The novel hums in the key of E minor, meaning that its melody has a muted sadness, but remains cheerful nonetheless. The prose is as delicate as the objects described: tall gray bamboo, irises, dwarf ferns. There is a lot of sake drinking and stargazing. There is a lot of philosophizing about what makes a good life.

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The central narrative is carried by a vivid meditation on Cartesian dualism, viewed from the perspective of a traditional Buddhist overwhelmed by the need to possess the “universal desire to give form to matter.”

Haru always strives for the sublime, for an unattainable, refined humility. In the course of his life, Haru witnessed the transience of beauty. On his deathbed, he is overcome by the depth of a life dedicated to asceticism. At times, the story is reminiscent of Élise Girard’s film, Sidonie in Japanwhich deals with the themes of loneliness, grief and beauty in a very transparent way.

Death permeates this novel, but so do the unifying elements of Haru’s existence: art (“the fleshless part of love”), friendship, and family. In the fleetingness of life, an hour of passion can nourish us for a lifetime. It can leave us in awe.