Yes, correct, it was that one...
Record of a Night Too Brief (Hiromi
Kawakami)
This is something of an oddity. Three
short stories from the definitely trendy (in Foyles, at least) Japanese author
of "Strange Weather in Tokyo". I'm not quite sure if I can adequately
account for the first, titular story, though I can confirm that the three tales
get more comprehensible and better as they go.
"Record of a Night Too Brief"
as the opener is essentially a stream of consciousness about an evening of
peculiar events. I can't particularly say I remember much of it and the
ever-changing and strange nature of the story left me switching the off button
a fair amount. I, therefore, offer little in the way of opinion.
The second, "Missing" is still
of the bizarre variety, though not quite as weird, but still definitely there.
A sister's brother disappears, something of a trait in her family, leaving
behind his fiancée. The second brother steps into the absent's shoes, though
his spirit lingers on in his sister's universe.
Lastly, "A Snake Stepped On" is
the story of a young woman working with an ageing couple in their shop. After
stepping on a snake, she is visited by an elderly woman in her flat each night,
claiming to be her mother, though is indeed the spirit of the snake. Again
strange, but this is certainly the strongest of the trio.
Definitely more one for the hardcore
rather than casual fan, as "Strange Weather..." is, I kept this one
quite brief.
Days to read: 5
Days per book: 14.8
Iza's Ballad (Magda Szabo)
Not a huge number of Magda Szabo's works
have been translated into English; and from those that have you'd believe her
to be a woman who writes stories about intergenerational female feuding. That's
based on the two I've read, anyway.
Written several years (like decades and
that) before the more famous "The Door", "Iza's Ballad" is,
for me, the stronger of the two tales where a younger woman deals with her
frustrating relationship with an older woman. This time a daughter takes in her
widowed mother, moving her to Budapest after the death of her father. But,
while seemingly the ideal solution, the more the days pass, the clearer it
becomes that it is indeed the worst possible scenario for both.
My gripe with "The Door" was
that I didn't particularly like either character. Here, however, at least the
mother is more likeable, but the exploration of both characters (and others) is
well developed throughout, with the motivations and lack of an easy solution
well worked.
Themes of selfishness, love, generational
differences and the ambitions of a younger generation against their parents'
are all covered, with Iza a woman who is so right about everything that those
around her simply can't accept it.
Days to read: 16
Days per book: 14.8
Adrian Mole: The Wilderness Years (Sue
Townsend)
With the third installment, "TrueConfessions of Adrian Mole", taking a more bootlegs and B-sides collection
approach, it was nice to return to the good ol' fashioned diary format for this
fourth look into the "growing" of Mr Mole.
Now nicely in his twenties, Mole sees his
failed love life in Oxford transfer him to London where his love life is
equally failed, though at least he is now officially qualified for his job as dish
washer in a Soho restaurant.
It is a move back to the witty humour of
the first two books, with the well executed comic timing from the diary format.
And though Mole is now ageing physically, he is still 13 3/4 at heart.
Days to read: 9
Days per book: 14.7
Kwaidan: Ghost Stories and Strange Tales of Old Japan (Lafcadio Hearn)
Greek-Irish-British-American-Japanese man
of unusual name Lafcadio Hearn is someone any Westerner studying Japanese
culture will have come across. Moving to Japan in the late Nineteenth Century,
he became a leading scholar of Japanese culture for English-speaking
consumption.
"Kwaidan", is one of his most
famous works, made into a notable film by Masaki Kobayashi. Offering a glimpse
(and only that) at traditional Japanese ghost stories and folktales, this is
somewhat an inconsistent and unusual collection of short tales and essays.
One thing that is notable is just how
short some of these short stories are. They are mere anecdotes as opposed to
stories, with little in the way of real storytelling and development. One gets
a patronising tone throughout from Hearn, feeling fully aware that he is
telling us about the story, explaining points along the way, rather than
telling us a story. You get the sense Hearn wanted us to know that he had
discovered them.
These two elements: the over-explanatory
(to you, you simpleton) tone and lack of storytelling skill, don't exactly make
this the most enjoyable read. However, enough of the stories are intriguing enough
to make this a worthwhile collection, but it will probably require some further
reading. Luckily, however, Hearn references his other works throughout, so you
know where to go...He's like the BBC once a programme hits the end credits.
Yes, this was the book that was the
magical 200th.
Days to read: 8
Days per book: 14.7
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