Reviews

Diary of a Mad Old Man by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki

hcube3's review

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4.0

so cleverly written; the main character is a senile, selfish, stubborn and creepy person but he's realistic enough that you're strung onto his diary entries as he becomes more and more passionately attached to living. The perspective shift hits you like a brick wall because you don't even realise how accustomed you get to Utsugi's first person voice.

vfreyja's review against another edition

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3.0

Yani, bilemiyorum yine cidden...

Değişik bir kitap. 70’lerinin sonunda, hasta ve oğlunun eşine saplantılı yaşlı bir adamın günlük kısa yazılarından oluşuyor. Okuması kolay, en azından %60-70’ine kadar öyle. Ama çok fazla ilaç ayrıntıları ve o an bahsettiği herhangi bir durumla ilgili fazla açıklamalar var. Her ne kadar insan kendi kendine konuşur gibi yazarken bunlar olağan olsa da bir okuyucu olarak bir süre sonra sıkmaya başlıyor.

Özellikle kitabın son %20’lik kısmı benim için gerçekten çok yavaş ilerledi. Son sayfalardaki doktor notları da terminolojiyi bilmeyen bir insan için “okumuş olmak için okunan” sayfalardan ibaret ve muhtemelen sıkıcı olacaktır. Vizeler yeni bitmişken kendimi tekrar dahiliye çalışıyor gibi hissetmek bu dönemde hiç hoş olmadı...

Derste okuduğum, hızlı akan ve ilgimi çeken kısımlar hatrına iki değil üç yıldız verdim.

Okuduğum için pişman mıyım? Eh, pek sayılmaz sanırım. Okumayınca bir şey kaybedilir mi? Hayır. Yorumlardan bildiğim kadarıyla yazarın çok daha sevilerek okunacak kitapları varken bunu önereceğimi zannetmiyorum.

lasamviela's review against another edition

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3.0

3.5 stars

anamaria22's review against another edition

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3.0

3.5⭐
A quick and easy read was this weird diary of a sick old man with painkiller addiction and a foot fetish with fantasies towards his daughter-in-law. The fact that she is disgusted but still takes advantage of the situation and the entire family trying to make sense of it was hilarious to read.

brainemptyjust's review against another edition

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reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

mobyskine's review

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3.0

Erotic thriller, as what the mad old man says. How interesting to read about an old man and his obsession (which soon written in Nurse Sasaki's report as abnormal sexual impulses). Wicked and madness, bizarrely amusing at a point. Loving the writing style-- though few boring details, but quite entertaining.

Towards the end the diary leaving me with a bit of sore heart-- reading about Utsugi journey to prepare on his own grave and burial-- with still, a bit of his crazy sexual intimacy in between.

Classic and psychological enthralling. Second book from Tanizaki I have read so far (and both on 'obsession' issue). Quite fascinating.

franini's review against another edition

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5.0

Una historia muy entretenida y que te hace sentir de una forma un tanto extraña. Como otras obras de Jun'ichirô, no es de extrañar que el tema principal se base en el fetichismo por los pies.
El final, en mi opinión, es sublime.

possum_mom's review

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  • Loveable characters? No

1.0


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madmadder's review

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4.0

Of het nou film, muziek of literatuur is, in Japan wordt zo ontzettend veel moois gemaakt. Ik ben al zo lang geobsedeerd door dit land en haar kunstuitingen, maar nog nooit had ik iets van de grote Japanse schrijver Junichiro Tanizaki gelezen. Dagboek van een Oude Dwaas was dus mijn kennismaking met zijn werk, en net zoals het werk van zoveel landgenoten is het erg gedurfd en boeiend, precies waarom ik blijf terugkeren naar de Japanse literatuur.

We lezen het dagboek van een zevenenzeventigjarige man die absoluut niet terughoudend is in het beschrijven van zijn wensen en verlangens. De man takelt af en voelt het einde naderen, maar met de dood in zicht groeit ook zijn seksuele behoefte. Hij heeft zijn zinnen gezet op zijn schoondochter die gek genoeg toegeeft aan de verlangens van de oude man. In ruil voor haar ‘diensten’ geeft de man haar allerlei dure kado’s. Zijn obsessie voor haar groeit totdat deze toch uiteindelijk echt onhoudbaar wordt.

Lees verder.

danatnada's review against another edition

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3.0

ชอบสุดคงเป็นเรื่องคนบ้าบนหลังคากับสามล้านเยน และแอบรู้สึกขัด ๆ กับสำนวนการแปลที่เหมือนสำนวนภาษาอังกฤษยังไงไม่รู้ (คงเพราะผู้แปลแปลจากฉบับภาษาอังกฤษ) แต่ถ้าตัดเรื่องการแปลออกโดยรวมก็ถือว่าเล่มนี้เป็นวรรณกรรมอีกเล่มที่น่าอ่าน (และอยากให้ลองอ่าน)