Rating: 
Summary: Japan with whimsy but without cliches
Review: After living in Japan for 1-1/2 years, and recently visiting
Kyoto, I was eager to read Pico Iyer's book. I love his perspective
on travel - he always keeps a sense of humor and tries to be non-judgmental
without being self-righteous. He was able to capture so many of the little
details which make living in Japan challenging, stimulating and sometimes
maddening. His sensitive but entertaining story left me with a quietly happy feeling,
much the way I felt after visiting Kyoto. Thank you to Pico for giving us
a deeper view of Japan without the cliches of 3-week visitors and without the judgmental views of disillusioned gaijin.
Rating: 
Summary: What did I miss?
Review: Can't believe how everyone raved about this book. I read it when I lived in Japan and it came across as a typical western male fantasy of Japanese women, and Japan in general. Maybe I should have left the big city..maybe I should read it again.. maybe I should ask my Japanese women friends why they're not like The Lady in the book. Sorry folks, I thought it was one big cliche!
Rating: 
Summary: superficial travel diary
Review: Having lived in Japan for seventeen years and visited Kyoto in all seasons, I think that Iyer glosses over much that is representative of Japan today. And too, he portrays Sachiko as a hapless housewife, one who cannot function on her own or who is an emotionally challenged adult. How well could Iyer really understand her or the culture since he had such a poor compre- hension of Nihongo? And too, if this is a true account of his life in Kyoto, then he has done a terrible wrong to Sachiko's children. Divorce in Japan still leaves a deep stain on the honor and social position of those involved. And children from a broken marriage face ostracism in later life when seeking employment or even a marriage partner of their own. Iyer ignores much reality as he plods along with his romantic notions and fascination with Gion beauties. The book reads like something gleaned from a reading list of publications about Japan. And all that stuff about 'Zen'! The average Japanese salaryman or housewife would scoff at all of his 'insight'. They devote most of their waking lives to being good corporate citizens and pay only lip service to temples and Buddhist tradition. And children can be brats in Japan, like everywhere else, watching hours of tv, playing video games, and reading manga. Iyer is a bit 'chotto' coy and sentimental.
Rating: 
Summary: mood and imagery and pop culture, oh my
Review: Having never lived in Japan, I can't say anything about Iyer's accuracy on that account. But it was the lyrical writing in this that captured me, the descriptions of the places and people and most of all, the accounts of the food (corn-and-pineapple pizza! hot drinks dispensed from machines! the box of temple food!).I've read a few of Iyer's other books, and none of them comes close to "The Lady and the Monk" for sheer imagery, that soft feeling of rain and cherry blossoms and salty plum tea that I get when I read it. It's left an irrevocable mark on me, even if the real Japan isn't quite like this. Well worth the read, and it's a permanent part of my library.
Rating:
Summary: The book's not even a good read.
Review: I agree with the reader from Hong Kong. Iyer's self-indulgent, hackneyed book didn't even keep my attention. I enjoyed the descriptions of Japan and its culture, but at times the book seemed a forum for Iyer to show off how many books he's read or obscure artists he likes. The writing's not well-done, the love story with Sachiko (among other themes that could have been interesting) is wildly underdeveloped (what ever happened with her, anyway?), and his "gee-whiz this is so different" Pollyanna attitude loses its appeal very early in the book. I'm pretty lenient when it comes to books, but I'm sorry I wasted my time on this one.
Rating:
Summary: It is like being in Japan again
Review: I agree with the reviewer, who wrote down there that this book is like being in Japan again. I first read it 6 years ago, and I still re-read it to this day, even opening pages at random, and reading what I find; This book is the closest the written word comes to capturing a visit to Japan (I have read virtually every "foreigner in Japan" Armchair-travel book that have come out since Pictures From the Water Trade, and this is hands down the best). By the way, some reviewers keep referring to Sachiko as a "character" as if this is a work of fiction, which it is NOT. Pico Iyer obviously would not use the real name of the individual, but this is an account of his stay in Japan, not a fictional tale. I have been in Japan, and studied the Japanese language and culture for over ten years, and I can attest that Mr. Iyer's observations are accurate and descriptive of Japan. If you are a Non-Japanese interested in Japan, have never been there, and wish to know how it feels, read this book! I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.
Rating:
Summary: A personal journey, not a textbook
Review: I bought this book used last summer and filed it away on a bookshelf, and finally picked it up two days ago. Even though these days, I read through most books slowly, I was sucked into Iyer's Kyoto world, and plowed through the book in two very enjoyable sessions. I was baffled to read some of the criticisms readers at Amazon gave this book. I found the accusations that Iyer is condescending to be the most perplexing. I've read lots of travel writing, and have found that many travel writers spend most of their time analyzing their chosen destination with a God-like impersonal analysis of the place's foibles that certainly does often come across as arrogant or ignorant. What struck me about this book was how much Iyer does *not* do this. He certainly spends a lot of time analyzing and trying to figure out both Japan and the people he encounters there, but he is no more critical of others than he is of himself, no more critical of Japan than of his own culture(s). He does not watch from a distance, but participates in what he writes about, from interacting with 'The Lady' to dipping his foot into the waters of a monk's life, and exposes his own floundering. He criticizes not only that which he participates in, but also his own foibles and inability to realize the rigor and discipline of Zen, his own inability to understand Sachiko and give her what she needs and wants. I came away from the book seeing Sachiko *not* as someone who is helpless or hapless, but rather, as someone who, like all of us, struggles between dreams and duties. Yet unlike most of us, Sachiko taps into a well of deep inner strength and vision and breaks through the restrictions of her cultural conditioning to realize her dreams. I thought Sachiko came across as much stronger, with more grace and understanding, than Iyer, who often is reduced to clumsy assurances as he tries to fathom her rich inner world. Yet this is not to say that Iyer comes across poorly, but rather that he comes across as an honest and likable narrator unafraid to expose the personal hues and struggles of his journey. The analysis of Japan and the people he meets in which Pico engages is a usual feature of travel writing, and as always, his analysis may or may not be accurate. But unlike many travel writers, he exposes his own biases and inaccurate perceptions often by comparing his idealized visions of Japan to the idealized visions of others about other cultures. He clearly shows how his preferences shape his experience, instead of presenting snippets of literature or cultural observation as if they were gleaned from an impersonal textbook about Japan. This is a very personal experience, and I find Pico to be a very warm, likable, and human narrator, whose personal sense of magic and wonder fills this book and transports the reader.
Rating:
Summary: The old Japan is very much alive.
Review: I first read The Lady And The Monk by Pico Iyer over a year ago. I always find myself picking it up again. I can turn to any part of the book and feel I am in Kyoto myself. Mr. Iyer has shown us that the old Japan is still alive. Tradition, sorrow, simplicity. Although Mr. Iyer was only searching for insight into Zen, he found much more than this in his relationship with a woman he met while in Kyoto. As their story unfolds, we are able to peel back the layers of what we conceive Japan to be, and we can see the jewel that has been a secret to the West since Perry sailed into Tokyo Bay. Thank you Mr. Iyer for sharing. I only wish that I could find this book written in Japanese to share with a friend.
Rating:
Summary: Disgusting
Review: I found msyelf somewhat interested in the story-line, but the ill feeling in my stomach took away most of the enjoyment. Iyer does not hesitate to pass judgement on just about EVERYONE in this sad, boastful book. He attempts to elevate himself by making semi-obscure literary references and speaking above the majority of his readership by using Japanese words and not adequately explaining all of them, as well as frequently referring to how much Zen literature he was reading, which is particularly ironic due to the fact that someone who truely understands Zen does not look down on everyone (or anyone, in fact) he meets. He also uses metaphors and similes that are overly complicated and often do not make sense, apparently constructed to show his great literary prowess. The overall impression I've derived from this book is that of a conceited individual walking around laughing to himself about everything and everyone he sees at the same time he professes his great love for it all. Please. That having been said, if you want to read a book with some insight on Kyoto and Japan, although it is somewhat inaccurate in places, and can handle the above-mentioned writing style, then by all means read the book. In my opinion, however, you'd be doing yourself a favor by reading something else.
Rating:
Summary: Disgusting
Review: I found msyelf somewhat interested in the story-line, but the ill feeling in my stomach took away most of the enjoyment. Iyer does not hesitate to pass judgement on just about EVERYONE in this sad, boastful book. He attempts to elevate himself by making semi-obscure literary references and speaking above the majority of his readership by using Japanese words and not adequately explaining all of them, as well as frequently referring to how much Zen literature he was reading, which is particularly ironic due to the fact that someone who truely understands Zen does not look down on everyone (or anyone, in fact) he meets. He also uses metaphors and similes that are overly complicated and often do not make sense, apparently constructed to show his great literary prowess. The overall impression I've derived from this book is that of a conceited individual walking around laughing to himself about everything and everyone he sees at the same time he professes his great love for it all. Please. That having been said, if you want to read a book with some insight on Kyoto and Japan, although it is somewhat inaccurate in places, and can handle the above-mentioned writing style, then by all means read the book. In my opinion, however, you'd be doing yourself a favor by reading something else.
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