Every 14 Days...(42)

In the Mood for Love (Tony Rayns)

Released in 2000, Wong Kar-wai's "In the Mood for Love" is possibly the last great film. Rayns, a translator, discusser and faller-outer with Wong, writes a two-part look at what is also probably Wong's last good film.

The first part is a scene-by-scene description of much, if not all of the film, making you recall just how housewife's choice Tony Leung Chiu-wai dabs his mustard, I think. Even for someone like me who has watched the film many times, a better person detailing the film in this way does add some new perspectives on things.

The second half places the film in the context of Wong's wider work and what was happening in the build-up to its filming and release, including photo shoots of films never made, offering yet more insights galore.

Obviously, this is one for the film-nerd / loyal Wong fan, but perhaps is more important looking at a film that sees a turning point in cinema and how the Twenty-first Century is lagging well behind the Twentieth in delivering a level of quality in film.

Days to read: 4

Days per book: 15.1

How Not to be a Boy (Robert Webb)

It's pretty much obligatory now for a comedian to write a book, often about themselves. But with this the case, it does require one to do a little bit more than just write a self-indulgent drinking anecdote.

Possibly - if you're cynical, like me - Robert Webb chooses to build on recent social media trending around gender and whether it's nature or nurture and all that jazz (though he wasn't raised on jazz music alone), seemingly taking some cues from Caitlin Moran's books. Depending on which side of the fence you sit, or which side you dress, this autobiography could be seen as a bold cry against social traditions, or an annoying gender agenda.

So, on which side of this fence do I sit? Probably on it - the easy option. This isn’t Lewis Hamilton “boys don’t wear princess dresses” bashing, but more a self-exploration of Webb’s desire to not become his father. A less-than-perfect picture is painted of his father, and indeed his stepfather, with his mother and elder brothers fitting more into the hero role; his brothers more in-line with the male archetype.

Preferring his mother in all areas, he soon shows traits supposedly not befitting a teenage boy, such as an interest in the performing arts and other boys, sort of. As such, it’s more of a finding your feet memoir than a full-blown gender politics attack, though may take the latter route occasionally.

As such, it has enough of a balance to not simply laugh the notion of male gender conditioning off, but also avoids forcing the reader as to what to believe.

Days to read: 14

Days per book: 15.1

The Master of Go (Yasunari Kawabata)

I was yet to read any of the works by Yasunari Kawabata, but he's one of those names you see on bookshelves next to other authors' with surnames starting with the same letter. Looking at one of those bookshelves, I opted for "The Master of Go": a book, that while an easy read, I imagine is not representative of the body of his work.

A collection of his newspaper reports covering the 1938 go match between an ageing master and his young challenger, formed into a novel years later, "The Master of Go" is a series of short chapters covering each day's play, as well as those in between, of the six month match, which resulted in inevitable defeat for the master in his last match.

The outcome of the match is made clear early on, making this not so much about the match itself, but the contrasting behaviours of the two competitors in their down time. The master cannot switch off from competition, always wanting a game of chess or billiards; while his young opponent spends time with his young family, preferring to rest when possible.

This is welcome to someone like me who knows nothing of the game of go, and so the coverage of the matchplay, tactics involved and point scoring is more a collection of words on a page. But while shaping a story, this still is very much reporting on the match played over six months and so maybe does not paint the best picture of Kawabata as an author for the novice in numerous ways.

Days to read: 11

Days per book: 15.0

The Miner (Natsume Soseki)

I'm making it a mini-mission to get through all of Soseki's works by the end of 2018. Not really much of a challenge, but like myself in a urinal, I aim low.

"The Miner" is the collection of Soseki's serialisation in the newspaper Asahi Shimbun and is certainly one of the more ironically titled of his works. A middle-class nineteen year-old of education and no work experience from Tokyo heads north in search of a place to quietly die, for quite meaninglessly middle-class reasons. During his search, he meets a man who promises him money if he takes work with him. With quite literally nothing to lose, he follows the man to see where the journey takes him.

Eventually, he ends up at a nameless mine buried in the mountains, though he soon finds himself alone, his original guide disappearing once he has his "recruitment" money. Unwanted by the miners, whom he sees as inferior beasts, and hounded by bedbugs as he tries to sleep, he soon finds that the world of mining is not for him after being taken for a tour of the mine on his second day there. Encountering a miner who was once in a position similar to his own, though probably more earnest, he is fully convinced that he doesn't want to set foot in the mine again, taking a *SPOILER ALERT* role as a bookkeeper for the mine for five months before returning home.

Written as a memoir, the author frequently references how this is no novel. And, written in serialised parts, this is more an extended train of thought, but strangely has no natural breaks that staggered publishing might suggest. But largely, this is just rambling, similar to "Botchan" with a young Tokyoite looking down at country folk, though with somewhat more awareness of his naivety.

But the fact that it is halfway through the novel before he actually reaches the mine - and subsequently fails to forge a career as a titular miner, returning to his parents - this is where Soseki's comedy comes in as the novel concludes; the whole journey seemingly a waste of time, the protagonist having learnt little from his experience.

Soseki's "experience" of mining came from discussion with a young former miner, perhaps why there is much more focus on the journey there, and little actual working as a miner explored. As such, this is no novel, more an account of observations from an extended journey into the depths which can be escaped at any time for our "hero", placing it stylistically closer to Orwell's "The Road to Wigan Pier" or "Down and Out in Paris and London" than most storytelling.

Days to read: 11

Days per book: 15.0

Every 14 Days...(40)

Bullet Points (Mark Watson)

Mark Watson is on something of a wave of popularity with his recent television appearances (which has probably since decreased since I wrote this). He himself has even acknowledged this and, milking his new-found fame, encouraged fans to read his books as well...except the first two. I was half-way through his first novel, "Bullet Points", when I read this comment. Enjoying it up to that point, I wasn't going to let the author's opinion get in the way of my interpretation of the book!

Peter Kristal is a British boy growing up in the fictional town of Witching, Cambridgeshire, forever in the shadow of his American best friend Richard. As they grow older together, both become interested in psychiatry, moving to the US to study at university; Richard, however, at a much more distinguished university.

Their careers both develop, one obviously behind the other, though Peter achieves some minor success for his "bullet points" technique for mapping-out his patients' lives in bullet point form to help solve their problems. But despite this success, there is always something looming over him, stopping him from reaching a point of satisfaction and happiness. This constant chasing results in his eventual demise, harming both himself and the lives of others.

For a debut novel written by a young man, "Bullet Points" is a solid effort. Written from Peter's point-of-view with self-deprecating humour throughout, this is a nice, flowing read, with some interesting points throughout.

As the story draws to a close, it does maybe get a little messy in places - perhaps why Watson is keen to point out that he was young when it was written - but not enough to detract from the overall read, showing a writer with craft and a knack for placing humour at the right moments.

Days to read: 12

Days per book: 15.2

The Last Wolf (Laszlo Krasznahorkai)

Being that the sentences in Krasznahorkai's novels are so long and rambling, short stories may be the best introduction for some readers to his works. These two shorts - separated by some twenty-three years; grouped due to their common warden theme - as such act as a good introduction for the novice, though are not as rewarding as the main body of his writing.

The more recent titular short, "The Last Wolf", concerns a German academic in Berlin, relaying a story of his recent trip to Spain to a Hungarian barman in a bar populated by Eastern Europeans and Turkish. Asked to write a piece on the region of Spain he is invited to, he instead gets distracted by the story of "last" wolves in the region and the local warden who monitored them.

The German's rambling tale is in-line with much of Krasznahorkai's work, though continued references and interjections by the Hungarian barman bring comedy to the tale. Though the real theme here is of the warden's relationship with the animals with whom he is put in the difficult position between protector and predator.

The older story, "Herman", is a more sombre tale, as a local warden, forced into retirement, takes revenge by roaming wild; setting traps on the people of the village that has deemed him surplus to requirements. A group of young officers arrive in the village and observe the mayhem as outsiders.

Being shorts, the two lack the depth of his novels; "Seiobo There Below" while a collection of shorts, combined form a greater whole when reading. As such, while the most accessible of his writing, these are not a good starting point to truly see his craft, feeling more of a stop-gap between greater works.

Days to read: 7

Days per book: 15.2

Botchan (Natsume Soseki)

"Botchan" is something of a popular work among Natsume Soseki's books. It is also slightly different in style to the other works I have read, though still sits very nicely within his oeuvre, following, as it does, the inner-workings of a young man's mind in a slightly different take in his exploration of the human condition.

Botchan, the child-like nickname for our hero, is a young graduate in Tokyo with little real direction as to what's next. Offered a role in a provincial school as a teacher on Shikoku, where Soseki himself once taught, he goes along with the offer, but is belligerent about the whole affair, finding little joy both at work or at home.

The narration is much more bumbling and colloquial than is typical from Soseki, reflecting the young, arrogant hero. His misguided nature sees him cause trouble for his work colleagues, and so eventually himself, but his belief that he is always right is where the comedy lies, and no doubt what gave it popularity, painting an interesting portrait of the young.

Perhaps lacking the depth and soul-searching  oh his other novels, "Botchan" shows some versatility; and that we all like a laugh.

Days to read: 10

Days per book: 15.1

A Light-hearted Look at Murder (Mark Watson)

The second of Mark Watson's first two novels, of which he is rather disparaging, "A Light-hearted Look at Murder" is an interesting tale involving a scenario you would believe came from the mind of a comedian; and continues the flowing writing and dotted moments of humour seen in his debut.

Alexandra is a woman in her mid-twenties, working in London in a job that holds little meaning for her, single and having to live with her "City boy" brother and his similarly male flatmate. Bored, she stumbles across an advert for pen-pals for prisoners and chooses to sign-up with nothing to lose. This is how she meets Andreas, her new German pen friend.

But getting little from him, he then sends her an extensive manuscript...in German. Luckily, flatmate Gareth knows some German (quite a lot, it would appear) and is happy to take time out from his busy schedule to translate it for her in convenient, chapter-sized chunks.

As she reads, we learn of Andreas' life from his days at Cambridge which resulted in his meeting and falling in love with the fifth tallest woman in Britain, becoming a Hitler impersonator and moving to London to start up a look-a-like agency, before life takes a more sinister turn.

Andreas' intriguing grasp of English makes for some comic writing from Watson, with his idiosyncratic mannerisms, though perhaps this starts to decline a little as the story develops (though I blame this largely on Gareth's translation). The switching between Alexandra's daily grind and Andreas' memoirs keeps the reader interested, though it is without doubt the German's half that brings the most amusement.

Alongside the moments of humour are some points of social comment, such as seeing the Berlin Wall as a tourist attraction in early Nineties Germany as strange, as well as the at times misguided nature of graduates in London.

As with "Bullet Points" things are perhaps a little loose at times, though again this is not enough of a distraction to spoil the overall enjoyment. I wonder if I'll enjoy one of his books that he actually recommends...

Days to read: 14

Days per book: 15.1

Piercing (Ryu Murakami)

"Piercing" is one of the Ryu Murakami books that I've put off reading for a while. Polishing off his other more well-known books in the West, I chose to leave this one on the shelf. And I can now see why I have.

Kawashima (good ol' River Island) watches over his daughter sleeping in her bed at night, gently stroking an ice pick across her cheek. While not wanting to, he feels compelled to use it on her. Wanting to satisfy this hunger for violent acts, he decides to take a break from work to stay in a hotel room in Tokyo and plot to finally use his ice pick on a young prostitute, and hopefully relieve himself of this desire.

The motivations within the premise are hard to get one's head round, and as such, Kawashima is not particularly a character to grow fond of. His meticulous planning puts him in a league with standard "psycho" characters, but with a lack of depth and simplistic writing - stating motivations, rather than allowing them to flow naturally - both Kawashima and his supposed victim are two characters you are quite happy to see slashed.

Days to read: 5

Days per book: 15.1

Every 14 Days...(39)

The Melancholy of Resistance (Laszlo Krasznahorkai)

Pressing on to get all of Krasznahorkai's novels polished off within an extended length of time, "The Melancholy of Resistance" is the next on the list. As with his other novels, again he uses the extended passages of punctuation-less text to allow you to get deep into the heads of the protagonists. This style worked best in his "War and War", though "Melancholy..." is more along the lines of "Satantango" in that the chapters switch between different individuals, rather than the story taking place inside the mind of one man alone.

Like "Satantango", a desolate village is the setting. But instead of awaiting the return of its prodigal son, the village in question sees a circus move into town; a circus with the unique selling point of a stuffed, life-size whale. But along with it, the circus sees a ragged bunch arrive in the village, simply laying in wait, following the circus from village to village, leaving chaos in every location they venture to. After some time in the village, the men begin to wreak their havoc, destroying the already destroyed, leaving the locals simply powerless to resist. A village where nothing ever happens, the individuals of focus respond differently to the riotous behaviour: wanting to either hide away; observe it as it happens; or take it an opportunity to seize power within the village.

Written in the late Eighties, this definitely has more in common with "Satantango" than his other works in terms of story and setting, though the revelations towards the end are similar to those of "War and War"; though is perhaps weaker than both, not that this fact makes it a poor book. The men of the riotous mob blindly follow, with havoc leading to yet more havoc, to the point where no one knows as to why they are doing what they do: A juggernaut that cannot be stopped, though nobody knows as to why.

Days to read: 17

Days per book: 15.2

Dogs and Demons (Alex Kerr)

With his first book "Lost Japan", Alex Kerr showed himself to be a man in a love-hate relationship with his adopted home country. But while "Lost Japan" looks at how the things he loves about Japan are  slowly disappearing, his second book "Dogs and Demons", published around nine years later, shows how they are well and truly dead.

Dividing aspects of Japanese society into different chapters, what follows is a tirade against all aspects of modern Japanese living, systems, governance, art, education, landscape; you name it, Kerr will shame it.

Now, I am always a little sceptical of books of this nature; books that are largely designed to criticise can tend to look for statistics that support arguments, leading you to wonder as to the source as well as any possible balanced counterarguments. Lots of numbers are thrown around here, and while I'm sure these have been thoroughly researched, more balance is needed. "Dogs and Demons" becomes far too one-sided in its arguments, making it a little tedious, repetitive and ultimately depressing.

While Kerr's passion of Japanese culture is without question, and his writing this book is aimed as a wake-up call to the Japanese to correct their errors, the good points it makes get lost in a stream of figures and criticism. The book lacks a natural flow to read, piling on extra bits to further the argument and as such could have been shorter to avoid repetition in places.

But what is interesting is that written many years ago now, with its criticisms of destroying landscapes, extensive bureaucracy, wasteful education systems, etc., etc., in criticising Japan for being behind the times, Kerr has unwittingly almost written the blueprint for many nations subsequently. As London chooses to build odd-shaped skyscrapers and tasteless housing, in this sense, Japan was ahead of the times.

The message of this book is clear, and certainly good points are made along the way, with much that needs to be heeded for things to improve. The journey, however, is not always so enjoyable.

Days to read: 22

Days per book: 15.3

The Gate (Natsume Soseki)

Every now and again, I feel "Ooo, I should read some Natsume Soseki." That recently happened again, and choosing between the various (three in total) different editions of "The Gate" that Foyles of Charing Cross Road had to offer, I opted for the cheapest.

Sosuke and wife Oyone rent their lodgings in Tokyo. Here they live a relatively quiet and peaceful life, where little happens and that's the way they intend to keep it. But while little happens on the surface, there are undercurrents of a troubled past, disputes with relatives over finances and Sosuke's younger brother's potential slip into alcoholism, as well as the hanging cloud of their childless marriage.

The couple try and avoid direct confrontation as much as possible, always putting off problems that need to be solved until another time. As such their lives are constantly on edge due to their lack of activity, as tomorrow will always be there.

As ever, Natsume's working of a story about the inner-workings of the human soul and how this affects outer lives is expertly crafted, with some brilliantly written passages that can only suggest that my reading "now and again" should be "very often." Why put things off until tomorrow?!...

Days to read: 17

Days per book: 15.3

Sixty-Nine (Ryu Murakami)

After some heavy and/or politically-charged writings about the human condition, some light relief was called for. "Sixty-Nine" by Ryu Murakami was one such book. Not about oral sex, it is in fact set in the year named after the sex act.

Set in Murakami's hometown of Sasebo about a seventeen year old in '69, there is definitely something of an autobiographical slant to this work. Written from the viewpoint of a thirty-something narrator looking back on his teenage school years, this is a tongue-in-cheek memoir full of self-deprecating humour; with grandiose recalling soon shot-down by the reality.

Murakami's novels can tend to be quite sex-heavy, but despite its name, "Sixty-Nine" has more innocence to it than its antithesis, "Almost Transparent Blue". The latter looks at disaffected youth, in days of hedonism with sex and drugs and rock n roll; whereas the former looks more at the naivety of everyday teenagers. While wanting revolution, the characters' motivations are hollow, purely to get the attention of girls in attempts to lose their virginity; which of course, they do not. There is little referencing to drug taking; and music is a passion of youth, rather than a temporary voice for the disenfranchised.

"Sixty-Nine" isn't what you'd call groundbreaking, but is a nicely written pseudo-memoir that flows easily in the mind.

Days to read: 5

Days per book: 15.2

Every 14 Days...(4)

after the quake (Murakami Haruki)

Given the end to my recent holiday to Japan, ‘after the quake’ seemed an appropriate next Murakami book to read. And so I did, being that I’d left my copy of ‘The Elephant Vanishes’ in Solihull.

Contained are six short stories about six different Japanese and how the Kobe earthquake of 1995 impacted on their lives. Delightfully weird and wonderful, the stories are full of metaphors – most of which I’m not sure I fully understand – reflecting the very individual impact that the natural disaster can have, despite being a nationally tragic event.

Designed to show changing times among the people of modern Japan through the inner-turmoil of the main characters, Murakami shows how such an event will impact on everyone in some way, however it manifests itself. From my own experience, despite the recent Fukushima earthquake impacting on thousands upon thousands, meeting individuals made it feel like a very individual event, with all having their own experiences, and after the quake shows as much, in its own unique way.

Days to read: 12
Days per book: 15.5



Hell Screen (Akutagawa Ryunosuke)

Taken from his Rashomon and Other Stories collection (the one that I do not own), ‘Hell Screen’ is a small, literally pocket-sized short, telling the story of a crazed artist, tasked with painting a screen depicting the Eight Buddhist Hells for His Lordship. Focusing on the artist, Yoshihide, and his unconventional techniques, ‘Hell Screen’ serves as a typically old-fashioned parable about the dangers of all-consuming passion and questioning one’s superiors.

A great storyteller, ‘Hell Screen’ is among Akutagawa’s finest works and brilliantly paints a haunting image, not only the screen itself, but also in the mind of the man that created it.

Followed by the incredibly short ‘The Spider Thread’, another Hell-themed parable, it makes for a captivating read about medieval Japan.

Days to read: 1
Days per book: 14.7



Kusamakura (Natsume Soseki)

Kusamakura is the second novel of the hundred years ago Japanese writer Natsume Soseki. The self-narrated story of a wandering artist from Tokyo as he travels through Japan’s mountains, it is an internal monologue as to debates about art and poetry, as the artist seeks for new inspiration in his work. From this, the story is littered with haiku and other poetry as the artist tries to capture distinct moments.

In terms of plot or story, there is little here; it is merely a wandering man and the conversations he has with himself – around art – and the locals that he meets. As with the other Soseki novel that I have read, it is very much of the time it was written, with references to the Russo-Japanese war and his contempt for it. What is within the lines is a comment on how a move from isolation is now apparent in Japan and how this is extending to those isolated in the countryside, with one of his new companions now off to become a soldier at the book’s close.

Kusamakura serves as a haiku to capture a moment in time, painting a picture with words.

Days to read: 14
Days per book: 14.2



The Elephant Vanishes (Murakami Haruki)

Started on my penultimate day in Japan (the actual one, not the original, budgeted one), this collection of short stories travelled back with me to London, and then up to Birmingham, where I accidentally left it at my mate’s newly bought house before going to watch Villa play a dull and lifeless draw against Stoke City Rugby Football Club. It did, therefore, take me a while to make my way through this strange and bizarre book of stories about the weird and wonderful.

The second collection of shorts by Murakami that I have read takes works from various publications that he has written over the years and leaves a mixed bag of offerings; some outright weird, others too strange to comprehend the intended meaning. All different, this is almost like flicking through Miike Takashi’s oeuvre, creating intrigue and confusion in the reader, but not always satisfaction.

Days to read: 89
Days per book: 13.9

Every 14 days...(2)

Graffiti Japan (Remo Camerota)

Being that I love hip hop and I’m a pretentious twat that loves all things Japanese, two words that I clearly love being placed together to form a book title are ‘Graffiti’ and ‘Japan’. When last up in Newcastle and at the Baltic, I started flicking through various graffiti and ‘street art’ books while waiting for others to purchase their Christmas presents. Not buying it then, I decided to purchase while bored one day in January from the Tate Modern – I am a twat, as I previously stated.

A lot like many of Stewart Lee’s favourite books, this does not contain too many words, but a number of pictures of men in some hats. So, this isn’t exactly a difficult read, but was something that I picked up and flicked through now and again while continuing to read books that have printed words in them. In many ways, it’s a great toilet book.

Confused, and I’m sure we all are, as to why nobody had yet put together a book on Nihon no graffiti, Australian resident and graffiti man Remo started contacting Japanese writers with the look to finally producing a book on said topic. Starting off with Hiroshima-based SUIKO, Remo tours Japan, showcasing the works of the writers and taggers that he meets along the way.

While containing some very good works from, I’m sure, some of Japan’s biggest names, I felt that the book is not worthy of its title ‘Graffiti Japan’. Speaking to many artists that work together, it feels that the opinions and works of only a select group are being shown, and the locations are only those of the Tokyo/Yokohama region, Osaka and Hiroshima. Hiroshima seems to get a greater focus, being that it is the residence of SUIKO, the first writer to respond to Remo’s e-mails.

The nature of the exploration is not exactly in depth, with questions quite generic, with little probing around reasons for writers doing what they do and the thought processes behind their work. The text to accompany the photos, therefore, feels like some unnecessary add-on to try and give the book some credibility; when this could have been attained by a deeper exploration into the cultural context of graffiti in Japan, or simply no text at all.

But this is not hugely important. What is important is seeing some of the graffiti hot spots in Japan and knowing where to go to look for some good old fashioned spray can fun. ‘Graffiti Japan’ delivers on this front, if failing to scratch beneath the surface.

Days to read: 13

Days per book: 12.75

Sanshiro (Natsume Soseki)

Bought for me as a Christmas present, I have to admit that I was unfamiliar with the works of Natsume Soseki. From this edition, introduced by both Murakami Haruki and Jay Rubin, it’s clear that Natsume is an important name in 20^th Japanese literature. Painting a portrait of a troubled writer, the introductions put Sanshiro into context, showing how elements reflect Natsume’s own life.

Focusing in on Sanshiro, a 23 year-old travelling from a quiet, rural town to the big city as he enters University in Tokyo, the novel represents a coming of age story, as he deals with fast-paced life, confusing city folk and the dangerous world of city women. Naive to the ways of the city, Sanshiro often ends up in situations that could have been easily avoided, often to the amusement of those around him.

And this is indeed Sanshiro’s charm. Reflecting that Natsume was a writer he only began enjoying once entering adulthood, Murakami sees many parallels in his and Sanshiro’s life, experiencing similar thoughts and feelings on entering University. This is a book best read once graduation has passed and the real world entered, looking back at all the stupid things your younger self once did. One can but smile...

Days to read: 15

Days per book: 11.8