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A review by apoorvasr
Things Remembered and Things Forgotten by Kyōko Nakajima
5.0
Things Remembered and things forgotten by kyoko nakajima, translated from the Japanese by Ian McCullough MacDonald and Ginny Tapley Takemori
An eclectic collection of short stories by the author of another beautiful book , the little house.
Her themes are the same - recreation of lost memories , reinterpretation of incidents and the strange and otherworldly stories with no explanation.
I thoroughly enjoyed this collection. The first story title and the title of the book being the same is bittersweet and the ending strange. The story of siblings and the story of a hometown and who take care of whom ?
The second being when my wife was a shiitake is about the part of his dead wife he didn’t know about discovered through her notebook ramblings about cooking and about her life. His love is rekindled back by putting together box sushi - with different components each tended to perfection - helped by his dead wife’s notes and musings.
The life story of a sewing machine - we all thought humans go through their trials and tribulations shaping and re shaping them like a potters wheel . It’s true for inanimate objects like a sewing machine too. One of my favourite stories from the collection .
Global Positioning System - the crux of navigation for youngsters and old generations . And a saving grace for the dad affected by memory loss. To be locked in a memory sometimes can feel like a warm cocoon and a child’s hand in your big weathering hands can forget time.
Kiraras special plane - a cutie / or a whore forgets to provide for her kid . An unlikely friendship between a ghost and a kid. It’s almost heartwarming and before you try to savor the comforting beginnings of a friendship, it ends.
A special day - An entry into nothingness. An entry into a void of a circus . Exhibits and creative space . One day present and the other day poof …
The pet civet- A story of a strange love between a workhand and an old neglected lady. The food descriptions and the jams and old cosy cottage . It felt like a dream.
Childhood friends - I understood the nature of the story only later. Re- imagining childhood friendships.
The last two stories are beautiful . They are one of a kind.
I’ve found that most Japanese stories believe in the existence of ghosts in their movies or books.
Not exactly sinister but lost beings as it is. Falling in love with a ghost. I couldn’t make sense of this story and I was okay with it .
The last Obon - the final festival before the families go their separate ways . The intricacies of the ritual , the steaming of udon , the clover dim sums . I’m blown by Nakajimas descriptions . It’s the food and the environment which holds the story together .
We are visited by ghosts now and then. All friendly all a whiff of days past and all just being there .
An eclectic collection of short stories by the author of another beautiful book , the little house.
Her themes are the same - recreation of lost memories , reinterpretation of incidents and the strange and otherworldly stories with no explanation.
I thoroughly enjoyed this collection. The first story title and the title of the book being the same is bittersweet and the ending strange. The story of siblings and the story of a hometown and who take care of whom ?
The second being when my wife was a shiitake is about the part of his dead wife he didn’t know about discovered through her notebook ramblings about cooking and about her life. His love is rekindled back by putting together box sushi - with different components each tended to perfection - helped by his dead wife’s notes and musings.
The life story of a sewing machine - we all thought humans go through their trials and tribulations shaping and re shaping them like a potters wheel . It’s true for inanimate objects like a sewing machine too. One of my favourite stories from the collection .
Global Positioning System - the crux of navigation for youngsters and old generations . And a saving grace for the dad affected by memory loss. To be locked in a memory sometimes can feel like a warm cocoon and a child’s hand in your big weathering hands can forget time.
Kiraras special plane - a cutie / or a whore forgets to provide for her kid . An unlikely friendship between a ghost and a kid. It’s almost heartwarming and before you try to savor the comforting beginnings of a friendship, it ends.
A special day - An entry into nothingness. An entry into a void of a circus . Exhibits and creative space . One day present and the other day poof …
The pet civet- A story of a strange love between a workhand and an old neglected lady. The food descriptions and the jams and old cosy cottage . It felt like a dream.
Childhood friends - I understood the nature of the story only later. Re- imagining childhood friendships.
The last two stories are beautiful . They are one of a kind.
I’ve found that most Japanese stories believe in the existence of ghosts in their movies or books.
Not exactly sinister but lost beings as it is. Falling in love with a ghost. I couldn’t make sense of this story and I was okay with it .
The last Obon - the final festival before the families go their separate ways . The intricacies of the ritual , the steaming of udon , the clover dim sums . I’m blown by Nakajimas descriptions . It’s the food and the environment which holds the story together .
We are visited by ghosts now and then. All friendly all a whiff of days past and all just being there .