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shesnorikkiducornet's review against another edition
2.0
Something tells me I am not missing any sort of deeper, cultural meaning to this book. I admit fully that I could be wrong. Hoping for something a little literary fictiony, I have stumbled into a Japanese pseudo-Lynchian nightmarescape that seems to be more about creating images instead of commenting on anything. Sure, it touches on time and a little on desire, but by and large these are shallow and unfulfilled. The plot meanders, much like our main character. Characters float in and out but serve no greater purpose than moving the plot forward it seems. Things all of a sudden come to light that seem only to serve a specific chapter or two. No one is likeable, though no one is asking to be.
I am curious about to know how this novel was received in Japan, how it has been viewed as an entry into their literary landscape, and where it fits on the greater shelf of Japanese literature. I am curious if there is a commentary that gets lost either in translation or upon my dumbish American brain. These are possibilities when dealing with foreign literature.
Of course, I am always willing to argue with myself and say that it never was meant to make sense in any sort of traditional manner. It is a novel written by a poet and very well may be an antinovel, vignettes tied together by one character and interwoven with others for the sake of looking and feeling like a novel. Maybe the point is to bore and peeve the reader with its meandering and nonresolving ending. A piece written to confront readers so bluntly with their expectations of what a novel should be would be brusque and opaque. It should leave a reader frustrated and lost. It should not be fun. And "Triangle (Tomoe)" was most definitely not fun. There is that argument and one I have now convinced myself of, though that doesn't change the rating I will give it.
I am curious about to know how this novel was received in Japan, how it has been viewed as an entry into their literary landscape, and where it fits on the greater shelf of Japanese literature. I am curious if there is a commentary that gets lost either in translation or upon my dumbish American brain. These are possibilities when dealing with foreign literature.
Of course, I am always willing to argue with myself and say that it never was meant to make sense in any sort of traditional manner. It is a novel written by a poet and very well may be an antinovel, vignettes tied together by one character and interwoven with others for the sake of looking and feeling like a novel. Maybe the point is to bore and peeve the reader with its meandering and nonresolving ending. A piece written to confront readers so bluntly with their expectations of what a novel should be would be brusque and opaque. It should leave a reader frustrated and lost. It should not be fun. And "Triangle (Tomoe)" was most definitely not fun. There is that argument and one I have now convinced myself of, though that doesn't change the rating I will give it.
arthoe's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
esselleayy's review against another edition
3.0
Japan does weird like nobody else. This surreal noir porno mystery is no exception. Interesting read and sure to satisfy anyone looking for a bizarro tale. Not a terribly satisfying story, though, since after reading the whole thing, I'm not really sure what happened.
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