master stands in his last match like an ancient figurine, in which the echo of a departing world resounds" (61).

"When a law is established, there is a place for cunning that allows it to be circumvented" (62).

"He replied confidentially: [...] you know... I'm no thinker, and I don't have anything that could be called faith, and even if, as some say, I am supported by a sense of responsibility towards Go, that still doesn't explain why I have endured until now. They say: 'spiritual strength', but that doesn't really convince me. [...] Maybe I'm just not sensitive at all. You know, that kind of absent-minded type. I think that it was good for me to be torn" (87).

"It might have seemed that for a moment, the face of the non-existent Master was released from the awareness of his existence" (92).

It's a chronicle-novel, it's faction, it's creative non-fiction, it's a non-fiction novel... and it's published 15 years before "In Cold Blood" invented the genre.

Here, we have a work that defies easy categorization. It blurs the lines between different literary forms, creating something unique and captivating.

I couldn't finish the Wikipedia article on the game of Go.

Perhaps it was the complexity of the game that overwhelmed me, or maybe it was my lack of interest. Nevertheless, it serves as a contrast to the story that Kawabata weaves.

And then Kawabata gives the final scores at the start of the second chapter.

This unexpected move adds an element of mystery and anticipation. We wonder how the game will unfold and what led to those scores.

But he keeps this story interesting by giving us the rooms, the people, the autumn trees, the fraught wives, the gardens, the smell of burning paulownia wood, etc.

Kawabata's attention to detail brings the story to life, making us feel as if we are there, experiencing it all firsthand. His vivid descriptions draw us in and keep us engaged from beginning to end.

This is likely not the most ideal novel to commence with when it comes to Kawabata. It doesn't typify his customary sensory or sensual writing style. Instead, it leans more towards being contemplative and reflective. In some parts, it gets a bit sluggish with the details of the championship game. The ending also gives the impression of being incomplete.

"The invincible Master" had forfeited his final championship match.

It signified the conclusion of an era. Not only did Shusai's dominance ultimately cease, but the new champion wasn't his chosen successor. It wasn't merely a matter of being surpassed by the next generation; the master was overcome by modern ethos and rules. There was a distinct sense of losing control, whereas in the past, the master was all-powerful in the domain of go.

There was an element of unreality about the pictures, which might have stemmed from the case, the ultimate tragedy of a man so disciplined in an art that he had forfeited the better part of reality.

The master was a man fixated. He was so engrossed in the game that he even disregarded his own health. His extremely competitive nature is evident in how he managed his break time, as he still persisted in competing in other games like chess and billiards. In contrast, Otake, the challenger, was more in tune with reality. Family held a higher priority in life for Otake.

The Master seemed like a relic left behind by Meiji.

Perhaps there could be some sociopolitical undertones within the story.

It is readable but not overly engaging.

This story, which is partly based on a journalist's report on a Go match, is accompanied by pictures of the board and the moves.

I have no knowledge of the game and did not delve into it as it seems extremely complex. However, I still found the book captivating, with a tense and lurid atmosphere.

One of the players is on the verge of death, while the other spends a significant amount of time between moves in the toilet or suffers from debilitating stomach trouble.

Like all the books by Kawabata that I have read, the plot, if there is one, is of little significance. His writing reminds me of Kafka's or Ishiguro's narrators, who are constantly searching for things they will never find.

If this is the kind of book you prefer, you will surely enjoy it. However, if you are seeking a traditional story, you might not be as satisfied.

Before I actually started reading the novel "The Master of Go" by Yasunari Kawabata, it weighed on me like a burden, intimidated me, and created a sense of discomfort for me. This was not due to the subject matter of the book, but rather the fear that I would not be able to appreciate it for its true value. Now, however, I can see why Kawabata himself declared this novel to be his best. It is painfully beautiful.

Being the first Japanese writer to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1968, Yasunari Kawabata is rather well-known to Western readers due to novels such as "Snow Country" (Humanitas, 2007), "Beauty and Sadness" (Humanitas Fiction, 2013), or "Thousand Cranes" (Humanitas, 2000). Since, in a simplistic summary, "The Master of Go" is indeed about the game of go, a specific Japanese game that is much more complicated than chess and somehow not in line with the Western spirit (as Kawabata also declares through the character of Uragami, the amateur go journalist who reports the entire progress of the game to the general public:

"It may be ventured to take an American beginner as an example, but it can be said that, in general, Westerners do not have enough kiai. In Japan, go is more than just a game, a pastime, it has become a Way and an Art."

it seems that this novel did not enjoy as much international recognition as the ones mentioned above. Paradoxically, for me, a stranger to the mysteries of go, "The Master of Go" seemed an accessible book, extremely beautiful, which can be read on two levels: the basic one, where the emphasis is on human relationships, on the theme of old age and death, and on the replacement of the old with the new, and a higher level, accessible mainly to professional go players, since Kawabata relates one after another the decisive moves on the goban of the two opponents.

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The theme didn't interest me at all. I lack the slightest interest in games like go. However, they recommended it to me with such emphasis that I gave it a chance. And they were right. Kawabata has shown the ability to make me interested even in physical chemistry if he wants, with that masterful way of narrating.

It's truly remarkable how Kawabata can take a subject that I initially had no interest in and turn it into something captivating. His storytelling skills are so powerful that they can draw me in and make me engage with the material on a deeper level.

I'm glad I listened to their recommendation and gave this work a try. It has opened my eyes to the potential of finding interest in unexpected places. Thanks to Kawabata's talent, I now have a newfound appreciation for things that I previously thought were uninteresting.

"The Master of Go" tells the story of a Go master who plays his last game against a young challenger who is a product of the new era.

Honinbo Shusai (the "Master of Go") faces Kitani Minoru (in the story, Kitani's name is disguised as Otake) in the final match before the master retires.

In this game, Otake requests the use of a new rule that requires players to seal their last move before advancing to the next stage. This is a change from the old rule that allowed the master to stop the game and study his move first. Otake's request becomes the starting point of the old era vs. the new era, which is the core of the story of this novel.

Yasunari Kawabata takes us into a real game in 1938 by incorporating fictional elements. Making this novel a semi-fictional and interesting one. We can see how the master struggles against illness and old age, as well as the complex battle against his young challenger. While the challenger himself tries to fight against the stress and frustration of facing the authority and tradition of the old era.

One main thing I like about this novel is the description used by Yasunari Kawabata to描绘 the environment or characters.

For example, about the natural conditions during the battle: "The squall soon passed. A mist trailed over the mountain, and the sky brightened from the direction of Odawara, down the river. The sun struck the rise beyond the valley, locusts shrilled, the glass doors at the veranda were opened again. Four black puppies were sporting on the lawn as Otake played black 73. Once more the sky was lightly clouded over." (page 87)

Or about the player: "His hands on his knees, the Master gazed at the opening komoku. Under the gaudy camera lights his mouth was so tightly closed that his lips protruded, and the rest of us seemed to leave his world." "And always, when he sat before the go board, he seemed to exude a quiet fragrance that cooled and cleaned the air around him." (page 35).

The drawback of this book lies in the translation of its terms. For example, some Go terms that make me confused, such as "dead end" or "swim". Since I am more used to using Japanese terms, reading the English translation makes me confused.

Overall, this book is interesting to read both by those who understand how to play Go and those who don't. The description used is very good and Yasunari Kawabata successfully描绘 the intensity of an important game that is the starting point of the modernization of the Go world.

A Go match is a highly competitive and time-sensitive event.

\\n  A Go match must start at the appointed time even when the player's parents are on their deathbed or the player himself fell ill right over the chessboard.\\n

This shows the strictness and importance of punctuality in the Go world.

The Master of Go is a remarkable work that records an intense contest between an old generation and a younger generation, representing the clash between tradition and modernity. It took place in 1938 between one old Master of Go (who was the last to hold this title) and an up-and-coming player.

The author, Yasunari Kawabata, was not only a Go admirer but also a friend of the old Master of Go. He wrote serialized journalistic articles to record this match for a newspaper and later penned this novel. His perspective on this contest is highly anticipated.

Stay tuned for more details about this fascinating Go match and the author's insights.

The text is beautifully written and excellently translated. However, the content is rather modest - it's about two scruffy guys who spend a few good months playing a board game. There is a certain magic in it, but unfortunately, at times it gets a bit tiresome. 3.5/5

This short description provides an interesting perspective on a literary work or a story. It starts by praising the writing and translation, which shows that the author has put in a lot of effort in these aspects. The mention of the two scruffy guys adds a touch of realism and perhaps a bit of humor. The fact that they spend several months playing a board game gives the impression that they are really into it and that there is something captivating about the game.

However, the statement that it gets tiresome at times is a bit of a downer. It makes one wonder if the story loses its charm after a while or if there are some parts that are not as engaging as others. Overall, the 3.5/5 rating indicates that the work has its strengths but also some areas that could be improved. It would be interesting to read the full text to see if it lives up to the initial promise.