From North by Hill, From South by Lake, From West by Paths, From East by River

So the title of a little book by László Krasznahorkai, better known for Sátántangó, and responsible for the stories behind a few of Béla Tarr’s films.

Main protagonist is the grandson of Prince Genji, who is visiting a monastery near Kyoto.

In 49 short chapters, we get a tour, both of the monastery, and of what the grandson perceives. Everything is treacherous.

It is as if the visitor and the place are resisting their fictionality: Their possibility is enough to contemplate how place and visitor react to each other.

Physical reality becomes secondary, what counts is the permanence of the imagination.