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leesmyth's review
3.0
Interesting collection, though the twists are inevitably weird and depressing. The last story is particularly grim.
hisuin's review
3.0
I have specially liked the first five stories. With the last three I couldn't connect, they were either too strange, long or boring.
The book comprises:
*"Concerning the sound of a train whistle in the night or On the efficacy of fiction" - Haruki Murakami
*"A little darkness" - Banana Yoshimoto
*"Genjitsu House" - Masayo Koike
*"The silent traders" - Yûko Tsushima
*"Mogera Wagura" - Hiromi Kawakami
*"The maiden in the manger" - Kazushige Abe
*"Where the bowling pins stand" - Shinji Ishii
*"Love suicide at Kamakura" - Sueko Yoshida
The book comprises:
*"Concerning the sound of a train whistle in the night or On the efficacy of fiction" - Haruki Murakami
*"A little darkness" - Banana Yoshimoto
*"Genjitsu House" - Masayo Koike
*"The silent traders" - Yûko Tsushima
*"Mogera Wagura" - Hiromi Kawakami
*"The maiden in the manger" - Kazushige Abe
*"Where the bowling pins stand" - Shinji Ishii
*"Love suicide at Kamakura" - Sueko Yoshida
finlaaaay's review
3.0
There was a point towards the middle and end of this book where every story started to take a dark and/or suddenly sexual turn. I'm starting to think this is typical of Emmerich (the editor)'s tastes.
Glad to finish it, anyway - I bought this back in 2016 or 2017 and my Japanese reading ability has only recently become fluent enough not to struggle to read it. Even with the translation on the other page. It's a really great concept, which I'd like to see repeated with a different set of stories.
Glad to finish it, anyway - I bought this back in 2016 or 2017 and my Japanese reading ability has only recently become fluent enough not to struggle to read it. Even with the translation on the other page. It's a really great concept, which I'd like to see repeated with a different set of stories.
thearbiter89's review
3.0
This was a long, hard, unforgiving slog, because it was my first bona fide attempt to read short-form fiction in the original Japanese. In this particular collection, the presence of a (very good) side-by-side English translation makes this a much less tortuous exercise than it’d have been otherwise.
All this is to say that it was a rewarding experience for my Japanese language-learning aspirations. In terms of the stories, however, the verdict is less full-throated.
Japanese literature, I’ve noticed, seems largely less about presenting a neatly bow-wrapped narrative with a beginning and end, and more about creating snapshots evoking moods, painting metaphors, or reflecting on the ephemerality of things.
To my English-reading eyes, this often results in stories that seem as recondite and insubstantial as haikus, over before they have even begun, their subtleties lost in translation in a way that even meticulously annotated translations cannot convey - these make up the bulk of the stories in this collection.
It’s no surprise, therefore, that my most-liked stories int the list are a bit more plot-driven, and have a more definite sense of closure - stories like Mogera Wogura, about an intelligent rodent that works a desk job and cares for lost souls that he picks up in his spare time; Where the Bowling Pins Stand, about the often-complex tensions underlying the cab-driver trade; or Love Suicide at Kamaara, which depicts, with a tragic and historical vividness, the events leading up to the titular event.
There is genuine and unalloyed pleasure when one reads great stories in Japanese and is able to parse, to an albeit limited degree, the stylistic choices that Japanese writers have made to express themselves. But equally important is the pleasure one gets from the story itself, irrespective of language, and in this department this book is a somewhat mixed bag, but one that contains rare gems that made the whole exercise feel like a somewhat exhausting triumph when I finally got through it all.
I give this collection: 3.5 out of 5 lighters
All this is to say that it was a rewarding experience for my Japanese language-learning aspirations. In terms of the stories, however, the verdict is less full-throated.
Japanese literature, I’ve noticed, seems largely less about presenting a neatly bow-wrapped narrative with a beginning and end, and more about creating snapshots evoking moods, painting metaphors, or reflecting on the ephemerality of things.
To my English-reading eyes, this often results in stories that seem as recondite and insubstantial as haikus, over before they have even begun, their subtleties lost in translation in a way that even meticulously annotated translations cannot convey - these make up the bulk of the stories in this collection.
It’s no surprise, therefore, that my most-liked stories int the list are a bit more plot-driven, and have a more definite sense of closure - stories like Mogera Wogura, about an intelligent rodent that works a desk job and cares for lost souls that he picks up in his spare time; Where the Bowling Pins Stand, about the often-complex tensions underlying the cab-driver trade; or Love Suicide at Kamaara, which depicts, with a tragic and historical vividness, the events leading up to the titular event.
There is genuine and unalloyed pleasure when one reads great stories in Japanese and is able to parse, to an albeit limited degree, the stylistic choices that Japanese writers have made to express themselves. But equally important is the pleasure one gets from the story itself, irrespective of language, and in this department this book is a somewhat mixed bag, but one that contains rare gems that made the whole exercise feel like a somewhat exhausting triumph when I finally got through it all.
I give this collection: 3.5 out of 5 lighters
athirah_idrus's review
3.0
It took me a while to finish reading this. As with most - if not all collection of stories, some stories are good, but some are just not worth your time. This collection begins with a really really short one by Murakami. I've read a number by Murakami in the past and I can't say that I'm a fan, but i did enjoy this one.
So I began to have faith that I would enjoy the collection right till the end. However, as I progressed I had to content myself that the first story would be the one that I enjoyed the most.
One good thing about this parallel text is that the Japanese version is on the right side and I was able to plow through the book without having to rely on a dictionary.
Plus, the translation gives the exact context in which the original story was written. (though I have to say that I was able to grasp better because I was able to read the original text in japanese and appreciate the nuances that are limited when it comes to translated texts)
Now it'd be rather unfair if I were to give this book a general rating as each story has its own merit and demerit. I'd say if you're bilingual, either you're a native Japanese speaker wanting to learn English or vice versa, this book would be a great accompaniment to your study materials.
So I began to have faith that I would enjoy the collection right till the end. However, as I progressed I had to content myself that the first story would be the one that I enjoyed the most.
One good thing about this parallel text is that the Japanese version is on the right side and I was able to plow through the book without having to rely on a dictionary.
Plus, the translation gives the exact context in which the original story was written. (though I have to say that I was able to grasp better because I was able to read the original text in japanese and appreciate the nuances that are limited when it comes to translated texts)
Now it'd be rather unfair if I were to give this book a general rating as each story has its own merit and demerit. I'd say if you're bilingual, either you're a native Japanese speaker wanting to learn English or vice versa, this book would be a great accompaniment to your study materials.
izzatiidrus's review
3.0
Generally, I enjoyed the translation works, they seem pretty accurate. However, as is usually the case with any compilation of short stories written by various authors, some stories just pale in comparison to others.
1) Concerning the Sound of a Train Whistle in the Night or On the Efficacy of Fiction
⭐⭐⭐
I feel like the title is longer than the story. It's short and sweet though. I usually cannot finish reading Murakami's works but this one was enjoyable enough.
2) A Little Darkness
⭐⭐⭐⭐
I've never read anything by Yoshimoto Banana before and I must say, I quite enjoyed this one. It's about everyone having that little fear inside. That even if you're married to someone, there might still be parts of you they don't know. About the kind of love and respect for one another where you try to understand and compromise.
3) Genjitsu House
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I've never heard of Koike Masayo so this story was a pleasant find. I loved how candid the narrator was being with her honest thoughts about babies. I also loved what the narrator's friend said about giving birth:
"... giving birth is like consciously deciding to die. Because you can't think about what comes after."
"... giving birth actually kills a woman, once, and then brings her back again. I mean, you actually feel like someone is pregnant with you, even though it's you who's pregnant, and like you're the one who's been born, even though you were the one to give birth."
4) The Silent Traders
⭐
This was so boring it was like I was reading a lengthy Facebook post about what someone's doing, instead of an actual short story. I couldn't even get on board with the author's attempt to justify her protagonist's fears to speak up and thus succumbing to the Japanese culture of keeping things unsaid. You can word it in any fancy way, but the truth is the character's just scared.
5) Mogera Wogura
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Although the very idea of moles living among humans is kind of creepy, I actually enjoyed this one. It's about people who have fallen, exhausted and they couldn't get back up. People who are still alive, but not quite living their lives.
6) The Maiden in the Manger
⭐⭐⭐
At first this gave me the impression that it was going to be another boring recounting of daily life, but boy that ending scored the 3 stars for me!
7) Where the Bowling Pins Stand
⭐⭐⭐
This sounded promising at first, but then it ended pretty abruptly. If it had explored into a more thriller/mystery/horror path, I would have enjoyed it so much more.
8) Love Suicide at Kamaara
⭐
This was 100% not my cup of tea at all. It was kind of sad that I had to end the book with this story. I hated everything about it. Even the title, because it somewhat gave an inaccurate impression.
1) Concerning the Sound of a Train Whistle in the Night or On the Efficacy of Fiction
⭐⭐⭐
I feel like the title is longer than the story. It's short and sweet though. I usually cannot finish reading Murakami's works but this one was enjoyable enough.
2) A Little Darkness
⭐⭐⭐⭐
I've never read anything by Yoshimoto Banana before and I must say, I quite enjoyed this one. It's about everyone having that little fear inside. That even if you're married to someone, there might still be parts of you they don't know. About the kind of love and respect for one another where you try to understand and compromise.
3) Genjitsu House
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I've never heard of Koike Masayo so this story was a pleasant find. I loved how candid the narrator was being with her honest thoughts about babies. I also loved what the narrator's friend said about giving birth:
"... giving birth is like consciously deciding to die. Because you can't think about what comes after."
"... giving birth actually kills a woman, once, and then brings her back again. I mean, you actually feel like someone is pregnant with you, even though it's you who's pregnant, and like you're the one who's been born, even though you were the one to give birth."
4) The Silent Traders
⭐
This was so boring it was like I was reading a lengthy Facebook post about what someone's doing, instead of an actual short story. I couldn't even get on board with the author's attempt to justify her protagonist's fears to speak up and thus succumbing to the Japanese culture of keeping things unsaid. You can word it in any fancy way, but the truth is the character's just scared.
5) Mogera Wogura
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Although the very idea of moles living among humans is kind of creepy, I actually enjoyed this one. It's about people who have fallen, exhausted and they couldn't get back up. People who are still alive, but not quite living their lives.
6) The Maiden in the Manger
⭐⭐⭐
At first this gave me the impression that it was going to be another boring recounting of daily life, but boy that ending scored the 3 stars for me!
7) Where the Bowling Pins Stand
⭐⭐⭐
This sounded promising at first, but then it ended pretty abruptly. If it had explored into a more thriller/mystery/horror path, I would have enjoyed it so much more.
8) Love Suicide at Kamaara
⭐
This was 100% not my cup of tea at all. It was kind of sad that I had to end the book with this story. I hated everything about it. Even the title, because it somewhat gave an inaccurate impression.
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