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mg_in_md_'s review against another edition
3.0
To be rated/reviewed after this month’s book club meeting
This slim novel was a charming story that doesn't fit neatly into a single category. On its surface, a story about a team of dictionary authors/editors/publishers probably sounds incredibly boring, but it is so much more than that. The team is tasked with completing "The Great Passage," a 2,900-page tome of the Japanese language. When most of the members are first assigned to this team, they are less than enthused. However, the passion of Mitsuya Majime for the project is infectious and his quirky charms are hard to resist. The story focuses on relationships and the power of words. While some of the in-depth discussions of the technical linguistic nuances of words being considered for The Great Passage can be a little tedious, they clearly conveyed Majime's passion and love of language. The translation was excellent and helped clearly explain complex concepts that might be unfamiliar to a non-Japanese reader. If you are looking for an upbeat, quirky, feel-good story, this may be just the book for you.
This slim novel was a charming story that doesn't fit neatly into a single category. On its surface, a story about a team of dictionary authors/editors/publishers probably sounds incredibly boring, but it is so much more than that. The team is tasked with completing "The Great Passage," a 2,900-page tome of the Japanese language. When most of the members are first assigned to this team, they are less than enthused. However, the passion of Mitsuya Majime for the project is infectious and his quirky charms are hard to resist. The story focuses on relationships and the power of words. While some of the in-depth discussions of the technical linguistic nuances of words being considered for The Great Passage can be a little tedious, they clearly conveyed Majime's passion and love of language. The translation was excellent and helped clearly explain complex concepts that might be unfamiliar to a non-Japanese reader. If you are looking for an upbeat, quirky, feel-good story, this may be just the book for you.
destiny_hisey's review
4.0
I'm not sure how to describe this book and the feeling it left me with. At times it seemed to move very slowly and other times I couldn't believe how much I had read.
Some of the word choices did not seem to fit with the feel of the book; I suspect something was lost in translation.
I enjoyed the character development. It seemed authentic. At times, I found the story to be incredibly moving.
I do wish the chapters were dated. At one point I thought I had missed something because there was a significant jump in time. It worked well with the story, but too me a couple pages to confirm there was a significant time difference.
Some of the word choices did not seem to fit with the feel of the book; I suspect something was lost in translation.
I enjoyed the character development. It seemed authentic. At times, I found the story to be incredibly moving.
I do wish the chapters were dated. At one point I thought I had missed something because there was a significant jump in time. It worked well with the story, but too me a couple pages to confirm there was a significant time difference.
ellyrarg's review
2.0
Well gosh. Perhaps it was a cultural/translation thing, but I really struggled with this book. It felt long, incredibly put-downable and I didn’t connect with any of the characters. I’m really really glad it was all done in the end, but it felt like an absolute struggle to get there. Enjoyed the technical aspects about putting it all together (the waxiness!) but generally, this was a long slow book and I’m glad it’s done. Unlikely to pick it up again.
lpfoster516's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
cesare_blaze's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
All characters are lovable
bookswithcuppatea's review
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I adored this book! I have previously read and loved The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams about the making of the Oxford English Dictionary, so this was both pleasantly similar and completely different in good ways due to the difference in culture, language, and setting. I enjoyed the neat structure of the five chapters, and the opportunity to see from a different character's perspective in different chapters.
If you are interested in languages, words, dictionaries, you will probably enjoy this book. I'd you are interested in Japan, you may also enjoy this book. I've read so many different names for Japanese dishes now and I'm keen to try some new food from the descriptions in the book.
If you are interested in languages, words, dictionaries, you will probably enjoy this book. I'd you are interested in Japan, you may also enjoy this book. I've read so many different names for Japanese dishes now and I'm keen to try some new food from the descriptions in the book.
michellehenriereads's review against another edition
5.0
I picked up The Great Passage as part of my summer reading to try more foreign authors. It's been interesting to read from perspectives other than the American point of view. For some reason, I did not expect to find this book from Japan to be humorous. Too often humor doesn't seem to translate across cultures. However, I was proven wrong and was laughing so hard at different moments through this book - for that reason alone I would recommend it.
This is one of those silly moments where Majime is reading the instructions for making noodles:
"Five hundred liters of water will reach the boiling point." "You should break noodles after throwing them in.""Enjoy eggs, green onion, ham, and so forth." Five hundred liters of water seemed altogether too much, but Majime liked the earnest tone of the instructions, and lately he'd been eating a lot of Nupporo Number One." (Page 24)
Here is another funny moment that tickled me:
"Of course he'd never been a junior high school girl, so this was pure supposition." (Page 63)
The overarching theme of The Great Passage would be passion. What is our passion? How does our passion change us? What is life without passion?
"Reading the dictionary could awaken you to new meanings of commonly used words, meanings of surprising breadth and depth." (Page 2)
"A dictionary is a ship that crosses the sea of words," said Araki, with a sense that he was laying bare his innermost soul. "People travel on it and gather the small points of light floating on the dark surface of the waves. They do this in order to tell someone their thoughts accurately, using the best possible words. Without dictionaries, all any of us could do is linger before the vastness of the deep." (page 20)
Several people discover passion while working on creating the new Japanese dictionary. Majime connects with others through the power of words which drives his quest in finishing the new dictionary. His wife loves him because of his passion for the dictionary, while he also respects her for her passion in becoming a chef.
Human being had created words to communicate with the dead, and with those yet unborn. (page 200)
They had made a ship. A ship bearing the souls of people traveling from ancient times toward the future, across the ocean rich with words. (page 200)
The salesman, Nishioka, who didn't seem to fit in the dictionary department, discovered it had changed him and even when he was sent to a different department, he retained the desire to help the dictionary in anyway possible. He left a "guide" for the next person, had exerted pressure - some would say blackmailed - contributors and marketed the project when it was ready from his new department. I didn't like Nishioka at first because he seemed so shallow, so it was interesting to see how he changed, but retained his core personality.
"No woman had ever praised Nishioka for his sincerity. He lied when the occasion called for it, and he was tender, or not, depending on his mood. Wasn't that being truly sincere," (page 74)
The newest member of the team, Midori Kishibe, who arrives after Majime has worked on the dictionary for over 12 years, doesn't believe she is the right person to help. Over time, she too discovers a passion for the work. Perhaps one of the lessons learned is that when working with passionate people we discover more about ourselves and want to emulate them in discovering our own passion to live.
I loved The Great Passage for it's quirky nature, delving into multiple meanings of words, the intense descriptions of working on a dictionary with such dedicated passion, the people who find their life's purpose and the funny moments that made me laugh. It was like I had stepped into a different world. I recommend this book because it is intelligent and thoughtful.
There are discussions about how to include definitions of love, and how to be politically correct with gays, there are a couple of love scenes, but not graphic and a little cursing.
To see other recommendations go to www.talesuntangled.wordpress.com
This is one of those silly moments where Majime is reading the instructions for making noodles:
"Five hundred liters of water will reach the boiling point." "You should break noodles after throwing them in.""Enjoy eggs, green onion, ham, and so forth." Five hundred liters of water seemed altogether too much, but Majime liked the earnest tone of the instructions, and lately he'd been eating a lot of Nupporo Number One." (Page 24)
Here is another funny moment that tickled me:
"Of course he'd never been a junior high school girl, so this was pure supposition." (Page 63)
The overarching theme of The Great Passage would be passion. What is our passion? How does our passion change us? What is life without passion?
"Reading the dictionary could awaken you to new meanings of commonly used words, meanings of surprising breadth and depth." (Page 2)
"A dictionary is a ship that crosses the sea of words," said Araki, with a sense that he was laying bare his innermost soul. "People travel on it and gather the small points of light floating on the dark surface of the waves. They do this in order to tell someone their thoughts accurately, using the best possible words. Without dictionaries, all any of us could do is linger before the vastness of the deep." (page 20)
Several people discover passion while working on creating the new Japanese dictionary. Majime connects with others through the power of words which drives his quest in finishing the new dictionary. His wife loves him because of his passion for the dictionary, while he also respects her for her passion in becoming a chef.
Human being had created words to communicate with the dead, and with those yet unborn. (page 200)
They had made a ship. A ship bearing the souls of people traveling from ancient times toward the future, across the ocean rich with words. (page 200)
The salesman, Nishioka, who didn't seem to fit in the dictionary department, discovered it had changed him and even when he was sent to a different department, he retained the desire to help the dictionary in anyway possible. He left a "guide" for the next person, had exerted pressure - some would say blackmailed - contributors and marketed the project when it was ready from his new department. I didn't like Nishioka at first because he seemed so shallow, so it was interesting to see how he changed, but retained his core personality.
"No woman had ever praised Nishioka for his sincerity. He lied when the occasion called for it, and he was tender, or not, depending on his mood. Wasn't that being truly sincere," (page 74)
The newest member of the team, Midori Kishibe, who arrives after Majime has worked on the dictionary for over 12 years, doesn't believe she is the right person to help. Over time, she too discovers a passion for the work. Perhaps one of the lessons learned is that when working with passionate people we discover more about ourselves and want to emulate them in discovering our own passion to live.
I loved The Great Passage for it's quirky nature, delving into multiple meanings of words, the intense descriptions of working on a dictionary with such dedicated passion, the people who find their life's purpose and the funny moments that made me laugh. It was like I had stepped into a different world. I recommend this book because it is intelligent and thoughtful.
There are discussions about how to include definitions of love, and how to be politically correct with gays, there are a couple of love scenes, but not graphic and a little cursing.
To see other recommendations go to www.talesuntangled.wordpress.com
clairerobinson90's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
muaddib8035's review
4.0
This book was beautiful, I only wish it was longer so one can spend more time truly getting to know the characters at a nice pace.
erincataldi's review against another edition
3.0
Miura, Shion. The Great Passage. 6 CDs. unabridged. Brilliance Audio. 2017. ISBN 9781536631852. $14.99.
"A dictionary is a ship that crosses the sea of words." In this charming Japanese translation (translated by Juliet Winters Carpenter), an unforgettable cast of characters; eat, breathe, and live words. Their pursuit of the perfect dictionary, The Great Passage, is a long arduous journey but no one seems to mind. While working together they discover, love, friendship, passion, and a sense of purpose. Over the years their passion for lexicography never dims, if anything it only grows stronger as they share their passion with new recruits and employees in the dictionary editorial department. Narrator, Brian Nishi does a wonderful job bringing authenticity and feeling to the forefront, never stumbling over Japanese phrasing and words. His warmth greatly adds to the feeling and charm of the story. A quick, intriguing, and unique story certain to attract readers. Perfect for fans of "A Man Called Ove," literary translations, and heartwarming tales. - Erin Cataldi, Johnson Co. Public Library, Franklin, IN
"A dictionary is a ship that crosses the sea of words." In this charming Japanese translation (translated by Juliet Winters Carpenter), an unforgettable cast of characters; eat, breathe, and live words. Their pursuit of the perfect dictionary, The Great Passage, is a long arduous journey but no one seems to mind. While working together they discover, love, friendship, passion, and a sense of purpose. Over the years their passion for lexicography never dims, if anything it only grows stronger as they share their passion with new recruits and employees in the dictionary editorial department. Narrator, Brian Nishi does a wonderful job bringing authenticity and feeling to the forefront, never stumbling over Japanese phrasing and words. His warmth greatly adds to the feeling and charm of the story. A quick, intriguing, and unique story certain to attract readers. Perfect for fans of "A Man Called Ove," literary translations, and heartwarming tales. - Erin Cataldi, Johnson Co. Public Library, Franklin, IN