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A review by umbrellatrees
The Great Passage by Shion Miura
4.0
"The Great Passage" is a boring novel that will fail to please tons of readers. A not-insignificant number of pages is dedicated to careful descriptions of the process of making a dictionary and, unless you find yourself yearning for this kind of information, it can end up making for a dull read.
(I have to say I freaking love dictionaries, so there's that.)
If the lexicography jargon and Japanese morphology references are not obstacles for you, then you're in for a warm, heartfelt ride.
Though the protagonist is Majime, a socially awkward newly-transferred employee who is tasked with the completion of the dictionary, we have the pleasure of reading full chapters with minor characters under the spotlight as well. Their POVs add a more relatable perspective to Majime's nerdy, obsessive approach: while our protagonist is offering his blood, sweat, and tears to the publishing gods - accompanied by equally passionate Araki and Matsumoto-sensei - there's also loud Nishioka, who couldn't care less about language and faces relationship problems; and, later on, subtly hilarious Kishibe, who mentally calls out her colleagues for their absurd exchanges and overzealous behaviour - but who also finds a husband that is just like her co-workers.
Nonetheless, these last two characters don't hesitate to roll up their sleeves and get down to business so as to make themselves useful. In the same novel, we have the pleasure of seeing what it is like to work with language for passion or for money; in the end, no one is at fault for having their own reasons and motivation to wake up every day.
More importantly, at any rate, they are all working towards the same goal: to immortalize the words which we give meaning to (and which also give us meaning - because what are we without language?).
(I have to say I freaking love dictionaries, so there's that.)
If the lexicography jargon and Japanese morphology references are not obstacles for you, then you're in for a warm, heartfelt ride.
Though the protagonist is Majime, a socially awkward newly-transferred employee who is tasked with the completion of the dictionary, we have the pleasure of reading full chapters with minor characters under the spotlight as well. Their POVs add a more relatable perspective to Majime's nerdy, obsessive approach: while our protagonist is offering his blood, sweat, and tears to the publishing gods - accompanied by equally passionate Araki and Matsumoto-sensei - there's also loud Nishioka, who couldn't care less about language and faces relationship problems; and, later on, subtly hilarious Kishibe, who mentally calls out her colleagues for their absurd exchanges and overzealous behaviour - but who also finds a husband that is just like her co-workers.
Nonetheless, these last two characters don't hesitate to roll up their sleeves and get down to business so as to make themselves useful. In the same novel, we have the pleasure of seeing what it is like to work with language for passion or for money; in the end, no one is at fault for having their own reasons and motivation to wake up every day.
More importantly, at any rate, they are all working towards the same goal: to immortalize the words which we give meaning to (and which also give us meaning - because what are we without language?).