Lame. If I read this as a kid I would have probably loved it. But as an adult, it is really lame. The writing, the hooks, the repetition, the ideas...Lame. If I read this as a kid I would have probably loved it. But as an adult, it is really lame. The writing, the hooks, the repetition, the ideas... it just does not hit the mark. ...more
Thirst for Love is a powerful psychological narrative and, sadly, a technically flawed book. The choices and overall execution by the author destroy wThirst for Love is a powerful psychological narrative and, sadly, a technically flawed book. The choices and overall execution by the author destroy what could have been a haunting, memorable antihero. To start off with, Mishima’s omniscient point of view in this book makes no sense. The focus shifts constantly between the narrator and Etsuko—the protagonist—with occasional random shifts to other characters that really does not add any substance.
Then there are the triple-layered Etsuko narratives, by which I mean the narrator is following Etsuko, then we are in Etsuko’s point of view, and then we are suddenly in Etsuko’s head reading her thoughts… but none of this sub-layering serves the story. What Mishima is doing here is clumsy. The narrator is an annoying commentator. Etsuko's thoughts are often nothing more than existential reflections that seem to be a window for the author to make us think deeper rather than believe what Etsuko would be feeling without all these imposed thought interjections. The only valid voice, the necessary POV is that of Etsuko. Etsuko is suffering—she has an intense crush, she has an intense hatred, she has intense jealousy—these are raw emotions full of destructive energy, they are not moments of existential crises and reflection, they are moments of action.
Then she went on in the same way: “At that rate, when you got back here and Miyo wasn’t here, it worked out perfectly, didn’t it?” Her words were half thought, half spoken. She had difficulty distinguishing between soliloquy that kept insistently repeating itself in her mind and the soliloquy that she uttered. In dreams, seedlings mature instantly into fruit-bearing trees, and small birds become winged horses. So in Etsuko’s trance, outlandish hopes waxed into shape of hopes capable of immediate realization. What if I am the one Saburo has loved? I will have to be bold and try to find out. I must not even think that what I anticipate will not come true. If my hopes come true, I shall be happy. It’s that simple. Thus Etsuko pondered. Hopes for whose fruition one does not fear, however, are hopes so much as, in the last analysis, a species of desperation. “All right; but, then, who in the world do you love? Etsuko asked.
The weakness in this structure is Mishima’s fear that the reader will not understand Etsuko’s plight without being spoon fed every logical nuance that leads to her action or inaction. But by his unfounded anxiety, Mishima has ended up practically telling me everything, and with so little shown, there is no room for emotional resonance. Handled differently, I would have felt pain and desolation and frustration on behalf of Etsuko, instead of a boring indifference to her suffering.
It is really strange that the most unusual thread is not explored, much less developed, i.e. Etsuko being a widow is now her father-in-law’s mistress. Instead, her infatuation with Saburo, a younger, handsome man is the focus. Emotionally, there is no reason why she should not fall for Saburo. Yet I am to take for granted her current situation with her father-in-law, and somehow feel her pain for the somewhat unattainable Saburo. Is it normal in the culture that the widow of the son become the father-in-law’s mistress? And what about the pregnant Miyo who we never know anything of anymore?
Then there are the plethora of metaphors throughout the book. It sometimes read like an author imposing a quota on himself to produce as many metaphors as possible, and this detracted from the more needed sense of emotional urgency. Some of the metaphors work and really capture the essence of the moment:
Like an author who thinks himself a genius because his books don’t sell, he felt that his not being asked to lecture anywhere was evidence that the world was not ready for his message.
But others fall flat or are cringe-worthy:
The two sofas and eleven chairs in the drawing room, long untouched by human hand, were very much like girls worn out with waiting.
…Ouch!
With all that aside, the greatest affront in this novel is the climax. It came across as completely ridiculous and unbelievable. I do not wish to give it away for anyone who may want to read the book, although I would say there are better books out there, but it was so sudden and unexpected that it read like a cheap device to enthrall rather than to instigate an emotional chord. With a rushed denouement that does not even round up the story appropriately, I was left jarred and irritated at such a clumsy book. ...more
My first Tanizaki book and it didn’t disappoint. A subtle, erotic story about the emotional extremes or games a couple will go to to enhance the excitMy first Tanizaki book and it didn’t disappoint. A subtle, erotic story about the emotional extremes or games a couple will go to to enhance the excitement of their sexual life. Only not in a vulgar way. This is an early 20th century Japanese novel that compares traditional and moral values with egocentric urges and desires to create a stimulating tale. And true to Classical Japanese, it’s all in the nuances and subtleties that the characters (and the reader) are stimulated. It’s hard to comment on this novella in detail without ruining the plot, just know that it’s not about the sex or anything that lewd, but about the desires and about the games people can play to enhance those desires. Having said that, there is also a layer of family dynamics and relationships that makes these actions and choices all the more interesting. Oh, and it’s all told in a diary format; two diaries to be exact, that of husband and that of wife....more
An average novel by Murakami. Strengths include an interesting (non-magical realism) plot that keeps you intrigued to the last page; affecting introspAn average novel by Murakami. Strengths include an interesting (non-magical realism) plot that keeps you intrigued to the last page; affecting introspection that is relatable to most introverts; some touching moments that are very-well rendered; and a straight-forward, quick read. Weaknesses include non-memorable characters; lots of irrelevant character sketches at the start (let the action paint their portraits); a red-herring (Haida); and an unnecessary lengthy first 100 pages that could have easily been halved....more
My first uninteresting read by Kawabata. The book is divided into 2 parts; in the first part, with the exception of the title story, the rest are abouMy first uninteresting read by Kawabata. The book is divided into 2 parts; in the first part, with the exception of the title story, the rest are about the deaths in the author's family, which made them hard to read as fiction but more as short personal essays (although I think he called them stories because some minor aspects were fictionalised); while the second part contains short shorts that don't really make much sense in that format, they read more like ideas rather than complete stories. I didn't resonate with this collection and much prefer his longer works....more
A few of the stories here are really good, immersive and showing the horrors of the atomic aftermaths; others, unfortunately, are underwhelming and muA few of the stories here are really good, immersive and showing the horrors of the atomic aftermaths; others, unfortunately, are underwhelming and much too passive and distant, which didn't work because the nature of the topic and the format of a short story demand more engagement....more
The first 4 stories were incredible! I felt Murakami was at the height of his powers with those, because while they had many of the Murakami tropes, tThe first 4 stories were incredible! I felt Murakami was at the height of his powers with those, because while they had many of the Murakami tropes, they were still somewhat more 'masterful'... i.e. less gimmicky. Those stories were about human relationships, reminding me more of 'Norwegian Wood' yet still having the prominent magical realism running through. I had hoped the whole collection would be that way, but the rest of the stories were same old, where I felt the plot and the surrealism overtook the characterization, hence 4 stars....more
A slow-paced social commentary novel of early modern Japan, which follows a handful of characters with very different personalities as they go throughA slow-paced social commentary novel of early modern Japan, which follows a handful of characters with very different personalities as they go through a year at university. There is the shy protagonist, the mischievous friend, the timid girl, the mysterious girl, the rambling professor and the reserved scientist....more
It's the first time I could put down a Murakami book and read other books in-between, rather than wait eagerly for the next opportunity to pick it up It's the first time I could put down a Murakami book and read other books in-between, rather than wait eagerly for the next opportunity to pick it up and zap to the end. Unlike his other two short-story collections After the Quake (my favourite of the three) and The Elephant Vanishes, this one was too much of the same. That's right, I'm stating the obvious because other than Norwegian Wood, most of Murakami's fiction is the same. I know this at the start, which is probably why I pick a book of his to read, but I still hope for something new, something different—maybe a new style incorporated into his existing one, or some new linguistic perspective; heck, forget the mechanics, maybe something new content wise! But it's good old Murakami that we've come to trust and identify with. Well, no problem, I like that Murakami, but the novelty has worn off, so the critical eye only grows stronger towards his work.
There is much to like here with regards to the warped realities Murakami envisages, but none of it is as exciting as 'Super-Frog Saves Tokyo' in After the Quake or the inventiveness of 'The Dancing Dwarf' in The Elephant Vanishes, instead there's more of the mysterious disappearances that are resolved —or not— and more of the unexplainable supernatural forces we have come to know as Murakami. Nevertheless, the entertainment factor is high, and it's one of only three short-story collections published, so when one has no time for his thick novels, it's definitely worth reading the stories here.
What particularly irritated me and resulted in a 3 star rating, was the concluding paragraph or sentence at the end of most of the stories in this collection. Murakami didn't trust me as a reader to just make those assumptions or conclusions on my own, but had to spell it all out. It was borderline OCD, like someone unable to say it's complete unless they show how every strand ends, or they wrap up everything neatly. In this regard, the experience was ruined. If I reread this collection in the future, I'll be skipping those last sections. The stories end beautifully without them!...more
Under the title of this book is written Memoirs of a Gangster’s Daughter, so I figured I could now understand what a Yakuza is from someone within andUnder the title of this book is written Memoirs of a Gangster’s Daughter, so I figured I could now understand what a Yakuza is from someone within and, perhaps, I could finally separate fact from myth. However, early on, Tendo makes it clear that this book is about her and not the Yakuza. It would be harmful to the persons to divulge information about them, which she’ll avoid, or to talk about the workings of the Yakuza… right, I’m thinking the title is a marketing gimmick.
This is a first person account of Shoko Tendo who was the daughter of a wealthy Yakuza boss. The early chapters reveal the relationship she had between her emotionally stiff father, her mother who constantly worries and frets over the family, and her rebellious sister who set the example on how to be cool by cutting off classes and hanging out with young gangs – otherwise known as a yanki. There’s little mention of her oldest sibling, her brother, whom also suffers by reputation from being of a Yakuza family and from Tendo’s stunts when she, too, becomes a yanki.
According to her accounts, her father was suffering financial difficulties and falling into debt. With little knowledge offered about the workings of the Yakuza, all I could gather is that if you have money, you’ll be regarded with respect and feared; if you’re loosing money, fellow Yakuza offer you bailouts with outrageous interests that you can’t possibly pay back; if you loose all the burrowed money, you’re in for it because first, the collectors come and harras you to pay up and then, when you can’t make the payments, the hitman comes around. Well I don’t see the logic in any of this. Furthermore, Tendo never shows that her father’s activities were criminal since even she accorded the term Yakuza synonymous to Mafia.
The events and circumstances that are supposed to evoke my sympathy are hard to relate to since Tendo made her own choices knowing what she was getting herself into. Frankly, there was little validity to her ditching school or joining a gang. Then there’s her fall into drug use where she talks about the rush of shooting up and f***ing while high. Or her accounts of physical abuse, which start gradually with her boyfriend who she shoots up with, before it builds up to outbursts of violence where her descriptions conjured the image of her being a human punching bag. The abuse continues with other men, too, even after she ended her drug addiction, and it reads more like a tab on the number of violent encounters than anything with more substance.
The problem with Tendo’s character portrait is that it’s written without depth. At no point does Tendo ever go into the impact such physiacl abuse had on her state of mind or the emotional turmoil it inflicted upon her. At this point, the book lost all credibility to me. The only argument Tendo has to justify her actions such as become a yanki, alomst get gang-raped, use speed and f*** all the time – was that she was Yakuza, an outcast in society, in school, among friends… But what does Yakuza mean?! I’m just supposed to grasp Tendo’s contextual references because she tells me that that’s how things work.
Later on, the book takes a different tone where she doesn’t even need to justify or argue any of her choices. I have to take it at face value that she works as an escort (but is not a prostitute even though men constantly proposition her), she willingly lends money to her gambling brother-in-law because her sister asks her to, she supports her family even though she can barely afford rent… I’m not necessarily saying this isn’t all possible or truthful, but I’m saying that she chose to write about it, so why not make me understand and feel for her?
Suffice it to say, the book came across as more of an account of the hardships of being the daughter of a Yakuza – whatever that means – and the choices a young woman makes as a result of that alone. A thin, non-compelling argument given the extremity of what happens to her while her parents worry and offer her support in the background. Her story could fill a 500 page memoir stuffed with emotional investment and reflection but, instead, it’s 195 pages with scenes and dialogue that read more like a bad thriller. ...more
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