Went to a bookstore for the first time in ages and didn‘t find any of the books I was actually looking for. 😬 I did, however, find three books on my “keep an eye out for these” list and a new one by Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. Definitely ready for some holiday long weekend reading!
pickThis book seems to be a Japanese classic, but I've only just discovered it, thanks to various Litsy challenges that inspire me to try out new authors! I really enjoyed it and will look for more books featuring the eccentric detective Kosuke Kindaichi.
#192025 #1946 @Librarybelle
#ChristmasCrimeChallenge (locked room) @Ruthiella @RaeLovesToRead
#gottacatchemall (Herdier: set in winter)
panThe novel is circular by design, which I liked at first, but the text was too repetitive & there was too much filler -- overuse of phrases like "in other words" or "with that thought." And I think every character thinks or says, "Huh?" at least once. Here are a couple quotes: "Eiko had no idea what a Whiskey and Coke was." ? "Plants were amazing things. Every year, without fail, they created literal, solid produce." ? Better in Japanese, maybe?
"People always make a serious face when they tell a lie. The seriousness of our leaders these days! Pooh!"
"From that day to the present, we have managed to continue our solitary lives in this cottage in the mountains. We prepare meals, knit on the porch, read in the Chinese room, drink tea - in other words, lead an uneventful existence almost completely isolated from the world."
My idea of paradise! ?
She wanted a convincing explanation for the existence of this unbelievable rule, that there is nothing you can do while in the past that will change the present.
Next up, Dazai's novel of the decline of the Japanese aristocracy immediately following WWII. Published in 1947, the year prior to Dazai's death by suicide, it's tragic in tone.
The translator's introduction in this edition was written in the 1950s, and is itself an interesting, if brief, historical insight into a contemporary Westerner's perception of Japanese post-war culture.
Note: I hate that the author betrayed the confidentiality of the renowned geisha he interviewed for this novel. However, I'm going to read it because I've recently watched the movie and it's been on my shelf for at least 2 decades.
#currentlyreading
