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leeuhhhh's review
2.0
I usually enjoy reading collections of short stories, but unfortunately, this particular collection did not do it for me. While some readers might appreciate them, I prefer a collection of short stories with more depth and cohesiveness. I want to FEEL something by the end, or at the very least be entertained. A couple of stories stuck with me, but in general, I didn’t find myself excited to start a new chapter or pick the book back up :(
theirresponsiblereader's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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What’s Takeout Sushi About?
This is a collection of 17 stories—13 taking place in contemporary Japan, and 4 in other parts of the world and other times.
It’s difficult to describe a common theme or anything with this collection—you’ve got one crime story, one thing that straddles Science Fiction and Contemporary Fiction, and then a few that fall under slice-of-life kind of things. I’d compare them to the shorter works of Raymond Carver, John Cheever, or John Updike—at least in the kind of stories he’s telling, I’m not equipped to talk about literary quality. I will say that I liked most of these better than almost everything I read by those guys.
Characters in the Stories
Speaking generally, these stories focus on one person, with 1-3 other characters. I guess that’s frequently the case for short stories in general, but as I read it, this collection felt more focused on an individual or two rather than the outside world.
With several of these, I have the impression I got to know the protagonist as well as I do some characters in 400-page novels—Green has a real gift for getting us up close and personal to his characters. And, I guess, we really don’t get to know these people all that well—but in the moment, you’ll be convinced you know them better than their own mothers or psychiatrists.*
* That’s a joke, I can’t imagine any of these people seeing a psychiatrist. Most should, however.
Mawage
There’s probably an entire post to be written about the marriages depicted in the book—and, on the whole, the institution doesn’t come out looking to good. There are a couple of exceptions—and one promises to be better soon after the story’s events (thanks to an oddly sympathetic police officer). But, particularly early on, my notes are full of comments about the strange and (often) strained relationships between husband and wife depicted here.
I will say this—Green is fairly even-handed in what partner is “the problem.” Too many collections like this would tend to paint the wife negatively—or the husband—but Green bounced back and forth between the two.
Basically, don’t give this as a Valentine’s Day gift.
So, what did I think about Takeout Sushi?
Almost every time I talk about a short-story collection, I end up saying something like, “there were some real winners, and some that didn’t do much for me, I expect you’ll find the same (just with a different list of stories in each category).” I hate to repeat myself, buuuuuut…
Now, those that were real winners were just amazingly good. “Laugh out loud from surprise because you didn’t expect to read something that skillfully done and imaginative” good (and occasionally laugh out loud because of the conclusion). Those that didn’t rise to that level (in my estimation, I stress), did absolutely nothing for me. I even re-read a couple of them to see if I could figure out what I missed—I just didn’t understand the point of them. There was one exception to that—the penultimate story, “The Pool.” It was effective and affective—and completely not for me—but at least I got it.
A few years ago, I read a short story by Russell Day called “Not Talking Italics.” It blew me away and started a years-long obsession with Day and his shorter and longer pieces. Green’s “Crimes for Dummies” hit me in almost the same way. My note at the end was just one word: Fantastic. A few others were almost as good (“The Choice”)—or better (“Spinning Wheels”).
I’m not going to say any more about them because it would rid those stories of their punch. But those three more than justify the purchase price of the book—whatever you end up spending on it.
As usual, I’m more than prepared for people to come along and tell me that “The Pool” was brilliant (and explain why), or that “Spinning Wheels” was silly or derivative of something. Because tastes differ—as they should.
In any case, I expect that whoever picks up this collection are going to frequently have a real blast with it—and a couple of things to shrug at before diving into the next one that will get them giddy with excitement.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Neem Tree Press and The Write Reads via NetGalley.
f33lthesun's review against another edition
3.0
This is a collection of short stories, most set in Japan, with a few set elsewhere.
There are a range of themes across the stories, with family relationships at the heart of many, as well as moral dilemmas that make the reader wonder if they would make the same decisions if it were them.
A couple of the stories left me thinking deeply about revenge. Not planned revenge but the feeling when something bad happens to someone and their significant other decides, on reflection, that they got what was coming to them after all, now they think about it. A sort of unintended consequence revenge.
Thanks to Neem Tree Press and @The_WriteReads for the eARC for this review.
abbyluvsfrogs444's review against another edition
Was so bored and did not love it.
rebelbadgegirlreads's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
avoraciousreader68's review against another edition
slow-paced
4.0
Book source ~ TWR Tour
This is a collection of short stories that are just the right length, so you can easily pick it up and put it down as life dictates. I read it pretty much in two sittings, but I happened to have some time to do so. Well-written and fine-tuned, the stories are varied, but they all have one thing in common: they are entertaining.
I’m sitting here trying to decide which one I like the best and which the least. It’s a difficult choice. Apartment 601 intrigues me the most and the ending to The Tree makes me wonder about what the wife means. I don’t like the main characters in a couple of the stories since I think they are a bit mean-spirited or idiotic. I think I like Henry Sparkles the most even though the subject and tone is at times horrifying and sad. The most humorous in my eyes is Burned. I admit to a few chortle-snorts while reading it. As for my least liked, I believe that would be Crime for Dummies.
There’s something for everyone in this collection so I suggest giving it a go!
gabrielastbr's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
inwonder's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
inkreads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Takeout Sushi by Christopher Green is agreat collection of short stories based predominantly in contemporary Japan, but not exclusivlely (also Italy, America, South Africa) The theme that connects all of the short stories is a feeling of humanity, humour and the experience of living life. For humour, Burned is my clear favourite and for narrative, the Pool.
The illustrations are whimsical and give a really nice punctuation to each story
A very enjoyable collection and a book that can be read again and again
Thank you to Netgalley, Neem Tree Press and the author Christopher Green for this wonderful ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own
The illustrations are whimsical and give a really nice punctuation to each story
A very enjoyable collection and a book that can be read again and again
Thank you to Netgalley, Neem Tree Press and the author Christopher Green for this wonderful ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own
roshreviews's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
In a Nutshell: An interesting collection of stories, with most of them set in Japan. Loved the writing style and enjoyed the diverse emotions. Much recommended!
This story collection has, as the title suggests, a strong Japanese flavour. So let me begin by confessing that I am not a fan of Japanese literature. Most Japanese fiction that I tried hasn’t suited my reading tastes, so I generally keep away from this genre. The reason I picked this collection up is... No, no, the sushi had no role to play in my decision; I can’t stand even the thought of sushi! The reason I wanted to read this is that the author is NOT a Japanese! 😁 I know this sounds quite silly to declare, but had the author been Japanese, I would have resisted opting for this. But by virtue of his being an “outsider”, I thought it was a great opportunity to get a look at Japan without risking the writing style’s not working for me yet again.
Usually, I avoid cultural fiction by non-OwnVoices writers as they often tend to be stereotypical. However, author Christopher Green has been a long-time resident of Japan, so his view of Japan has to be somewhat genuine. This factor also worked in favour of my interest.
“Takeout Sushi” is Green’s debut adult fiction collection, with some of the stories being inspired from his own experiences. The tales offer a memorable medley of both nihon-jin (Japanese resident) as well as gaijin (non-Japanese outsider) points of view, possibly due to the author’s dual perspective into the country of his residence.
The seventeen stories in this book are divided across two sections: “Stories of Japan, today”, which has thirteen stories, and “Stories of Other Places and Times”, which has the remaining four stories coming from non-Japanese settings. While I enjoyed most of the tales, the Japanese ones were superior to the rest.
Most of the Japan-centric stories in this collection have the main character as a non-Japanese settled in the country. They are ordinary characters living ordinary lives until one decision of theirs takes a turn for the extraordinary. The stories thus evoke a variety of emotions, ranging from hope to panic to fear to laughter. Each of them impacts the head and the heart!
It would have been easy to write every Japan-based story as a set of experiences of immigrant settlers. However, the stories in this book are absolutely varied in theme, never feeling repetitive or stereotypical, and none of them are about adjusting to the Japanese way of living i.e. the immigrant perspective. I appreciate this writing choice because it gives the book a far widespread range of topics and emotions to explore, and also makes it stand out in the plethora of similar-sounding immigrant narratives.
The stories in the second section offer a slightly different experience. Though these also had variety in content and intriguing characters, somehow they left me wanting more. Again, they aren’t bad stories at all. But in comparison with the outstanding Japanese set, the non-Japanese ones don’t leave as much of an impact. I wouldn’t even have minded if these stories had been skipped in favour of more Japanese experience tales.
Regardless, the writing in both sections is impeccable. Most stories have a clear flow, and whether written in first person or third person, you actually *feel* the narrator’s emotions. The author’s writing seems almost effortless, whether he is penning something funny or serious. The emotions spring genuinely from the situation and don’t feel shovelled into the narrative.
The endings of some of the tales felt a little abrupt. Thankfully, a majority of the stories reach a more realistic finish, if not a perfectly happy one. I like such endings better, but those who want a short story to seal off neatly might be dissatisfied.
Every story is introduced with a little illustration that represents the upcoming tale nicely. These add to the allure.
As always, I rated the stories individually. Of the seventeen stories, nine stories reached or crossed the 4 star mark. All the remaining stories got between 3-3.5 stars. In other words, not a single bad story for me; all were either good or great. My top favourites were:
🌸 Swallows - The emotions in this tale are stunning. It has a subtle kind of frustration and a hope that stems from nature. I have rarely seen male writers capture women’s feelings so well. (Sorry, that’s gender-biased, I know! But still…) - ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
🌸 Burned - Easily, the best story of the book. The title made me assume that it might be a story of a disaster. Well, there was a disaster, but a man-made one. A MAN-made one! 😉 I laughed harder than I should have at this tale. My female-identifying friends, you will have a blast reading this. My male-identifying friends, this might be painful to read, but I hope you will learn a lifesaving lesson from this story. 😂 Fingers crossed that ‘Burned’ wasn't one of the stories inspired by the author's experiences! 😬🤭 - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌸 Spinning Wheels - Corporate culture at its best, and worst. Loved how well this incorporates Japanese work ethic into a futuristic premise. All those worried about AI and its repercussions might enjoy this story. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
🌸 The Jogger - Another story that didn't go the way I expected it to, and ended in an even more memorable way! The ending elevated my rating. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌸 Plastic Irises - This one really took me by surprise because I just didn’t figure out where it was going. The titular plastic irises are a nice metaphor to the content. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
All in all, I loved this unusual story collection. While the setting is primarily Japanese, the stories are more about the people than the place, and the human emotions are universal.
Heartily recommended to all lovers of short fiction and East Asian fiction, and to those who enjoy the journey more than the destination. This is one sushi (and the only sushi) that I’d love to try again!
3.9 stars, based on the average of my rating for each tale.
My thanks to TheWriteReads, Neem Tree Press, author Christopher Green, and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of “Takeout Sushi”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
This story collection has, as the title suggests, a strong Japanese flavour. So let me begin by confessing that I am not a fan of Japanese literature. Most Japanese fiction that I tried hasn’t suited my reading tastes, so I generally keep away from this genre. The reason I picked this collection up is... No, no, the sushi had no role to play in my decision; I can’t stand even the thought of sushi! The reason I wanted to read this is that the author is NOT a Japanese! 😁 I know this sounds quite silly to declare, but had the author been Japanese, I would have resisted opting for this. But by virtue of his being an “outsider”, I thought it was a great opportunity to get a look at Japan without risking the writing style’s not working for me yet again.
Usually, I avoid cultural fiction by non-OwnVoices writers as they often tend to be stereotypical. However, author Christopher Green has been a long-time resident of Japan, so his view of Japan has to be somewhat genuine. This factor also worked in favour of my interest.
“Takeout Sushi” is Green’s debut adult fiction collection, with some of the stories being inspired from his own experiences. The tales offer a memorable medley of both nihon-jin (Japanese resident) as well as gaijin (non-Japanese outsider) points of view, possibly due to the author’s dual perspective into the country of his residence.
The seventeen stories in this book are divided across two sections: “Stories of Japan, today”, which has thirteen stories, and “Stories of Other Places and Times”, which has the remaining four stories coming from non-Japanese settings. While I enjoyed most of the tales, the Japanese ones were superior to the rest.
Most of the Japan-centric stories in this collection have the main character as a non-Japanese settled in the country. They are ordinary characters living ordinary lives until one decision of theirs takes a turn for the extraordinary. The stories thus evoke a variety of emotions, ranging from hope to panic to fear to laughter. Each of them impacts the head and the heart!
It would have been easy to write every Japan-based story as a set of experiences of immigrant settlers. However, the stories in this book are absolutely varied in theme, never feeling repetitive or stereotypical, and none of them are about adjusting to the Japanese way of living i.e. the immigrant perspective. I appreciate this writing choice because it gives the book a far widespread range of topics and emotions to explore, and also makes it stand out in the plethora of similar-sounding immigrant narratives.
The stories in the second section offer a slightly different experience. Though these also had variety in content and intriguing characters, somehow they left me wanting more. Again, they aren’t bad stories at all. But in comparison with the outstanding Japanese set, the non-Japanese ones don’t leave as much of an impact. I wouldn’t even have minded if these stories had been skipped in favour of more Japanese experience tales.
Regardless, the writing in both sections is impeccable. Most stories have a clear flow, and whether written in first person or third person, you actually *feel* the narrator’s emotions. The author’s writing seems almost effortless, whether he is penning something funny or serious. The emotions spring genuinely from the situation and don’t feel shovelled into the narrative.
The endings of some of the tales felt a little abrupt. Thankfully, a majority of the stories reach a more realistic finish, if not a perfectly happy one. I like such endings better, but those who want a short story to seal off neatly might be dissatisfied.
Every story is introduced with a little illustration that represents the upcoming tale nicely. These add to the allure.
As always, I rated the stories individually. Of the seventeen stories, nine stories reached or crossed the 4 star mark. All the remaining stories got between 3-3.5 stars. In other words, not a single bad story for me; all were either good or great. My top favourites were:
🌸 Swallows - The emotions in this tale are stunning. It has a subtle kind of frustration and a hope that stems from nature. I have rarely seen male writers capture women’s feelings so well. (Sorry, that’s gender-biased, I know! But still…) - ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
🌸 Burned - Easily, the best story of the book. The title made me assume that it might be a story of a disaster. Well, there was a disaster, but a man-made one. A MAN-made one! 😉 I laughed harder than I should have at this tale. My female-identifying friends, you will have a blast reading this. My male-identifying friends, this might be painful to read, but I hope you will learn a lifesaving lesson from this story. 😂 Fingers crossed that ‘Burned’ wasn't one of the stories inspired by the author's experiences! 😬🤭 - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌸 Spinning Wheels - Corporate culture at its best, and worst. Loved how well this incorporates Japanese work ethic into a futuristic premise. All those worried about AI and its repercussions might enjoy this story. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
🌸 The Jogger - Another story that didn't go the way I expected it to, and ended in an even more memorable way! The ending elevated my rating. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌸 Plastic Irises - This one really took me by surprise because I just didn’t figure out where it was going. The titular plastic irises are a nice metaphor to the content. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
All in all, I loved this unusual story collection. While the setting is primarily Japanese, the stories are more about the people than the place, and the human emotions are universal.
Heartily recommended to all lovers of short fiction and East Asian fiction, and to those who enjoy the journey more than the destination. This is one sushi (and the only sushi) that I’d love to try again!
3.9 stars, based on the average of my rating for each tale.
My thanks to TheWriteReads, Neem Tree Press, author Christopher Green, and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of “Takeout Sushi”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.