Dansatoarea din Izu

Dansatoarea din Izu looks at first love and feeling alone. It also shows the strain of growing up. In the title story, a young man sets off on a trip. He hopes to escape his sadness and dashed hopes. On the way, he falls in love with a dancer. By chance, he sees her naked. He then learns she has not yet reached puberty. His desire clashes with guilt. His trip turns into a search for who he is.

Yasunari Kawabata's short stories explore strong feelings. They also show how doubt can bring sadness. The title story weighs a child's innocence against an awareness of sex. The stories have simple forms, but their meanings run deep. Much of what they mean stays unclear. Kawabata uses few words to create vivid images. He leaves much unsaid.

Kawabata was born in Osaka in 1899. He earned his degree at Tokyo Imperial University in 1924. He made his start as a writer the next year. The title story won him notice in 1927. In 1968, he became Japan's first winner of the Nobel Prize in literature. He died by suicide in April 1972. His friend Yukio Mishima had died less than two years before.

Flavius Florea translated this edition. It forms part of the Raftul Denisei series.