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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
"If you think that my account is foolish, please go ahead and laugh. If you think that there's a moral in it, then, please let it serve as a lesson. For myself, it makes no difference what you think of me; I'm in love with Naomi."
It was a hard read: at times pissing me off until I had to put it down, making me snort-laugh with utter dislike toward all of its characters. Still, I cannot deny that the characters are quite intricately written in terms of the masochistic relationship. Despite my disgust for the protagonists, the dynamic game of control is quite cleverly solved: Joji has the finances and sets the terms at first, but their contract is a self-deceptive one. Naomi never needed Joji as much as he did her, and when she did, his narcissistic desire for his "project" gave her the leverage. As a project, Naomi was being cultivated, but the more time and effort Joji put into creating her character, the more of himself and, thus, power she gave her until she had Joji's unwavering attention. Letting go of her meant letting go of his creation, his ego, so he willingly bowed down. There is a joke to be made of Joji as the personification of patriarchy (adoring and objectifying women, raising them up, yet at the same time shackling them from fear of their influence), but I don't have the means to make it. He is foolish, but there is a moral in it: there is a fickle line between being in control, and being controlled. Moreover, you give power to what you adore.
It was a hard read: at times pissing me off until I had to put it down, making me snort-laugh with utter dislike toward all of its characters. Still, I cannot deny that the characters are quite intricately written in terms of the masochistic relationship. Despite my disgust for the protagonists, the dynamic game of control is quite cleverly solved: Joji has the finances and sets the terms at first, but their contract is a self-deceptive one. Naomi never needed Joji as much as he did her, and when she did, his narcissistic desire for his "project" gave her the leverage. As a project, Naomi was being cultivated, but the more time and effort Joji put into creating her character, the more of himself and, thus, power she gave her until she had Joji's unwavering attention. Letting go of her meant letting go of his creation, his ego, so he willingly bowed down. There is a joke to be made of Joji as the personification of patriarchy (adoring and objectifying women, raising them up, yet at the same time shackling them from fear of their influence), but I don't have the means to make it. He is foolish, but there is a moral in it: there is a fickle line between being in control, and being controlled. Moreover, you give power to what you adore.
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
[3.5] My first experience with Tanizaki was his essay “In praise of shadows” which was one of my favourite reads of that year. It questioned Western influence in Japan, in this case the West’s impact on Japanese architecture.
It’s interesting to read the book’s note on the author and see how Tanizaki’s relationship with the West changed. How he “became absorbed in the Japanese past” and “abandoned his superficial westernization” after the earthquake of 1923.
Beyond that this book was weird, it portrayed an interesting time in Japanese history but I never knew how to feel about the characters. Some of the descriptions made me exceedingly uncomfortable but the writing was clear and easy to read.
It’s interesting to read the book’s note on the author and see how Tanizaki’s relationship with the West changed. How he “became absorbed in the Japanese past” and “abandoned his superficial westernization” after the earthquake of 1923.
Beyond that this book was weird, it portrayed an interesting time in Japanese history but I never knew how to feel about the characters. Some of the descriptions made me exceedingly uncomfortable but the writing was clear and easy to read.
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Joji is everything an adult of any gender should aspire to not be. Hopeless devotion and lovesickness acted out as playing house and controlling his partner.
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Chi è la vittima? Chi il carnefice? Oggi non è facile dirlo. Joji è il salaryman senza qualità, prosciugato dall'ossessione per Naomi, di cui idolatra esclusivamente il corpo; Naomi è una ragazza volgare e crudele, perché sa benissimo di non avere nient'altro che il proprio corpo. Per me uno dei più bei romanzi del secolo scorso, un gran peccato che non ci siano più edizioni. Va recuperato assolutamente
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes