Basho, Matsua. "Narrow road to the interior.".

BASHO, Matsua. "Narrow road to the interior." CHOMEI, Kamo no. "Hojoki." Read by "logo Igawa & Takashi Sudo. 2 cds. 2 hrs. Naxos Audio. 2008. 978-962-634-879-6. $17.98. Content notes. A

Two famous Japanese actors read these two classics of Japanese literature written in the 13th and 17th centuries. Although both are poems, they sound more like letters written to family and friends about travels. "Narrow Road to the Interior" is the story of a man's decision to leave Edo (Toyko) to live in the country. The final chapter, describing his secluded life in a hut, sounds as if it were written by Thoreau on Walden Pond, extolling the value of living a simple life. He meditates on the need to build a large house to impress one's friends compared to the need to live simply, something modern readers will relate to. The second poem, "Hojoki," tells of a more dangerous journey into the countryside with all the barriers the poet must pass through. Although the readings are done in heavily accented English, both narrators read with such simple and clear lyricism that the reader will find himself falling into the music of the words instead of their meaning. These readers make poetry sound like pure thought as the poets relate their stories and musings on the world. That doesn't mean that it is easy listening, as one must concentrate on the meaning of the words as well as the lilting quality of the reading, and there are often Japanese quotations included in the narration. Nola Theiss, Sanibel, FL