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utopiareads's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
5.0
8797999's review against another edition
3.0
Just finished reading this, my first introduction to the author and by and large I enjoyed them, not all but for the most part I did. The stand out ones for me were Kamisori, Han's Crime, A Grey Moon and the titular The Paper Door.
Some of the stories were a chore to get through, mostly the ones that focused on adultery towards the end, especially Kuniko.
Overall it was enjoyable but nothing especially special in my opinion. Some good stories but nothing to shout from the rooftops.
Some of the stories were a chore to get through, mostly the ones that focused on adultery towards the end, especially Kuniko.
Overall it was enjoyable but nothing especially special in my opinion. Some good stories but nothing to shout from the rooftops.
jwang194's review against another edition
4.0
one of the purest representatives of modern japanese literature, from an author i hadn't actually heard of! this collection blends all the usual attributes of the 20th century japanese short story (harsh brevity, a soft eye for nature, semi-autobiographical confessions, simple prose) with an immense range of subjects. in naoya's hands (and lane's), we make heroic leaps from a little children's tale about a rapeseed flower (the little girl and the rapeseed flower) to a record of the weirdly agitating exploits of an undercover samurai retainer (akanishi kakita) to a trio of stark confessions about adultery (a memory of yamashina, infatuation, kuniko). in some ways, the collection appears to actual trace out the author's own autobiography, in little observational tales.
there's some incredibly interesting psychology on display here. we see superhuman resilience (as far as abashiri, kuniko) and some truly bizarre moral acrobatics (han's crime, the shopboy's god), and through it all runs an odd fascination with evil, at scales both large and small. is it possible that this has something to do with naoya's inner struggle with christianity? apparently, he had some issues with lust, both in terms of homosexuality and adultery, which make appearances in these stories. regardless, i hope his faith allowed God's grace to lift this burden from him at the end of the day.
there's some incredibly interesting psychology on display here. we see superhuman resilience (as far as abashiri, kuniko) and some truly bizarre moral acrobatics (han's crime, the shopboy's god), and through it all runs an odd fascination with evil, at scales both large and small. is it possible that this has something to do with naoya's inner struggle with christianity? apparently, he had some issues with lust, both in terms of homosexuality and adultery, which make appearances in these stories. regardless, i hope his faith allowed God's grace to lift this burden from him at the end of the day.
jmarto's review against another edition
3.0
I am hesitant about rating this book 3 stars. On one hand, some of the stories are phenomenal and left me with a lingering emotion in the back of my throat (pity? despondence?) On the other, many of the stories felt arduous in their simplicity, repeating the same struggles clearly felt in the author's life. Overall I enjoyed this collection-and will definitely reread select stories in the future-but I was not entirely engrossed by the writing.
kfan's review against another edition
3.0
Read about half. Like it. Now's not the time. Will revisit.
latinramen's review against another edition
3.0
A destacar:
-Han’s Crime
-The Shopboy’s God
-Rain Frogs
-Han’s Crime
-The Shopboy’s God
-Rain Frogs
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