The Book of Tea

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Venom dives more into Taiwanese and Chinese mythology. I loved the deeper connections between the gods and Ning’s powers that came about in this one. There was also a ton of action and tension, though the stakes definitely were higher in this one since the threat wasn’t elimination but death (or something worse). Aslında Bolano'nun Vahşi Hafiyelerin'den Çay Kitabı'na nasıl geldiğimi anlatmam lazım sanırım. Okuyanlar bilir; Vahşi Hafiyeler'de edebiyatçılardan bahsettiği kısımlar vardır. Orada daha önce de adına aşina olduğum ve merak da ettiğim Ezra Pound'dan da bahseder. Hafiyelerin peşinde hafiyeliğe özenip Ezra Pound'un peşine düşmüştüm. Hakkında el yordamı biraz araştırma yapıp Pound'un Kakuza Okakura'dan oldukça etkilendiğini öğrendim. Okakura'nın Türkçede bildiğim kadarıyla başka bir kitabı da yok. Okakura aslında bir edebiyatçı değil, kendi ülkesinde ve dışarıda da çok değer verilen bir sanat/bilim insanı diyebilirim. Bu kitabında da herşey aslında Uzakdoğu'da çok önem verilen ama bizim anlamakta zorlandığımız çay seremonilerinin açıklanması ile başlıyor ancak kitaba yoğunlaştıkça anlatılanın sadece çay seremonileri olmadığı ortaya çıkıyor. Bunun bir aşama üstü de Okakura nın kurduğu her cümlede durup uzunu uzun düşünmek... Gerçekten kısacık bir kitap olmakla birlikte her bir cümlenin ne kadar anlam barındırdığını, üzerine saatlerce süren düşüncelere dalınabileceğini ben kitabın sonuna doğru anca fark ettim. Okakura goes on to explain Buddhist religions in greater detail, evidently due to concern the West remained completely clueless about it. His passion for the subject shines through to this day, as does his opinionated nature. Meanwhile, let us have a sip of tea. The afternoon glow is brightening the bamboos, the fountains are bubbling with delight, the soughing of the pines is heard in our kettle. Let us dream of evanescence, and linger in the beautiful foolishness of things.4.5/5 Its [Teasism] very spirit of politeness exacts that you say what you are expected to say, and no more. But I am not to be a polite Teasist. So much harm has been done already by the mutual misunderstanding of the New World and the Old, that one need not apologise for contributing his tithe to the furtherance of a better understanding. The beginning of the twentieth century would have been spared the spectacle of sanguinary warfare if Russia had condescended to know Japan better. What dire consequences to humanity lie in the contemptuous ignoring of Eastern problems! European imperialism, which does not disdain to raise the absurd cry of the Yellow Peril, fails to realise that Asia may also awaken to the cruel sense of the White Disaster. You may laugh at us for having ‘too much tea,’ but may we not suspect that you of the West have ‘no tea’ in your constitution?

The journey itself was enjoyable, but I found the pace to be too slow. Even in the first half of the book, the plot's intentions were hazy. The major characters' thoughts would take up one minute while there was a ton of action and magical events taking place in the next minute. The grievances were consistently the same, even going so far as to reiterate the overarching goal from the first book. In religion the Future is behind us. In art the Present is the eternal. The tea-masters held that real appreciation of art is only possible to those who make of it a living influence. Thus they sought to regulate their daily life by the high standard of refinement which obtained in the tea-room. There is a subtle charm in the taste of tea which makes it irresistible and capable of idealisation. Western humourists were not slow to mingle the fragrance of their thought with its aroma. It has not the arrogance of wine, the self-consciousness of coffee, nor the simpering innocence of cocoa.

VII. Tea-Masters

Chaking would have caused a sensation at the time. Emperor Taisung (763-779) befriended Luwuh and the writer and tea fan became something of a celebrity. Time rolls on, however, and by the Sung (also known as Song) dynasty – 960 onwards – there was the whipped tea period, which provided the second school of tea evolution. In other words, when we view a vibrant piece of art, and the viewer receives stimulation from this, we can connect with it in harmony.

Now available in a gorgeous hardcover slipcase edition, this "object d'art" will be sure to add grace and elegance to tea shelves, coffee tables and bookshelves. A keepsake enjoyed by tea lovers for over a hundred years, The Book of Tea Classic Edition will enhance your enjoyment and understanding of the seemingly simple act of making and drinking tea. Ritengo che meriti molto, soprattutto per l'idea di base del the che, in base alla sua preparazione, produce un incantesimo diverso, ma anche per la crescita della protagonista, per i rapporti tra i personaggi, i colpi di scena che ti tengono incollatə alle pagine e le descrizioni così poetiche e così piene di metafore che quasi ti cullano nella loro semplice bellezza. Luwuh’s book consists of three volumes and 10 chapters – some people really take their tea seriously. It does become a way of life, to the extent where robbing me of my daily cups of tea would be a great insult and would leave me feeling out of sorts. I simply cannot fathom life without it and cannot remember the last day I went without any. Another thing that Lin does very well is the tension between Ning and Kang, both in the previous book and in this one. They went from having a blooming connection in the last one, to it being very complicated because of the betrayals that happened in the palace. Obviously, this affects how they view one another and react to one another. I think the tension they still had between them was very well done, both of them were affected by what happened but still wanted to be close to the other person. This, Okakura believed, was an aesthetic that should inform everything from the arts and architecture to daily life and was already informing them in Japan.This book was just wonderful. It discusses the history of teaism in Asia (mainly Japan but also China). It’s written in a very poetic and philosophical manner. Not only does the book talk about tea, it also talks about how tea has influenced Japanese culture, especially Japanese cuisine, clothing, literature and art. In all circumstances serenity of mind should be maintained, and conversation should be so conducted as never to mar the harmony of the surroundings … Thus the tea-master strove to be something more than the artist, – art itself. It was the Zen of aestheticism. Perfection is everywhere if we only choose to recognise it. So it's pretty exiting, in that everyone is basically afraid for their lives and trying to both survive, but make sure that their respective sides end up on the throne. Here's the thing: While I absolutely appreciated this, I didn't feel a sense of actual danger? Like sure, I knew that cognitively the characters were technically in danger, running for their lives and from their foes, but... I just didn't actually feel it? As he explained in chapter II, Teaism is Taoism in disguise. This explains why those in the East took (and still take) it all so seriously – tea is another arm of Buddhism, their way of life, which assists them with finding moments of relaxation.