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natasha29singh's review against another edition
4.0
It’s not fair to call this just a ‘story inside a story’ – this is the Russian-nesting-doll of stories. I generally enjoy “plotless” stories where the journey of a person or household is traced over the years (think [b:The Waiting Years|177404|The Waiting Years|Fumiko Enchi|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348939847l/177404._SX50_.jpg|535360] or [b:The Makioka Sisters|34449|The Makioka Sisters|Jun'ichirō Tanizaki|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1637632255l/34449._SY75_.jpg|841208]) so I didn’t mind the accounts of the characters’ lives so much, but I think the part for which there was so much build up – the life of Taro “Heathcliff” Azuma, a man as toxic as he is sexy – kind of failed to deliver. The entire arc with him simping and the other one happily getting cucked (over Yoko?? of all people? please be serious) just seems implausible. I did enjoy the ten-odd pages in the middle of the book which got unbelievably meta, and the [b:Wuthering Heights|6185|Wuthering Heights|Emily Brontë|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388212715l/6185._SY75_.jpg|1565818] essence makes it a compelling read (you will never catch me disrespecting [a:Emily Brontë|4191|Emily Brontë|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1529578586p2/4191.jpg].) And the author added a little bonus twist at the end! Fantastic for such a long read, and an awesome job on the translation by [a:Juliet Winters Carpenter|666511|Juliet Winters Carpenter|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png].
categal's review against another edition
4.0
I got absolutely lost in this story, I mean in the best way. This is a story within a story within a story within .... well, it's complicated. It begins in New York, where the Mizumura family has relocated so that Mr. Mizumura can pursue work opportunities. We see things through young Minae's eyes, and she is NOT happy to be in America. Her father befriends Taro, an immigrant working as a chauffeur for an American business executive, and through the family's contact with Taro, we are drawn deeper and deeper into the story, all the way back to post-war Japan.
What about the title? What the heck is a "true novel"? According to Mizumura, a true novel differs from an "I novel" in that it is pure fiction, and modeled after great 19th century novels like Wuthering Heights. Can a novel be pure fiction if the author has written herself into the story? Her explanation of the title came on toward the end of the prologue, and that stopped me in my tracks. I realized that it had been over (gulp) 30 years since I had read Wuthering Heights, and maybe if I had a better grip on that story, I would follow this one on a deeper level. So off I went and read Wuthering - what a great ride! I returned to this novel, and quickly got lost in the story, completely wrapped up in the Saegusa and Shigemitsu families, Taro, Japan, the countryside, the classes, the history - what a great ride! Not necessary to have read Wuthering Heights - I see what Mizumura did with the plot and how she structured her novel, but it is her own, and just fantastic.
What about the title? What the heck is a "true novel"? According to Mizumura, a true novel differs from an "I novel" in that it is pure fiction, and modeled after great 19th century novels like Wuthering Heights. Can a novel be pure fiction if the author has written herself into the story? Her explanation of the title came on toward the end of the prologue, and that stopped me in my tracks. I realized that it had been over (gulp) 30 years since I had read Wuthering Heights, and maybe if I had a better grip on that story, I would follow this one on a deeper level. So off I went and read Wuthering - what a great ride! I returned to this novel, and quickly got lost in the story, completely wrapped up in the Saegusa and Shigemitsu families, Taro, Japan, the countryside, the classes, the history - what a great ride! Not necessary to have read Wuthering Heights - I see what Mizumura did with the plot and how she structured her novel, but it is her own, and just fantastic.
kumipaul's review against another edition
3.0
I keep hearing about what a wonderful writer Mizumura is, and deep into the novel I had a good sense of this. However, I did not like the translation which I did not think captured the nuance that was necessary in the story. I felt that the translator treated her reader as culturally naive by often defining Japanese terms simplistically and trying to spin a truly Japanese story into one that a typical American reader could easily grasp. In that sense, I felt patronized, and I felt that she did the author a disservice. Example:
"she put butterbur sprouts with miso on a long, narrow wooden board and roasted them lightly. Uncle Genji scooped up some with his chopsticks and took a taste. 'Now that's finger-lickin' good!' he said with obvious satisfaction, letting loose with a country accent..."
Come on, "finger-lickin' good" in a Japanese novel? This is not KFC.
As for the story beyond my annoyance with the translation, I was aware that it had elements of Wuthering Heights in a Japanese setting, and the parallels were definitely there. Most of the book was centered on telling a story of families through the years, and this was interesting (though not in a Wuthering Heights sort of way). Really, only the last 1/3 contained those Bronte elements, which worked well and drew me in with an increased intensity, and the final two chapters contained surprises that left me wondering if the author was toying with me (in a good way). In the end, I enjoyed the read, with reservations.
"she put butterbur sprouts with miso on a long, narrow wooden board and roasted them lightly. Uncle Genji scooped up some with his chopsticks and took a taste. 'Now that's finger-lickin' good!' he said with obvious satisfaction, letting loose with a country accent..."
Come on, "finger-lickin' good" in a Japanese novel? This is not KFC.
As for the story beyond my annoyance with the translation, I was aware that it had elements of Wuthering Heights in a Japanese setting, and the parallels were definitely there. Most of the book was centered on telling a story of families through the years, and this was interesting (though not in a Wuthering Heights sort of way). Really, only the last 1/3 contained those Bronte elements, which worked well and drew me in with an increased intensity, and the final two chapters contained surprises that left me wondering if the author was toying with me (in a good way). In the end, I enjoyed the read, with reservations.
sljbook's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
juaneco's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
dylankakoulli's review against another edition
4.0
I still can’t believe I put off reading this for sooooo long
Fellow readers do not, I repeat do NOT, let the mighty page count (854 pages to be precise) put you off!
I know it may look daunting, but believe me when I say, this book is worthy of every page.
Bridging time, class, culture, geography -and even genre, Mizumura has skilfully crafted an utterly engrossing, multilayered narrative, that both (loosely) retells a classic gothic epic (Wuthering Heights), as well as providing an astute examination of Japan’s westernisation (particularly post war) and the emergence of a middle class, gender roles and the effects of time, memory and truth.
I’ve never read Wuthering Heights, so won’t even try to draw comparisons. But, if Brontë’s writing is anything like Mizumura’s, you can bet your bottom dollar that it’s next on my list!
Her prose is elegant and effortless (no thanks I’m sure, to the wonderful translation skills of Juliet Winters Carpenter), and her characters -though flawed in their own way, feel real, and add an elevated element of intrigue -especially with the eerily interspersed black and white photographs, AND, within the confines of the context prefaced; “I-Novel”, where our story (A True Novel) is clearly a “story” heavily reliant (and based on) multiple stories and/or remembered “truths”.
Beautiful and bittersweet -quite frankly, I think I’m still way too caught up (as I literally just finished it an hour ago) inside the novel, to truly express (let alone articulate) how I feel (if that makes sense!)
4.5 stars
Fellow readers do not, I repeat do NOT, let the mighty page count (854 pages to be precise) put you off!
I know it may look daunting, but believe me when I say, this book is worthy of every page.
Bridging time, class, culture, geography -and even genre, Mizumura has skilfully crafted an utterly engrossing, multilayered narrative, that both (loosely) retells a classic gothic epic (Wuthering Heights), as well as providing an astute examination of Japan’s westernisation (particularly post war) and the emergence of a middle class, gender roles and the effects of time, memory and truth.
I’ve never read Wuthering Heights, so won’t even try to draw comparisons. But, if Brontë’s writing is anything like Mizumura’s, you can bet your bottom dollar that it’s next on my list!
Her prose is elegant and effortless (no thanks I’m sure, to the wonderful translation skills of Juliet Winters Carpenter), and her characters -though flawed in their own way, feel real, and add an elevated element of intrigue -especially with the eerily interspersed black and white photographs, AND, within the confines of the context prefaced; “I-Novel”, where our story (A True Novel) is clearly a “story” heavily reliant (and based on) multiple stories and/or remembered “truths”.
Beautiful and bittersweet -quite frankly, I think I’m still way too caught up (as I literally just finished it an hour ago) inside the novel, to truly express (let alone articulate) how I feel (if that makes sense!)
4.5 stars
sakichan's review against another edition
5.0
Book Lust
It’s no secret that I love Japanese literature. There’s something about it that takes over my mind as I’m reading and creates an addiction. It began when I read Haruki Murakami’s 1Q84. That wasn’t so long ago, but it’s become one of my favorite genres. This book I’ve just finished, A True Novel by Minae Mizumura, solidified it even more.
A True Novel is a story within a story within another story. It revolves around one mysterious man with a tragic history. The book begins in New York with the narrator relating how she came to meet this man, Taro Azuma, and how she never quite stopped thinking about him, although their acquaintance was brief. By coincidence or by fate, she is approached by a young man who knows much more than she ever did about Taro, and he relates to her the story that was given to him back in Japan.
For the first time in ages I found a book that keeps me awake at night; when I found myself closing my eyes and drifting off, I’d reach again for the book thinking, “Just a few more pages!” It reminded me of my time in high school, walking the hallways between classes with my head down and a book open because I wanted to spend every free moment reading it. When I picked it up from the library, I didn’t realize that I only had Book I of a two-volume novel. When I saw that Book II wasn’t immediately available from the library, I jumped on Amazon and ordered by own copy of the set. It came two days later – just in time for me to finish the first book.
The first thing you’ll hear about A True Novel from Goodreads or Amazon is that it’s a remaking of Wuthering Heights. If you decide to read the book, forget about that. It has nothing to do with this story. A True Novel stands on its own. So while the book is part metafiction, part reimagining, it’s really an engrossing story that will stay with you long after you’ve finished it.
TL;DR: If you read no other fiction this year, read this one. I mean it.
It’s no secret that I love Japanese literature. There’s something about it that takes over my mind as I’m reading and creates an addiction. It began when I read Haruki Murakami’s 1Q84. That wasn’t so long ago, but it’s become one of my favorite genres. This book I’ve just finished, A True Novel by Minae Mizumura, solidified it even more.
A True Novel is a story within a story within another story. It revolves around one mysterious man with a tragic history. The book begins in New York with the narrator relating how she came to meet this man, Taro Azuma, and how she never quite stopped thinking about him, although their acquaintance was brief. By coincidence or by fate, she is approached by a young man who knows much more than she ever did about Taro, and he relates to her the story that was given to him back in Japan.
For the first time in ages I found a book that keeps me awake at night; when I found myself closing my eyes and drifting off, I’d reach again for the book thinking, “Just a few more pages!” It reminded me of my time in high school, walking the hallways between classes with my head down and a book open because I wanted to spend every free moment reading it. When I picked it up from the library, I didn’t realize that I only had Book I of a two-volume novel. When I saw that Book II wasn’t immediately available from the library, I jumped on Amazon and ordered by own copy of the set. It came two days later – just in time for me to finish the first book.
The first thing you’ll hear about A True Novel from Goodreads or Amazon is that it’s a remaking of Wuthering Heights. If you decide to read the book, forget about that. It has nothing to do with this story. A True Novel stands on its own. So while the book is part metafiction, part reimagining, it’s really an engrossing story that will stay with you long after you’ve finished it.
TL;DR: If you read no other fiction this year, read this one. I mean it.
irenealgi's review against another edition
5.0
This is the sort of book that's so long it feels like it's never going to end, but when it finally does you want to start reading it all over again.
I was blown away by the mastery behind it, the way Mizumura handles such a complex story, both on the psychological level, as the relationships between the characters are very nuanced, but also in terms of the structure of the narrative itself.
Absolutely brilliant. It's too soon to say this will probably be my favourite novel of the year (especially since I already know what I will be reading and there's so much proficiency in that TBR), but it could very well be.
I was blown away by the mastery behind it, the way Mizumura handles such a complex story, both on the psychological level, as the relationships between the characters are very nuanced, but also in terms of the structure of the narrative itself.
Absolutely brilliant. It's too soon to say this will probably be my favourite novel of the year (especially since I already know what I will be reading and there's so much proficiency in that TBR), but it could very well be.