Eternal Sojourn

The Lady and the Monk: Four Seasons in Kyoto by Pico Iyer was a decent read. It read rather quickly at 352 pages.

This is the travelogue of Pico Iyer which took place during the 1980s. Iyer moved to Kyoto in search of something Zen as well as working as a writer/editor for big name publications, like Time. This story stays in Kyoto for the most part, though travels through Iyer’s history to England and the US and reflects a lot of his knowledge of literature.

I enjoyed this book as it told the story from a foreigner’s point of view, though I do feel that he generalized the Japanese a little too much since what he explains are only his encounters with a hand full of Japanese people. Most of the dialogue takes place between Iyer and other foreigners in Japan. Otherwise, the conversations were between Iyer and Sachiko, a 30 year old housewife whom he bonded with quite well.

Semi long story - short, Iyer moved to Japan, the first place he moves into is a Zen shrine, he gets great hospitality from the Monk’s who he is renting a room from. Iyer attends gatherings for Zen, meets girl named Sachiko, through her broken English, she is more than happy to invite Pico to her child’s birthday party. Pico attends, language barrier is an issue, they become great friends. Sachiko finds Pico to be her outlet to the world, Sachiko feels very trapped in Japanese society. Pico generalizes Japanese society to be like Sachiko, trapped and lost without freedom to do what they want, (this may or may not apply to all of Japanese society). Throughout Pico’s one year stay, their friendship develops and becomes quite close. Pico spends much more time with Sachiko than Sachiko’s husband ever did (as he works 16+ hour days). Sachiko’s two children enjoy Pico’s company, as he enjoys theirs.

Sachiko ends up leaving her husband so she could travel and live the life that she more than likely would have kept as a dream. I feel that she left him mostly because of Pico, which is sad and justified at the same time.
Through most of this story, I kept feeling like something romantic was developing between the two of them, but the book never says this happens as Iyer always avoids this like the plague, while it seem so apparent that a romantic relationship is what Sachiko was yearning for.

Pico goes more into Zen and story telling, literature from both English history as well as Japanese, as the title is that of an old Japanese story, which I felt was associated with Pico’s relationship with Sachiko. These side stories I did enjoy as it was some insight into literature that I may have never read.

Iyer’s one year came to an end, he moved back home, Sachiko started a job with a travel agency.
One thing that I am curious about, is if Sachiko and Pico ever got together, the book sure as hell seemed that it where it was going. On Wikipedia it states that Pico is living with his partner, Hiroko and her two children. Personally I believe that Sachiko was just a false name, and Hiroko to be her real name. Of course this is just what Wikipedia says.

Japan changed Pico greatly. In the end, what he went to Japan searching for, he did not find until he moved back to the US.

I recommend this book as it was a good story as well as a quick read. Some didn’t like it, some loved it. I thought it was ok. I’ll probably end up reading it again, though I do say see if you can get it from a Library instead of purchasing it.

Technorati Tags: Pico Iyer, Kyoto, The Lady and the Monk, Japan, Zen, travelogue, following your dreams