OpinionJapan This article is more than 2 years oldThe Guardian view on cherry blossom: lessons from fragile, fleeting beautyThis article is more than 2 years oldEditorialThe pandemic has made us all long for spring. In Japan and elsewhere, full bloom is coming earlier than ever Early in Junichiro Tanizaki’s great novel The Makioka Sisters, we learn of the family’s annual trips to admire the cherry blossom; occasions anticipated long in advance, as they plan their outfits, scan the latest forecasts of the full bloom’s arrival, and agonise over any hint of poor weather. Read More...
Briell Decker, an ex-wife of Warren Jeffs, at his mansion in Hildale, Uta, now a refuge called the Dream Centre. Photograph: Rachel Aston/The GuardianBriell Decker, an ex-wife of Warren Jeffs, at his mansion in Hildale, Uta, now a refuge called the Dream Centre. Photograph: Rachel Aston/The GuardianReligionBriell Decker was 18 when she became the 65th wife of US cult leader Warren Jeffs. Can she help heal the town his FLDS sect ruled for generations? Read More...
This column will change your lifeHealth & wellbeingBooks about mindfulness or hygge are criticised for accepting injustice. But humans have always ‘coped’ – and pretending otherwise can be a source of misery
Every now and then, in the course of this disquieting year, a book landed on my desk bearing a classic self-help title – something about kicking ass, winning at life, getting everything you’d ever dreamed of – and I felt a twinge of pity for the author, for being so out of step with the times. Read More...