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#JapaneseLiterature

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Finally finished Nanako Hanada’s The Bookshop Woman. A nonfiction written like fiction.

I was quite taken with the premise of recommending books to strangers, but left disappointed. It was dull and repetitive, and easily forgotten. Since the author didn’t provide many details, it also came across as a little shallow.

In short, not for me. Cool though that she got what she wanted in the end!

📘 "The Lonesome Bodybuilder" by Yukiko Motoya,
translated from Japanese into English by Asa Yoneda

A very fun short story collection. They often explore where things go wrong in romantic relationships using absurd circumstances and magical realism.

I think every story is a little bit better (and more gruesome) than the one that comes before it, so it was very rewarding to keep reading.

📘 "This is Amiko, Do You Copy?" by Natsuko Imamura,
translated from Japanese into English by Hitomi Yoshio

This book took me a couple of weeks to read because I kept taking breaks between each chapter.

Amiko is a (neurodivergent?) kid who doesn't fit in and can't understand social cues. This book is from her point of view. As a reader we can see her being rejected constantly -getting bullied by peers, getting neglected by her family. She herself doesn't really understand what's going on and why, which makes it extra painful. The text slowly escalates into sadder and sadder circumstances.

It's certainly written well, but only read this if you're ready to get your heart broken.

📘 "Nipponia Nippon" by Kazushige Abe,
translated from Japanese into English by Kerim Yasar

I was so discouraged when I started reading this book and realized that it was about an incompetent, sexually frustrated young man, angry at society and willing to solve all of his problems with violence. But! I judged too quickly.

The author makes this story smart and interesting by being subtly critical of the protagonist with his language use. There are twists and turns and reveals and a satisfyingly strange ending. I felt toyed with as the reader, but didn't mind it at all.

I'm really curious about some of the choices the translator made, and wish there was an interview or podcast somewhere about it. For example, the main character's plan to 'exterminate' the hopes and dreams and heritage of the Japanese, as a society, is called "the final solution" throughout the book. Also the importance of the crested ibis' Latin name, the kanji explanations that were vital to the story... An analysis of the translation would be fascinating.