Book Review: The House of the Sleeping Beauties

In such dizzying times as these, contemplation as the sole purpose seems to be an act of rebellion that goes against the norms of a society that increasingly demands you to be productive and controls the time we have little by little. If we take this as a basis, this book could be the most anti-systemic thing I have ever read in my life, since in its pages Yasunari Kawabata makes contemplation a central and unavoidable action.

This book tells us the story of a place in Japan where very old men can sleep next to young women who are fast asleep and the relationship between them, all through the eyes of old Eguchi. He is not as old as the rest of the clients of the place, which allows us to convey through him the curiosity that the reader would have for the place. At the same time, he is a man old enough to immerse us in the dynamics of the book.

The contemplation of these sleeping beauties by the main character, combined with his memories, intrusive thoughts and sensations, allows us to have a reflection of his inner panorama, a vision of old age and the passage of time, while also bringing glimpses of a time of transition in Japan and how this influenced the way of life and thinking of its citizens.

Also very interesting is the contrast that the book establishes between the way the world is seen from the perspective of old age and how it is experienced from the perspective of youth. Little by little, the book brings the protagonist's memories closer to his present, confronting his distant youth with his present at an inevitable point of collision. Thus, old age in a game of the reader's actor is seen as active and dynamic through these streams of thoughts guided by contemplation, while youth is seen as lethargic and immobile in an inaccessible and hermetic dream for those who have already left it behind.

This book, so celebrated since its publication, immerses us in dimensions that have been little explored, at least from a Western perspective. At the same time, it forces us to stop and think about the course of our own lives. And perhaps it is the perfect door to open our eyes to the beauty that surrounds us and from time to time to give ourselves a break in the art of contemplation.