Description
Set against the disciplined world of Japanese go, this semi-fictional novel follows a long, high-stakes championship match in 1938 between the revered master Honinbo Shūsai and a rising challenger, Minoru Kitani. As the game unfolds move by move, the real drama lies not in spectacle but in the players’ inner weather—fatigue, pride, doubt, and the relentless pressure of living up to one’s own legend. With Kawabata’s signature lyrical restraint and psychological acuity, the book turns a seemingly contained contest into a meditation on mastery, time, and the cost of concentration. More than a sports story, it is an intimate study of how tradition and modernity collide within the mind, where every decision carries both strategic consequence and personal reckoning.
Available Editions
paperback
Perigee Trade
Published Jan 1, 1981
220 pages
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Details
First Published
1954
Language
eng
Translation
From: jpn
Content Warnings
No content warnings identified.