Super Short Summary

Beauty and Sadness by Yasunari Kawabata follows aging novelist Oki Toshio as he attempts to reconnect with his former mistress, Otoko Ueno, now a successful painter, whom he seduced when she was fifteen. Their reunion stirs complex emotions and jealousy, leading Otoko's young protégée, Keiko, to seek revenge on Oki and his family, resulting in tragic consequences. Topics include emotional suffering, infidelity, and mental health issues.