Thanks for sharing these book reviews with beautiful pictures, that's also very nice to read! I just bought "Lost Japan: Last Glimpse of Beautiful Japan" by Alex Kerr and am even more intrigued to read it now! "Pachinko" and "Convenience Store Woman" are also among my favorites, nice to see that you enjoyed them as well - they are both very impactful, in different ways. I however hated Dazai's extremely misogynistic 『人間失格』 and do not wish to read anything by him ever again. Also! What about the beautiful fuchsia camellias everywhere in town? ^^
I hope you enjoy the Lost Japan. I am now reading Hidden Japan by him - another wonderful and thoughtful read. I am happy to hear that you also loved Pachinko and Convenience Store Woman. I have Free Food From Millionaires by Min Jin Lee on my list. As always, thank you for making time to read my post.
Your reviews are so much better than you suggest! I have only two threads keeping me connected to Japan until I get to return for another long stay in coming years. Yours is one of them. I was there for 3 months last year and spent every day both confused in trying to understand so many things, and overwhelmed with love at all the kindness that the Japanese showed me. I love the breadth of perspectives that your choice of books offers. Thank you.
I am glad to see "Convenience Store Woman" in the list, and I must say Sayaka Murata's other book, "Earthlings", was my first from her and made such a powerful impact on me. As someone else has commented here, it is certainly weirder, but I connected personally with it in many levels, and read it as I was getting ready to come to Japan for the first time in 2022. I wouldn't say it is a read for everyone, though. 😅
Thank you for the thoughtful comment. I really loved Convenience Store Woman but from reading the summary of the plot, I also sense that Earthlings may not be the book for me :) Have you read Banana Yoshimoto, she is another great writer whose writing occasionally reminds me of Murata.
Thanks for the list! I'm reading Dasai's "No Longer Human" right now but will add the other book on your list to my future reading. So many possibilities!
Brilliant recommendations, think I too should get around to reading ‘Pachinko’. Have you read Alan Booth’s “The Roads to Sata”? It’s another love letter to Japan and all its delights (less critical than some of Lost Japan) all set against the backdrop of a walk across Japan.
Thank you for making time to read. I bought the Roads to Sata and have been saving it to read during a trip to Hokkaido. But maybe I should not wait for it. Thank you for reminding me.
Have you been to Taiwan? Your Kyoto in August picture reminded me of a very similar scene from Taipei, which had been a colony of Japan, but applies a Chinese heart to Japanese esthetics.
Thank you! I think your book reviews are excellent. I love Japanese literature and have read a lot of them. Sayaka Murata is one of the few I didn‘t really enjoy. Convienience Store Woman was okay, but Earthlings was really weird (and I usually like weird!). Have you read „lonely castle in the mirror“ by Mizuki Tsujimura? I really loved that novel. Although it is probably more for a younger audience...
You are so kind. Thank you for the suggestion - I will look it up right away. The plot of the Earthlings did not make me feel excited enough to pick up the book so I have no comments on that one. As for the Convenience Store Woman - it is a strangely realistic one. I want to give it another read soon - it has been more than five years since I read it.
Ah…I can’t wait to hear more about my beloved Istanbul ….whenever I arrive at the airport and get into the cab, I know I am ‘home’ even as I am from ‘other places’….its a mystery but perhaps I was Turkish in another life! 🙂
Ilsu cok cok tesekkur ederim. Aralik sonu Istanbul’a geldigimde Dazai’nin bir kitabinin cevirisini Remzi best seller kisminda gordum, nedense sasirdim. Okumak icin vakit ayirdigin ve hep nazik yorumlarin icin ayrica cok icten tesekkur ederim.
Thanks for sharing these book reviews with beautiful pictures, that's also very nice to read! I just bought "Lost Japan: Last Glimpse of Beautiful Japan" by Alex Kerr and am even more intrigued to read it now! "Pachinko" and "Convenience Store Woman" are also among my favorites, nice to see that you enjoyed them as well - they are both very impactful, in different ways. I however hated Dazai's extremely misogynistic 『人間失格』 and do not wish to read anything by him ever again. Also! What about the beautiful fuchsia camellias everywhere in town? ^^
I hope you enjoy the Lost Japan. I am now reading Hidden Japan by him - another wonderful and thoughtful read. I am happy to hear that you also loved Pachinko and Convenience Store Woman. I have Free Food From Millionaires by Min Jin Lee on my list. As always, thank you for making time to read my post.
Your reviews are so much better than you suggest! I have only two threads keeping me connected to Japan until I get to return for another long stay in coming years. Yours is one of them. I was there for 3 months last year and spent every day both confused in trying to understand so many things, and overwhelmed with love at all the kindness that the Japanese showed me. I love the breadth of perspectives that your choice of books offers. Thank you.
Thank you for following, it truly means a lot. You summarized the Japanese experience perfectly!
Thank you for this list of books!
I am glad to see "Convenience Store Woman" in the list, and I must say Sayaka Murata's other book, "Earthlings", was my first from her and made such a powerful impact on me. As someone else has commented here, it is certainly weirder, but I connected personally with it in many levels, and read it as I was getting ready to come to Japan for the first time in 2022. I wouldn't say it is a read for everyone, though. 😅
Thank you for the thoughtful comment. I really loved Convenience Store Woman but from reading the summary of the plot, I also sense that Earthlings may not be the book for me :) Have you read Banana Yoshimoto, she is another great writer whose writing occasionally reminds me of Murata.
I haven't yet, but will look her up and pick up a book to check :)
Thanks for the list! I'm reading Dasai's "No Longer Human" right now but will add the other book on your list to my future reading. So many possibilities!
I am yet to read that one - it is on my list! How do you like it?
So far so good. A first-person account of a 'frustrated man' out of alignment with society.
Thank you for the feedback.
Lovely bits about the books.
The empty words from reviews you didn’t use are only good for making memorable passwords.
Great suggestion.
I love the photos you shared -- thank you!
As always, thank you.
Brilliant recommendations, think I too should get around to reading ‘Pachinko’. Have you read Alan Booth’s “The Roads to Sata”? It’s another love letter to Japan and all its delights (less critical than some of Lost Japan) all set against the backdrop of a walk across Japan.
Thank you for making time to read. I bought the Roads to Sata and have been saving it to read during a trip to Hokkaido. But maybe I should not wait for it. Thank you for reminding me.
Have you been to Taiwan? Your Kyoto in August picture reminded me of a very similar scene from Taipei, which had been a colony of Japan, but applies a Chinese heart to Japanese esthetics.
Not yet but I will visit this August for a very brief stay.
Thank you! I think your book reviews are excellent. I love Japanese literature and have read a lot of them. Sayaka Murata is one of the few I didn‘t really enjoy. Convienience Store Woman was okay, but Earthlings was really weird (and I usually like weird!). Have you read „lonely castle in the mirror“ by Mizuki Tsujimura? I really loved that novel. Although it is probably more for a younger audience...
You are so kind. Thank you for the suggestion - I will look it up right away. The plot of the Earthlings did not make me feel excited enough to pick up the book so I have no comments on that one. As for the Convenience Store Woman - it is a strangely realistic one. I want to give it another read soon - it has been more than five years since I read it.
Been meaning to read Pachinko. I’ll get on that this year.
I think it is a great read.
Thank you
Ah…I can’t wait to hear more about my beloved Istanbul ….whenever I arrive at the airport and get into the cab, I know I am ‘home’ even as I am from ‘other places’….its a mystery but perhaps I was Turkish in another life! 🙂
The Woman in the White Kimono is rather good too and I am rereading Junichiro Tanizaki’s Makioka Sisters….
Great list!!!!
Ilsu cok cok tesekkur ederim. Aralik sonu Istanbul’a geldigimde Dazai’nin bir kitabinin cevirisini Remzi best seller kisminda gordum, nedense sasirdim. Okumak icin vakit ayirdigin ve hep nazik yorumlarin icin ayrica cok icten tesekkur ederim.
Thank you!