Paisagens da China e do Japão

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

25537

Title

Paisagens da China e do Japão

Language

pt

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

Wenceslau de Moraes presents a whimsical and vivid collection of sketches from his travels in China and Japan. Blending folklore, personal observation, and artistic critique, the book explores the exotic landscapes, unique customs, and the inherent "caricature" of Japanese life and nature, offering a charming, if eccentric, glimpse into the East at the turn of the 20th century.

Summary up to 500 words

In *Paisagens da China e do Japão*, Wenceslau de Moraes invites readers on an eclectic tour of East Asia, blending deep reverence for local traditions with a playful, often mocking appreciation of their quirks. Structured as a series of short stories and essays, the work oscillates between the sublime and the absurd, presenting Japan and China as a "delicious caricature" of nature and humanity. The collection opens with the poignant legend of the butterflies in China. It tells the tragic tale of Choc-In-Toi, a woman who disguises herself as a man to study at a famous university. Upon returning to her village, she is forced by filial piety to marry another. Her beloved, Leun-San-Pac, arrives to find her married; heartbroken, he dies of grief. When Choc-In-Toi visits his grave before her wedding, the earth opens to receive her spirit. Her wedding veil transforms into a butterfly, explaining the origin of these beautiful creatures and celebrating the enduring beauty of Eastern love stories. Moving to Japan, Moraes delves into the folklore of the Dragon King's court. A sick queen demands the liver of a monkey to survive, prompting her loyal servant, the Alforreca, to embark on a perilous journey to fetch it. The narrative then shifts to Moraes's own observations, describing the Japanese people and their environment as a capricious chimera that defies natural laws. He details the exaggerated features of sumo wrestlers from Tosa, the bizarre customs of daily life, and the surreal landscape where trees twist like giants and flowers bloom in impossible colors. Moraes argues that Japan itself is a geological anomaly, a land created in a state of mind that is jocular and without a studied program. The book also includes the famous legend of Urashima Taro. A fisherman rescues a turtle, which turns out to be the daughter of the Sea God. They live happily for three years in an underwater palace of coral and pearls. Upon returning to his village after a brief visit, Urashima discovers that centuries have passed on land; his home is gone, his family dead, and he is instantly aged to dust when he opens a forbidden box given to him by his wife. Throughout the text, Moraes weaves these tales with reflections on art, particularly the work of Hokusai, and the unique humor found in Japanese aesthetics. The collection concludes with an index and a list of typographical corrections, preserving the original flavor of the 1906 edition while acknowledging the text's imperfections.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Categories

• History
• Travel