The Housekeeper and The Professor by Yoko Ogawa
Translated by Stephen Snyder
Well, it’s rare that I experience a reading failure, as I always try to choose books I think will give me *something* or that I’ll engage with. However, my first read of 2021, a book I chose for the Japanese Literature Challenge, turned out to be not one for me. The book in question is “The Housekeeper and The Professor” by Yoko Ogawa, and it comes highly rated; I’ve seen any number of glowing reviews, and bloggers I follow love it. I don’t, and I’ll try to explain why.
Plotwise, the book is initially intriguing; a young woman is employed as a housekeeper for an ageing professor of mathematics; the latter has memory issues following an accident decades ago, and can only retain memories from the last 80 minutes after which things are wiped clean and his memory starts again. Anything from before the accident is fine, so he still has his mathematical skills, but day to day living is problematic. The Housekeeper is employed by his sister-in-law, referred to throughout as The Widow, and the other character in the story is the housekeeper’s son. He’s nicknamed Root because his flat head reminds The Professor of the square root sign; and the book follows the bonds that develop between the three main characters, while The Housekeeper copes with having to reintroduce herself to her employer every morning…
So far, so good – the premise of the book *is* appealing. However, I had a number of issues which in brief are:
1. I failed to engage with any of the characters; the writing felt flat, the main protagonists underdeveloped and I felt detached from the whole reading experience.
2. The plot was again underdeveloped; there was far too much unsaid and unexplored, and several hints were so low-key you could miss them. Without giving too much away, there was a situation with The Widow and The Professor which could, and should, have been expanded – I think my feelings boil down to the fact that this book was very undercooked and could have been much more than it actually was.
3. I understand why the author gave the characters titles, not names, as I imagine they were meant to represent that part of Japanese society – an esteemed Professor, a lowly Housekeeper – but that didn’t help with the distancing effect.
4. In many ways, I often felt that the setting of Japan was irrelevant to the book and it could have been anywhere – I never got a strong feeling of being in Japan.
5. Baseball and Maths…. Much of the plot (and the book) hangs on the twin prongs of baseball and maths. The Professor sees the world in terms of numbers and attempts to transmit this to The Housekeeper and Root. And strangely, for an uneducated person who’s had to bring herself up, she grasps compex formulae and sees the beauty of numbers. The book is riddled with formulae which lost me – I’m not mathematical and tbh this left me cold – and I found this element too prominent. As for baseball, the Professor and Root are obsessed by it (fair enough); but it becomes again the most important thing for the little pseudo-family, and dominates the book to the point that I completely switched off.
Well, I could go on, but I won’t. You might wonder why I actually finished the book, but I found it so slight that I read it in a day; I kept hoping it would develop into something stronger, but it didn’t. The end frankly peters out and I was left wondering what had been the point? If Ogawa was trying to show that the most unlikely combination of people can form a kind of family group, she could have done so without being so heavy on the maths and baseball, and in fact what happens in the book could be told in novella length. There was so sketchy a backstory for the characters that I could find nothing to latch onto; they seemed like stereotyped cardboard cut outs to me. And much more should have been made of The Widow. There *were* some nice touches to the story; the fact that The Professor had little scraps of paper attached to his clothing to remind him of important things; the occasional hint to events in the past which had led up to the current situation; but these were not enough to compensate for the rest of it.
Enough. This was not a book for me, and I’m just glad that I didn’t spend longer with it. I accept that it may just be me; my expectations may have been too high and I could have been anticipating a completely different book; and I know many love it. But I found it slight, underdeveloped and completely underwhelming. I don’t often write negative reviews, but this was an unfortunate start to my Japanese Literature Month reading, and I wanted to at least share my thoughts. If you’ve read the book and felt differently, do tell me why! As for my copy, I shall pass it on to my old friend J. who is a bit of a Japanophile – maybe it will work better for her! 😀
Jan 15, 2021 @ 08:51:17
I haven’t read this – but want to. I gave my brother Ogawa’s The memory police (interesting that your book is about memory too?) for his birthday and he finished it last week. He like it.
TBH, nothing you have said has really put me of this book, because it sounds to me a bit like a lot of contemporary Japanese literature I’ve read (not that I’ve read anywhere near as much as I’d like to, particularly over the last decade). I tend to like the distancing tone Japanese fiction often has, and I don’t seem to mind if I don’t really engage with the characters, though I have to be interested in them or in the ideas of the book if not in them exactly. However, I wonder how I would get on with a lot of mathematical formulae?
Jan 15, 2021 @ 08:59:45
Well, I’m glad I haven’t put you off, because I’m quite prepared to believe it’s me and not the book. Most of my Japanese lit reading is from the 20th century and I get what you say about a distancing effect. But this one lost me completely – I was bored, if I’m honest. I did feel that the maths element was a bit contrived too. I’ve since read a short Mishima work which had infinitely more impact, so I guess it just wasn’t the book for me.
Jan 16, 2021 @ 04:03:51
I wouldn’t say that Sue and I have crossed swords over J-Lit before, but she likes it and I don’t for exactly the reasons you’ve laid out.
The exception for me is Kenzaburo Oe whose Death by Water was fantastic, but he’s a Nobel Prize winning author, and it’s a long novel that enables the kind of characterisation and personal/political insights that I like.
Jan 16, 2021 @ 11:27:26
It’s difficult for me to judge, I suppose, because my reading of Japanese literature is very much from the 20th century and of those authors considered the greats. I’ve no idea how typical that is of Japanese literature, but everything I’ve read by e.g. Mishima has left me moved and involved. But reading is always a process of exploration and sometimes the finds are not so great!
Jan 17, 2021 @ 02:36:09
I’ve given it a fair go, I think, trying various books recommended to me by readers I trust, and apart from the Oe, nothing has really appealed. But I keep an eye on it all the same and even though I didn’t much care for 1Q84, I’m going to read the Murakamis that I have on the TBR because they’re in 1001 Books…
Jan 17, 2021 @ 11:52:12
Interesting you should mention Murakami! I loved Norwegian Wood (my first of his) when I read it back in the day when it first came out. But nothing else of his I tried gelled at all so I don’t bother now. Yet something like The Guest Cat stuck, as did Strangers which I loved. I think I should stop expecting to like everything!!
Jan 17, 2021 @ 12:18:55
Methinks I’ll start with the shortest one first, and if that doesn’t ‘gel’ the rest can go to the OpShop.
Jan 17, 2021 @ 12:23:43
Sounds like a good plan! ;D
Jan 15, 2021 @ 09:05:10
I’d planned to read this but your mention of lots of maths and baseball detail has made me think again. I’m used to that flat, distancing style so common in Japanese contemporary writing but it sounds as if this one might be a step too far. Glad to see that your next Japanese read hit the spot.
Jan 15, 2021 @ 09:36:30
I think I could have got on better with the book if the volume of maths and baseball had been less. I understand she was using these elements as part of the story, but they became too big a part for me and dominated the storyline at the expense of anything else. Maybe best to try it from the library when they’re open rather than shelling out for it… You may love it – it could just be me!
Jan 15, 2021 @ 10:37:33
I loved this one, but mention prime numbers to me and I’m hooked anyway. Ogawa’s style is very understated in all the books of hers that I’ve read, but I like that a lot, which is a good thing as many of the contemporary Japanese novels I’ve read recently have that similar distanced feel. I can understand why this one didn’t appeal with the maths in particular, but I’d be interested to see what you think of The Memory Police, should you read another by her.
Jan 15, 2021 @ 11:53:26
LOL – I’m sure someone with a mathematical mind would definitely find more to the book than I did. I don’t mind the distancing, but when there was nothing else to pull me in I ended up struggling. Not to worry – onward and upward!
Jan 15, 2021 @ 10:45:36
Oh, sorry to know that this book didn’t work for you, Kaggsy 😞 This is one of my favourite books. I actually loved the mathematics parts of the book. But I know other bloggers weren’t impressed with Yoko Ogawa. Hope you enjoy your next book more.
Jan 15, 2021 @ 11:51:49
It would be dull if we all liked the same books, and I know you loved this one Vishy. It just didn’t speak to me at all I’m afraid…
Jan 16, 2021 @ 08:20:46
Loved what you said, Kaggsy 😊 Hope you enjoy your next book more. Happy reading 😊
Jan 16, 2021 @ 11:25:47
Thanks Vishy! I have gone on to have more success with other books…. ;D
Jan 16, 2021 @ 21:21:34
Glad to know that, Kaggsy 😊 Can’t wait for your next review!
Jan 17, 2021 @ 11:55:50
😀
Jan 15, 2021 @ 11:02:40
This was my first experience of Ogawa’s work and I really enjoyed it even though I have zero mathematical understanding. I did have to suspend my disbelief at the idea of the housekeeper after a few self-taught months could tackle Fermat’s Theorem.
Because I’d read some other Japanese works previously the understated effect wasn’t a surprise or an issue.
I’ve since read another of her books – Revenge – and disliked that hugely. So I don’t have great hopes for The Memory Police which is this month’s book club choice
Jan 15, 2021 @ 11:51:15
I do accept the understated element in Japanese writing, but this was so detached I couldn’t get anything to hook me in at all. And the maths lost me, I’m afraid. Because so much of the book hung on this element, that’s probably why I struggled with it. Not for me, although I’m happy that others love it!
Jan 16, 2021 @ 21:30:28
Fair enough, we can’t all enjoy the same things
Jan 17, 2021 @ 11:55:42
No, it would be boring if we did! 😀
Jan 15, 2021 @ 11:09:43
I was one who found it rather slight, and it’s not at all like the other Ogawa books in English. I did enjoy a reread a few years after, but I certainly thought the overwhelming praise on its publication was unwarranted. Not having read it for a while, I can’t comment on all your points, but I suspect that there is a lot more that’s Japanese there than you suggest, simply in some of the things that *don’t* happen.
Jan 15, 2021 @ 11:49:36
It is slight, yes – and I think the praise is out of proportion. You’re probably quite right about there being more that is culturally Japanese than I gave the book credit for, but that may well be because I felt so disengaged from it. No worries – there are plenty of other books for me to read!
Jan 15, 2021 @ 11:49:35
My heavens, Kaggsy — this is the first time I’ve read a negative review from you! Is it perverse to say that I enjoyed it hugely (or, to quote my unlamented, soon-to-be ex leader, “biggly”)? I’ve actually considered reading this one a couple of times, but put it aside as I thought it might be too sentimental — lowly housekeeper, esteemed professor, little kid all bonding together, that kind of thing. Now I’m so curious that I might actually get around to looking at it! The maths would definitely be a turnoff; baseball I could put up with (I get a lot of that from Mr. Janakay).
I do hope you review the Mishima that you mentioned in one of your comments. I’ve never read any of his work and I’m curious about it.
Jan 15, 2021 @ 11:56:35
It’s not like me, no, because I usually try to get something out of a book, and I usually manage to pick ones that I love or provoke my thoughts or something. This was just a *meh* for me – nothing grabbed me at all. Maybe if I’d read it at a different time I might have felt differently, but I was distinctly underwhelmed I’m afraid. But always willing to admit it might be me, not the book, and I’d be interested to hear your thoughts. As for reading negative reviews – I like to do so sometimes. It can be entertaining, thought I try to keep a positive slant on the blog! Life’s full of enough grimness as it is!
I *will* be reviewing the Mishima later this month – just need to find time to write about it. I love his work!
Jan 15, 2021 @ 11:51:49
I really liked this one when I read it, but I do like maths! It wouldn’t be my favourite Ogawa (I like her darker) but I do understand your misgivings.
Jan 15, 2021 @ 11:57:31
LOL, I do think it helps if you like maths a bit (I hate formulae with a passion – I just have the wrong kind of brain for them!) Just wasn’t for me, I’m afraid!
Jan 15, 2021 @ 12:31:44
Oh no, what a shame. I actually have a copy of this book on my kindle. I had half a mind to read it soon. I am not of a mathematical mind either, but I loved The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa which is what prompted me to buy this one. I may still give it a try one of these days.
Jan 15, 2021 @ 13:31:17
Well, it may just be me, Ali, so don’t let me put you off! Could be a case of me just reading it at the wrong time, or finding the formulae annoying. Who knows! But do see what you think!
Jan 15, 2021 @ 13:33:14
I haven’t read this book but I recently had the same experience of trudging along laboriously without any connection to the characters when I read The Blessing Way, the first in a series by Tony Hillerman. I felt the same with A Buried Giant and I have loved all other books by Ishiguro. Though I finished the books, they didn’t do anything for me. It happens to all of us at some time or the other.
Jan 15, 2021 @ 13:34:42
Yes, that’s true. It’s unrealistic of me to expect to love *every* book I read. I don’t like to write about a negative reading experience, but I felt I had to here! Never mind – plenty more for me to read and love!
Jan 15, 2021 @ 13:34:27
I think I will pass on this one as I am not one for enjoying mathematical formulae. 😊
Jan 15, 2021 @ 13:35:30
Nor me, but they make regular appearances in the book. I guess I could have tried to take them in more and get the points she was trying to make with them, but it felt a bit artificial and not that enjoyable. So I moved on!
Jan 15, 2021 @ 13:56:09
I am so sorry you didn’t like it, and the reasons you gave make sense. It has been quite awhile since I read it, and I don’t remember it as clearly as I should to discuss it well. But, what I remember liking so much about the book was the way that a group of three somewhat disparate people became a family. I love how you don’t need to be related to be a family if you care about each other in such a deep way. Also, I read it during the days that I was teaching, and I liked the mathematician explaining concepts to the boy. But, as for being light and “undercooked”…I find much of Japanese literature to be that way. It’s almost like the author dances on the surface, giving us an aerial view, and we must form our own opinions. Still, I’m so glad you read with us, me, and I value your reflections.
Jan 15, 2021 @ 15:01:46
Well, I wish I could have liked it more, but I just didn’t gel with it, which is odd because I have read and loved much Japanese lit in my time. I too liked the way the three grew together, but I felt the maths and baseball elements overwhelmed the rest of the story and if they had been played down I might have responded differently. Not to worry – there are plenty more books in the pipeline!
Jan 15, 2021 @ 22:39:00
That’s interesting Bellezza, because I think a feature of contemporary Japanese writing is how disparate people, often outsiders, become family. It shows two things I think – how Japanese society can ostracise “other” (those who don’t conform to the norm) and how much we all need and want “family”.
Jan 16, 2021 @ 11:46:21
So interesting hear all your thoughts on this. I must admit to not having read bucketloads of contemporary Japanese writing – the Red Circle Minis, The Guest Cat and Strangers are the ones which spring to mind – and yet the ones I’ve read I’ve engaged with and loved. Interesting what you say about the importance of a family of sorts – definitely an element I sense running through the writing.
Jan 17, 2021 @ 12:59:14
I absolutely agree with how much we all need and want family! And many times another person can almost become a family member to us, even though we aren’t related.
Jan 17, 2021 @ 17:27:48
We do! Our friends and loved ones can be closer than blood relatives at time!
Jan 15, 2021 @ 14:48:02
It’s been a while since I’ve read it, but I quite liked it. Seeing the Professor being able to share his delight in the beauty of the ideas that underlie mathematics and making a connection with Root, was lovely. I saw the ‘undercookedness’ as Ogawa’s way of showing the unknowability of the Professor’s memories or a possible prime number mirage, and that unknowability of things was her point as it is in so much Japanese fiction. But I can see why you feel the way do about the book without any hooks to pull you in.
Jan 15, 2021 @ 14:59:30
Oh, it’s probably me! 😀 I get what you say about the connection with Root – that was lovely. I think it was the Housekeepers revelations about formulae that struck me as a little out of keeping. Maybe the unknowability of things is a trait in Japanese fiction, but I guess it was just a little too subtly developed here with me. But I’m glad you liked it. Not all books are the right ones for all readers!
Jan 15, 2021 @ 16:25:58
I enjoy math so I’m tempted. It’s a good to see a negative review that highlights the problems, without scaring away those who might like it.
Jan 15, 2021 @ 19:50:46
If you like numbers then you may well love this! And don’t let me put you off – this may be one you enjoy!
Jan 15, 2021 @ 17:58:18
I agree with everything you said and yet still love this book. There’s something I can’t articulate that got to me. I think the point about the characters being underdeveloped is especially true, and it tripped me up a lot more in The Memory Police.
Jan 15, 2021 @ 19:29:47
I think we can still love a book that’s flawed – I mean not everything I read is perfect, but some books just get to you. I’m glad this one worked for you, but I’m interested in what you say about the characters and also in her other book. There has been quite a lot of comment on Japanese writing having understated characters; but I don’t ever recall feeling that about, say, Mishima!
Jan 15, 2021 @ 18:51:01
Do you know, I think there’s something extremely valuable in articulating publicly why a piece of art (/literature, whatevs) didn’t work for you. I’ve never had problems with negative reviews for exactly this reason; it’s helpful for you to work out what your disappointments were, and it’s helpful for a prospective reader of the book to know that it can be read in a less-than-approving way! Still a bummer to start off the challenge like this, though take heart – it can only get better from here.
Jan 15, 2021 @ 19:28:20
Thank you! I would never write a post to just trash something (unless it truly deserved it, like a book by Trump or Hitler…). But I think if a book doesn’t work I want to explore why and what it is that didn’t gel. And when I got to the end and had written what I felt, I checked out some other online reviews and I wasn’t the only one who hadn’t felt the book worked properly either. I know some love it and that’s fine – it just wasn’t for me. A shame when it was my first for this year’s Japanese reading, but I had read something that works much better for me since this one!!
Jan 15, 2021 @ 19:32:26
Well, that’s exciting! I look forward to hearing more about that
Jan 15, 2021 @ 19:52:13
I really must catch up on my reviews!! ;D
Jan 15, 2021 @ 22:32:42
Mustn’t we all!
Jan 16, 2021 @ 11:46:27
;D
Jan 15, 2021 @ 23:12:19
I don’t know anything about this book, other than the kind of vague observations you had of it yourself before reading. But the comments you’ve made about your reservations sound very similar to things I’ve said about novellas by Banana Yoshimoto, whose works I’ve also actually loved and admired. On at least one occasion, I revisited and found that I did enjoy the book much more than I’d thought on a first reading, so I know it was a question of wrong-book-wrong-time. But where that seems different here is that you don’t have a previous connection to the author’s work, so maybe you simply aren’t a match, and it happens.
Jan 16, 2021 @ 11:30:09
Oh, it’s entirely possible that if I read it again at a different time of my life, I might love this book. But at the moment it wasn’t for me – as you say, maybe it’s just not a match for me and I’m not going to beat myself up about it because there are so many other books out there!!
Jan 16, 2021 @ 00:49:13
So sorry it didn’t work for you. I so loved the ambiance of the book. This is not about the plot, I thought, but really about the ambiance, that really captivated me. I also enjoyed a lot The Memory Police by her, though the genre is totally different. Maybe that would work better for you
Jan 16, 2021 @ 11:29:11
I’d certainly be willing to give The Memory Police a try, as it does sound intriguing. And I’m glad you loved this, as I accept many do – it just wasn’t for me!
Jan 16, 2021 @ 10:40:56
What a shame this book didn’t deliver for you. I’ve read others by Ogawa but not this particular one, so I can’t speak to the specifics of the book. That said, it does sound rather different to some of her others, which tap into feelings of isolation and alienation, especially in an urban environment. If you’re ever minded to give her another try, I would suggest The Memory Police – a thoughtful, beautifully-written novel with the potential to linger in the mind…
Jan 16, 2021 @ 11:25:21
Well, it may well have been just the wrong time for me, but looking back I’ve read quite a lot of Japanese writing and more recently the Red Circle Minis which are modern writing and which I *have* engaged with. From what I’ve seen, her other books aren’t like this one, so I may get on better with those!
Jan 17, 2021 @ 01:36:48
Sorry this didn’t work for you, I hope you have better luck with your other Japanese reads! Like Sue, I tend to get on well with the distancing tone Japanese fiction. In The Housekeeper and the Professor, I didn’t find it difficult to engage at all. With another Ogawa, The Memory Police, I actually felt a bit detached whilst reading. But thinking back, I believe it’s amongst the books which made the most lasting impression on me in 2020. Anyway, my love of math may have contributed to my enjoyment of The Housekeeper. I guess the math element could have been toned down, but I thought it was a central theme – much more important than baseball, although both illustrated different aspects of the meaning of memories. I love how Ogawa investigates this theme in both The Housekeeper and The Memory Police. What is left of us, when we don’t have our memories anymore? Math is one of the few fundamental and unchanging truth in life – we don’t have to remember it, because in theory we can always deduce it again. That is why, it was so fitting to demonstrate the professor’s condition.
Jan 17, 2021 @ 11:55:30
Generally I’ve liked all of the Japanese literature I’ve read over the years, although as I’ve said this tends to be from the 20th century. The concept behind this book interested me, and the whole thing about memory and its loss is important (and relevant to me with a woolly, ageing parent….) And I get what you say about the maths being important to the plot, because that was what the Professor had to hang on to, to make sense of his world. However, I can’t grasp formulae and so that element of the book was lost to me – so as it was so dominant that may be why I struggled. Not to worry – there are many more books out there!
Jan 17, 2021 @ 09:44:24
I read this years ago, before Ogawa was as well known as she is now, and remember being similarly unimpressed. Like you, I found it a bit flat, so you’re certainly not alone. Revenge and The Memory Police are much better.
Jan 17, 2021 @ 11:50:23
Thanks Grant – coming from someone with as much experience in reading translated work as you, that’s reassuring. If I read her again I’ll definitely try one of the other two you mention!
Jan 17, 2021 @ 15:32:49
I am sort of comforted that you had a book fail because that is more like the rest of us! I agree that sometimes the timing or one’s mood is just wrong for a particular book (and that most frequently happens to me with books in translation). I had suggested my book group read Black Narcissus in December and when it was time to start, I simply wasn’t in the mood. Luckly, after I grumpily began I started to really enjoy it.
Jan 17, 2021 @ 17:27:27
LOL! Not all my reads are outstanding ones, but I usually choose with care and manage to get something out of a book. Not here alas… But I do acknowledge the timing thing, and know exactly what you mean about grumpily beginning a book. That’s mostly why I don’t take part in challenges!
Jan 17, 2021 @ 17:04:47
A great and honest review! I know you’ve read other Japanese lit so the flatness and distance isn’t the issue, but the maths, baseball and non-Japanese-feeling setting don’t sound good!
Jan 17, 2021 @ 17:28:37
Well, I felt I needed to be transparent about this one. Too many elements worked against me liking this book – but I’ve moved on, and had more success with reading this month, so all is well! 😀
Jan 18, 2021 @ 18:12:36
Great review, Karen! I agree with you, this book was not for me either. I felt the idea behind the book was underdeveloped.
Jan 18, 2021 @ 18:43:40
Thanks Juliana! I’m glad it wasn’t just me….
Jan 19, 2021 @ 08:06:37
I’m sorry this didn’t work for you. I’m sure you’re puzzled that a negative review made people comment so enthusiastically. 🙂 It’s a well kept blogging secret – very positive and negative reviews of books everyone seems to like lead to comments.
I’ve read one of her first books, in French, decades before she was translated and hated it. I couldn’t tell you the title. And the I read her short stories a liked those very much.
Jan 19, 2021 @ 10:14:01
LOL! It’s fascinating how a negative reviews brings out such a response, but then I don’t post that many as a rule. So it’s a novelty…
I wouldn’t rule out reading her again, but I would have to choose carefully – and make sure the time was right! 😀
Jan 19, 2021 @ 10:23:20
I think it’s also because so many read this and seeing another opinion can be stimulating. At least that’s how I see it. I will read her again as well. I think I do already own a few of her titles. Hotel Iris was the one I read. Yuk.
Jan 19, 2021 @ 10:56:08
Good point – it *is* always interesting to see other people’s opinons. But I will probably avoid Hotel Iris… ;D
Jan 24, 2021 @ 19:32:31
I’ll be interested to follow you during this challenge. I love some Japanese literature, but often find it very hard to get into – I’ve never been to Japan and I do think there is often a cultural gap and I feel I’m missing a lot (matching up with a lot of your issues with this book). Might give this one a miss in my search for my next new favourite Japanese novel…
Jan 24, 2021 @ 20:11:46
I suspect there is a cultural gap, yes, and a more profound one than say with America or another European country. But I like exploring places that are different through their literature, and do often have success – just not this time… 😦
Feb 06, 2021 @ 03:55:53
I sometimes find this with modern Japanese Lit, it is so subtle, nuanced whatever that nothings appears to happen. It can be a mood thing of course, so I’ll make sure I’m in the ‘right’ mood when I pick up this book from my TBR & hope for a better outcome>
Feb 06, 2021 @ 11:23:22
Well, it may work for you – every reader is different, I know that. And a book doesn’t have to be packed with events and plot to engross me, but this one was too undercooked for me! I hope it’s more successful for you!
Feb 08, 2021 @ 22:03:54
Here’s my perspective coming from a Chinese background. Although I was born in the UK, my family transmitted a strong sense of stigma and shame in the ideas of mental disorders/being poor/being a single parent. I have had Chinese student lodgers become really embarrassed if I even mention the word divorce. (I thought everything would have changed by now but it hasn’t!) To have all the main characters have those characteristics and therefore all being so on the outside of society felt very powerful to me. In that way, being set in Japan was crucial to the book working. The sense of loneliness the book created, and the inherent sense of difficulty in surviving for the housekeeper, made the little moments of connection that grew feel precious.
Feb 09, 2021 @ 08:24:22
That’s so interesting – thank you! Of course, there would inevitably be cultural differences I wouldn’t grasp so thank youfor sharing this.
Feb 14, 2021 @ 13:31:45
Oh my. This one´s on my list, although I don´t expect I will be reaching for it any time soon.
Feb 14, 2021 @ 21:02:13
You may love it – many do – but it just wasn’t for me!
Dec 31, 2021 @ 07:02:34