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natasha29singh's review
3.0
Objectively speaking, this book is funny, doesn’t take itself too seriously, is equal parts drama and tragicomedy, executed very well, and so on and so forth. But obviously, the subject matter makes it fairly graphic, and the irreverence makes it difficult to read about things like rape and incest without feeling a little queasy. Don't get me wrong - [a:Akiyuki Nosaka|72118|Akiyuki Nosaka|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1435340898p2/72118.jpg] is incredibly talented - I think I just need to try a different book by him.
grace_ramsey's review
This is the single most disgusting book I have ever picked up. Every page is dripping with misogyny, sexualization of young children (even the protagonist's daughter), complete ignorance of consent. Women are completely and totally sexual objects in this book with no exception.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Homophobia, Trafficking, Stalking, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Sexism, and Incest
lou1sb's review
4.0
I was reading this on the train, and a suit was standing behind me reading over my shoulder (it was the scene where the businessman puts the school girl's panties over his head and inhales deeply) and I wanted to turn around and say "it's about the war, I swear. The impotent pornographers pursuit of ever more perversely carnal scenarios for his clients are a way for Akiyuki to revisit the visceral death he was never allowed to experience; just as Mishima revisits the war to endlessly reenact the heroic, angelic death he was never allowed, Akiyuki seeks to reenact the crass, visceral death he was never allowed."
But I just closed the book and waited until Spencer St.
But I just closed the book and waited until Spencer St.
sebseb's review
4.0
Fun (sometimes hilarious) and disturbing (but always thoughtful) rub together to make for a strong satire with plenty of deeper ideas about humanity going on under the covers. I discovered this book when researching Imamura's amazing film, and was delighted to find that the original text delves into many of the same themes (artificiality and modernity, sexual vitality as a counterpoint to official culture, etc.). Unlike the film, the focus is more on the pornographers themselves rather than the quasi-incestuous family unit, and it was great to learn more about characters like the endearing social misfit Kanpo and the idealistic artist Banteki – in fact, stronger characterisation would have made this a much better book, in my opinion. The book's main draw is the way that personal philosophies and ways of being are all developed through the men's relationships with pornography, making for pleasantly absurdist reading. The abusive and commodified way that women are treated may be disturbing for some, but such moments serve to pull the reader away from the idealised visions of pornography that Subuyan argues for. I was reminded of Lolita, and the pull and push between the joy of Humbert's seductive language and the repulsion towards his unwittingly abusive behaviour. That novel executes its vision far more skilfully, but The Pornographers still has much to offer, and definitely deserves a fresher translation by now.
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