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Favourites - Mary Yukari Waters
by elkiedee This story is set in Kyoto, Japan, starting in June 1978. Fourteen year old Sarah Rexford and her Japanese mother, Yoko, have come back from the US to stay with family for a few weeks. Sarah was born and brought up in Japan but has lived in the US with her mother and white American father for 5 years. She is very conscious of ... the differences between life in Kyoto and in Fielder's Butte, California. Here in Kyoto, the women, including Sarah and her mum, go shopping every day for food, and the food is very different - in an opening scene, Sarah is trying to explain to her grandfather what she normally has for breakfast in the US, and becoming aware of the gulf between her life in Japan and in California. She also learns this summer about the complex, difficult relationships between the women in her family and the secrets behind them. Asking about the tension and awkwardness during a visit from other relatives, her mother reveals that her "cousin" Masako is in fact her younger sister, and Grandma gave her up for adoption to her sister in law. Yoko and her mother have a very close loving relationship, whereas Masako feels upset that she was given up. Masako's real mother longs to talk to the daughter she gave up about what happened, but she also recognises that this would undermine the relationship between Masako's relationship with her adoptive mother. I found the beginning of this book a bit of struggle, as it took me a while to understand who was related to who. I also think the way in which Waters distinguishes her characters is sometimes a bit jarring, as they are very often referred to by either their full names - Yoko Rexford, or by their titles and surnames - Mrs Rexford and Mrs Kobayashi. This might be accurate but I find it quite odd people being referred to so formally within a family, even one where there is a lot of concern with boundaries and distance, to protect people's feelings or to keep secrets. Once I got into the novel, though, I was really drawn into the story and eager to see that the characters were able to talk to each other more, hoping that they would be able to talk through things and come to terms with the past, whether as the baby given away, the birth mother or the adoptive one. I really began to care about the characters and read the book very quickly, anxious to see how these difficulties within the extended family would be resolved. Interestingly, Sarah is shown as a central character and the dominant narrative viewpoint, and I have the impression this novel about growing up has an autobiographical element. As the novel progresses and we learn more about the past, though, her grandmother's generation becomes much more important, and the characters of Mrs Kobayashi (Yoko's mother) and Mrs Asaki (the adopter) turn out to be far more memorable than Sarah and her mother. The Favorites is Mary Yukari's first novel but she has also published a collection of short stories, The Laws of Evening, which I have recently bought. This review previously appeared at www.thebookbag.co.uk Read the complete review |
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Brothers - Yu Hua
by sunmeilan Just before the Cultural Revolution, Baldy Li's mother and Song Gang's father met, fell in love and married. The two young boys took to each other immediately, and soon became fast friends. However, their comfortable existence is soon to be steam-rolled by the trials and tribulations of the Cultural Revolution. The family is of landlord ... stock, albeit in the distant past, and they become class enemies, forced to constantly self-criticise and accept abuse from those of a better class. Song Gang's father is beaten to death and Baldy Li's mother soon falls into a state of pining from which it is clear she will never emerge. Will the teenage brothers be able to survive on their own? And will their parents' death split the two of them up? Having lived in China for many years, I am always interested in reading about the country and its people, be it fact or fiction. Unfortunately, translations aren't always readily available in the UK, so I was delighted to receive a copy of this book, which is a Chinese bestseller. The story tracks the lives of Baldy Li and Song Gang throughout the Cultural Revolution and its aftermath. This may put some readers off, thinking that a background in Chinese history is necessary in order to understand the story. However, I don't think it is all that necessary; the book concentrates very much on the lives of the two young men, and although there are some cultural issues that a Western reader may not immediately understand, there is little that can't be worked out. One of my first thoughts when I started reading the book, and one that remained with me during the process of reading, was that it reminded me of a Charles Dickens novel. It isn't immediately obvious why; for a start, the country and the period are completely different! However, I think it has something to do with the amount of information that is given about the characters, Baldy Li in particular. After just a few chapters, I really felt as though I knew everything about Baldy Li and how he coped with the horrors that life threw at him. Nothing is spared, not even his early forays into masturbation. Another, more obvious, similarity with Dickens' work is the way that the characters are beaten down as far as they can go and then slowly begin to work their way up again. That is not to say that everything works out well though! The story initially seems to be a mere life story; and to a certain extent it is. What I didn't expect was the wealth of emotions that I felt while reading. The most traumatic part of the book is the death of Song Gang's father. The way that he is beaten to death by the Red Guards (upholders of the Cultural Revolution spirit) is truly revolting and described in great depth. I have heard many such stories before, and, as an avid watcher of horror, I am not easily moved, but the description is so horrific I could hardly bear to read. Perhaps to counteract this horror, other parts of the book are much more amusing, sometimes overly silly. At other times, I felt immense pride for the brothers and the way that they dragged themselves up. The translation of foreign language books is always an issue - a bad translation can really ruin the flow of the story. This is a slightly odd one. The language occasionally feels a little clumsy in that the way people speak is translated very literally. However, this somehow adds to the authenticity of the story - for me at least - and I really enjoyed it. Far from not flowing properly, it flows really well. Names are another issue. Baldy Li is not exactly an everyday name in the West, but others are even odder - try Yanker Yu (the local dentist) and Writer Liu for starters! That said, if you are expecting a read that complies with Western traditions, why are you reading this book in the first place? My only real issue with this book is the frequent mention of sex. And not your average boy meets girl sex. Baldy Li's childhood masturbation is described in great depth, as is his disposition for peeking at women's bottoms in the public toilets as they go about their business. Later on in the book, he decides to hold a national competition for the most beautiful virgin. This involves much emphasis on the fact that none of the so-called virgins are, indeed, virgins, but have had hymen reconstruction surgery, or have inserted fake hymens. All this is described in much detail, and although amusing at times, became a little jaded after a while. And the frequent reference to women not being virgins was irritating - obviously none of the men were either, but that is conveniently side-tracked. In fairness, I think that the author is using sex as a metaphor for the delinquent behaviour that has come about because of the changes in society - people are losing sight of what is important now that the possibility of becoming rich is real. There certainly is a lot of emphasis on morals and how some things are more important than money. At times, however, the author almost seems to be suggesting that being 'good' is a waste of time and it is necessary to dissect the story to reach the gist of what he is really saying. This isn't a criticism, just a reminder that perhaps this book shouldn't just be read at face value. Despite the occasional irritations, I did really enjoy this book. It is a massive piece of work - there are over 600 pages of closely typed script to get through - and I don't think it should be read in a hurry. This is a book to savour, not to rush. There is no need to worry that you will forget the storyline in between bouts of reading - the story will become indelibly imprinted in your memory! I highly recommend this book. The paperback version of the book is available from play.com from £9.95 (it is a hefty volume at 600 pages). ISBN-13: 978-0330469715 This review was originally published on thebookbag.co.uk, written by me. Read the complete review |
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The Housekeeper and the Professor - Yoko Ogawa
by Trix1212 The translation of a successful Japanese book, 'The Housekeeper and the Professor' is, at its heart, a simple story of the friendship that develops between a Professor, his housekeeper and her young son. It is a touching, heart-warming story, beautifully told, that opens up for exploration many aspects of growing relationships and the ... importance of memory. For the professor has an unusual affliction; an accident years before caused him to lose the ability to remember anything new for longer that eighty minutes. His past life, before the accident, is his only constant as his newer memories are wiped clean every night. Add to this the fact that he is a clever mathematician who becomes completely absorbed in complex problems and will not be disturbed from his work and it really does seem likely that any new relationship will be fraught with problems from the very beginning; even being his housekeeper presents difficulties when you have to re-introduce yourself every single day. He is an unusual, sad sort of character but his bouncy enthusiasm to share his love of maths endears him and the housekeeper (and the reader) finds themselves faced with some fascinating facts and problems that serve as a metaphor for the growing friendship and provide a thrilling glimpse into the privileged world of those who seek the beauty and truths that can be found in numbers. I have a kind of fascination with this sort of story, where maths is presented as part of another story in a way that makes it appealing and approachable. One other book that I can think of that does this is 'Uncle Petros and Goldblach's Conjencture' - the idea that there are mathematical theories out there that have been around for hundreds of years while brilliant minds have spent their entire lives trying to prove (or disprove) them absolutely fascinates me and I can almost imagine how easy it would be to be lost in a world of numbers - it sounds almost poetic! But this story has so much more to it that the maths, the unconventional friendships and the problem of the memory lapse certainly give the reader plenty to think about. I imagine that this would be a perfect choice for a reading group but I would certainly recommend it to anyone who wants a nice gentle read. I can certainly see why it was such a success in Japan where I believe it has also been made into a film. Read the complete review |
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Author: Yotam Ottolenghi / Fiction Book / Hardcover / 288 Pages / Book is published 2010-04-29 by Ebury Press |
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1 review Genre: Fiction / Fiction Book / Author: Mako Yoshikawa / Edition: Reprint / Paperback / 288 Pages / Book is published 2000-06 by Bantam |
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1 review Genre: Fiction / Fiction Book / Author: Yu Hua / Hardcover / 600 Pages / Book is published 2009-04-03 by Picador |
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1 review Genre: Fiction / Fiction Book / Author: Yukio Mishima / Paperback / 192 Pages / Book is published 2006-08-03 by Vintage |
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1 review Genre: Fiction / Fiction Book / Author: Yoko Ogawa / Paperback / 192 Pages / Book is published 2009-04-02 by Harvill Secker |
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Genre: Crime / Fiction Book / Thriller / Author: Yvvette Edwards / Kindle Edition / 268 Pages / Book is published 2011-07-29 by Oneworld Publications |
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| Y Fiction Book Recommendations 1 2 back | ||
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