Beautiful, sad, poignant, all these can be said of Yasunari Kawabata's Snow Country. It almost felt that I was viewing this story through a slightly steamed window as I read it. I found myself feeling both an eavesdropper and a voyeur. Sometimes catching glimpses and then other times full meetings between the characters in this book.Lasting visions through momentary glances. At times clear but mostly abstract it still compels. The ending gives you the push to see the work from a whole perspective. I'm really sad that the translation is so stilted but if you persevere you can see past that.