Synopses & Reviews
"Earns its place on the very short shelf of books on Japan that are of permanent value."andmdash;Times Literary Supplement.
"Richie is a stupendous travel writer; the book shines with bright witticisms, deft characterizations of fisherfolk, merchants, monks and wistful adolescents, and keen comparisons of Japanes and Western culture." andmdash;San Francisco Chronicle
"A learned, beautifully paced elegy."andmdash;London Review of Books
Sheltered between Japanandrsquo;s major islands lies the Inland Sea, a place modernity passed by. In this classic travel memoir, Donald Richie embarks on a quest to find Japanandrsquo;s timeless heart among its mysterious waters and forgotten islands. This edition features an introduction by Pico Iyer, photographs from the award-winning PBS documentary, and a new afterword. First published in 1971, The Inland Sea is a lucid, tender voyage of discovery and self-revelation.
Donald Richie is the foremost authority on Japanese culture and cinema with 40+ books in print.
Review
"This book earns its place on the very short shelf of books on Japan that are of permanent value." Times Literary Supplement
Review
"An elegiac prose celebration . . . a classic in its genre." Publishers Weekly
Review
"The author knows Japan better than any other Western writer. A hauntingly beautiful book." Oriental Economist
Synopsis
Long considered a masterpiece of travel writing, Donald Richie's The Inland Sea is the journal-like record of a trip to the seafaring communities of central Japan. Aware of his foreignness, Richie delights in details and muses at length on food, romance, work, and human foibles. This new edition of The Inland Sea contains an introduction by Pico Iyer, a new afterword by the author, a map, and 18 images from the award-winning Inland Sea documentary. Richie wrote The Inland Sea some thirty years ago, but its themes of travel and the Outsider still endure, while its view of a Japan now nearly lost is both sad and indelible.
Synopsis
Sheltered between Japan's major islands lies the Inland Sea, a place modernity passed by. In this classic travel memoir, Donald Richie embarks on a quest to find Japan's timeless heart among the Inland Sea's mysterious waters and forgotten islands. This edition features a wealth of new material, including an introduction by Pico Iyer, photographs from the award-winning Inland Sea PBS documentary, and a new afterword by Richie. First published in 1971, The Inland Sea is a lucid, tender voyage of discovery and self-revelation.
Synopsis
One of the finest travel memoirs ever written, with a new Introduction and Afterword.
About the Author
Donald Richie is the foremost authority on Japanese culture and cinema. His classic travel memoir THE INLAND SEA is perhaps his most famous work; first published in 1971, it was made into an award-winning PBS documentary in 1991. His 40+ books include THE DONALD RICHIE READER: 50 YEARS OF WRITING ON JAPAN, 100 YEARS OF JAPANESE FILM, and A LATERAL VIEW. Richie has lived in Japan for over 50 years.Pico Iyer is one of the most respected travel writers of our time. He has written principally for Time Magazine since 1982. His essays also appear regularly in Harper's, The New York Review of Books, The New York Times, and other publications on this side of the Atlantic and abroad. He is the author of several books, including The Lady and the Monk.