Capsule-Review on cut grass lies frail

nikon z5

Tue, 15 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Capsule review: Nikon Z5

Functional, practical, accessible, acceptable. In a word, fine. Not a device to inspire passion or even affection—can any digital camera ?

Rating: ★★★☆☆

reconstruction

Sun, 06 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Capsule review: Reconstruction: America’s Unfinished Revolution, 1863-1877 (Eric Foner)

The inability to plan for the consequences of a war and what to do with the conquered ; the haste to move on to the business of America, business ; a childish faith in free market and free labor ideology ; the prerogatives of Capital when challenged by Labor sweeping all other concerns away ; and, of course, ineradicable white supremacy, violently enforced. Quintessential America.

Like many historians, Foner sometimes spends too much space on the details of political horse-trading and backroom deals, but he is otherwise excellent when focusing on the ground-level social realities of the period.

Rating: ★★★★☆

spring snow

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Capsule review: Spring Snow (Yukio Mishima)

A perfect novel. Mishima writes prose with Flaubertian control, detachment, and elegance (a word itself often used in the story) and every element comes together masterfully. Even parts that may seem extraneous to the central story—the visiting princes, Honda’s attendance at a criminal trial, various philosophical digressions—offer their own counterpoints and add meaningfully to the whole.

A striking image, coming after Satoko reflects on her time with Kiyoaki inevitably coming to its end:

Behind him [Honda] heard the sound—so faint that he thought he must be imagining it at first—of Satoko pouring the sand from the shoe she had taken off. To Honda, it sounded like the most enchanting hourglass in the world.

Rating: ★★★★★

summer

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Capsule review: Summer

Worst season, with a bullet. Cold beats hot any day.

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

wars for asia

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Capsule review: The Wars for Asia, 1911-1949 (S.C.M. Paine)

Like catnip for middle-aged dads. Impeccably researched and well written. Paine manages to make legible the hash that was the long Chinese civil war.

Rating: ★★★★★

french

Sun, 15 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Capsule review: French

A mellifluous language whose focus on precision often leads to its sounding silly. Animal domestique ? You mean a pet ? Grow up.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

german

Sun, 15 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Capsule review: German

Is Schmetterling truly uglier than butterfly or papillon ? Among the finest poems in any language is in German:

Über allen Gipfeln
Ist Ruh,
In allen Wipfeln
Spürest du
Kaum einen Hauch;
Die Vögelein schweigen im Walde.
Warte nur, balde
Ruhest du auch.

Rating: ★★★★☆

film photography

Sat, 14 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Capsule review: Film photography

Objectively worse than digital in almost every way (quality, cost, convenience…). Highly recommended.

Rating: ★★★★★

canon af35 ml

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Capsule review: Canon AF35 ML

Rating: ★★★☆☆

canonet ql17 giii

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Capsule review: Canonet QL17 GIII

Rating: ★★★☆☆