The Printmaker's Daughter

by Katherine Govier

A lost voice of old Japan reclaims her rightful place inhistory in this breathtaking work of imagination and scholarship from award-winning and internationally acclaimedauthor Katherine Govier. In the evocative taleof 19th century Tokyo, The Printmaker’sDaughter  delivers an enthrallingtale of one of the world’s great unknown Oei,the mysterious daughter of master printmaker Hokusai, painter of the Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji. In a novel that willresonate with readers of Tracy Chevalier’s Girlwith a Pearl Earring , Lisa See’s SnowFlower and the Secret Fan , and David Mitchell’s The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet ,the sights and sensations of an exotic, bygone era form the richly captivatingbackdrop for an intimate, finely wrought story of daughterhood and duty, artand authorship, the immortality of creation and the anonymity of history.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Japan, Art, Asia, Historical, 19th Century

494 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Katherine Govier is the author of eleven novels, three short story collections, and a collection of nursery rhymes. Her most recent novel is The Three Sisters Bar and Hotel (HarperAvenue). Here previous novel, The Ghost Brush (published in the US as The Printmaker's Daughter), is about the daughter of the famous Japanese printmaker, Hokusai, creator of The Great Wave. Her novel Creation, about John James Audubon in Labrador, was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year in 2003.

Katherine's fiction and non-fiction has appeared in the United Kingdom, the United States, and throughout the Commonwealth, and in translation in Holland, Italy, Turkey, Spain, Japan, Romania, Latvia and Slovenia. She is the winner of Canada's Marian Engel Award for a woman writer (1997) and the Toronto Book Award (1992). Creation was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year in 2003.

Katherine has been instrumental in establishing three innovative writing programs. In 1989, with teacher Trevor Owen, she helped found Writers in Electronic Residence. In 2011 she founded The Shoe Project, a writing workshop for immigrant and refugee women. She continues as the Chair of its Board of Directors. In 2019 Katherine was made a member of the Order of Canada.

She has edited two collections of travel essays, Solo: Writers on Pilgrimage and WIthout a Guide.

Reviews

[Jessie Leigh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Three stars and a 'read' tag because I made it almost to 60%; it just shouldn't require this much effort to read. As is indicated by the three stars instead of a 1 or a 2 as I was tempted, there are several redeeming aspects to The Printmaker's Daughter. The relationship between Hokusai and Oei is more important and complex than any other in the novel (in fact, she defines herself by him/his work as is hinted at in the title), the city of Edo itself is vibrantly drawn and realized, from the Corner Tamaya bordellos to the markets. But on the other hand are the weird and somewhat random accents and 1990's California-valleygirl speech patterns of 1800s courtesans, the interminable stretches where nothing happens, and awkward, jarring transitions between third and first-person narration. I wanted to love this; I'm halfway there thanks to the cover alone. I may try this one again, in the final version, but the ARC I had wasn't working for me. I was entranced for 50 pages, then bored for 220 before calling it quits. Longer, disappointed diatribe to follow.

[Robbin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had very high hopes for this book. I majored in Japanese literature and art, so I like to think that I know my stuff. Learning about a female painter? Certainly unheard of. But this book did not pass my 100-page "interest mark". After reading part one, I realized I didn't care much for what Oei did with her life for the next twenty thousand parts of the book. I find the book entirely too long. Maybe I'll try reading it again when it doesn't sound like she just browsed through an Asian art museum and scribbled down a couple of facts and somehow came up with a story for it. (I also read the afterword. It seems that she collaborated with a lot of people, and the facts are FASCINATING. But I really don't think the fiction gives those facts the justice it deserves.) There is something wrong when you start thinking, "Oh, this is historical fiction? Why does it seem like it's 98% fiction and 2% historical fact?"

Please don't misunderstand me. I realize that there are facts. I studied them for hours on end myself. But even her afterword seems like a poorly written high school report on Japanese culture. What's worse? The way it's written really makes people still think that this is a book about geishas. It is not. It will continue to make people think that "all geishas are prostitutes", and this is not the case. And some of the things seem like she's trying to make her work look like she's translating from Japanese into English. Sadanobu? "Sad and noble?" That is straight up English. Why would Japanese folk think in English?! Let me just put it this way: reading this felt like watching non-Japanese people acting as if they were Japanese in a play. Or like watching a human actor portray Yoda. It doesn't feel natural. Not my cup of tea, for sure, but I am also worried that people will take the entirety of this book as fact, and I am not prepared to be stopped on the street because of my skin and being spoken to in this so-called "geisha dialect" (this seems to be what everyone is calling it on the reviews...the Yoshiwara dialect seems to be a liiiittle more correct, you know?) and then lectured about this culture THAT I ALREADY KNOW OF.

I'm still going to revisit "The Life of an Amorous Woman" by Ihara Saikaku, among other pieces of Japanese literature. Some pieces are actually written by women in the Floating World, and they are just as scandalous, I promise you.

I doubt I'll read it again, but eventually I'll give it another shot once I am done fuming with bias.

[Chrissie · Rating 3 out of 5]

SPOILER FREE!!!

If you are interested in Hokusai's art work, I highly recommend this book. I have presented a general synopsis of what the book concerns below. Here I want to explain my view of the book on completion.

Very, very little is known about Hokusai's life and practically nothing about his daughter. It has been noted that Hokusai died at the age of 89 in 1849. His work is stamped and signed. and his age is indicated on the stamp. How is it possible that such a very large number of his pieces were made when he was 88 years old? Why does there seem to be a different style in many of those done as he grew old? He had palsy in his 60s and at his death. Perhapsit never even went into remission. Could he really have produced all these pieces which he has signed? His daughter has signed, with her own name, 6 pieces. These six have a astyle that is different. The colors are more vibrant and thicker, the background is white, the figures are centered in a tight group. The hands have a particular style. It is known that she lived and worked with her father. Just what did she do and what did he do and what were in fact forgeries done by apprentices signed without Hokusai's permission? There are many other questions. What happened to Oei after her father's death? Her death itself is mysterious. A central point of the book is the realtionship between Oei and her father. Their life was grim. Don't expect a light, breezy novel.

This book is a novel, but it is based on the known facts that are thoroughly presented in the Afterword. And yes guesses and suppositions. Something doesn't make sense in assuming that all those pictures signed and stamped with Hokusai's name were truly done by him. Here in this book we have a possible explanation, that I find feasible. It makes sense to me, and the reasons why the author drew the story as she did are backed by specific noted facts in the Afterword. In addition the book teaches so much about life in Edo in the 1800s. It teaches about the fall of the Shogunate and the opening up of Japan to the West. The history is interesting. I would recommend reading this book for these reasons alone.

But as a novel, how did I like the style of writing, the depiction of the characters and life in Japan? Some of the writing, particularly that concerning life of the courtesans, life in the Yoshiwara pleasure district, was extremely moving. At times the writing is utterly lyrical. The views of landscape, snow, market scenes, twilight falling - your see all this and it is so beautiful. However I have a huge complaint concerning the dialogue passages. They did not work for me. The dialogue in the pleasure district was at times almost impossible to understand. I was thrown around. One minute I was loving the lines and then wham, I was totally let down.

Due to the predominence of dialogue in the early passages it took me quite a while to get into the book. Overall, the book should have been tightened up.

So my views are mixed. Good writing and bad writing. Better editing would have helped. I must mention that I am reading an egalley. Maybe what I have noted will be improved before the American edition is published. I appreciate both the Afterword and the glossary at the end. I would definitely advise one to read the American edition since only it has the Afterword. I wish both the book's internet site and the book showed the 6 paintings done by Oei. I would like to see them in comparison to those we know are painted by her father. I would like to see the difference with my own eyes.

So do I recommend the book? Definitely! Yes! It is fascinating.

********************************

Here is a link to the internet site offering background information and photos pertaining to this novel: http://theprintmakersdaughter.com/ima...

Hokusai did have a daughter. Her name was Oei. She did paintings for her father. Very little is known about her, but the book is thoroughly researched. You get a view of life in Edo (Tokyo) during the first half of the 19th century under the repressive Tokugawa Shogunate. Hokusai is most famous for his wood block prints of Mt. Fuji, including "The Great Wave" of Kanagawa. He and his daughter and the apprentices did so many more paintings - of courtesans of the sea and the sky and people, all the ordinary people thronging the streets of Edo. In this book you learn about their lives and life in Edo.

*************************************

This book is registered under two separate titles, this one and Ghost Brush. If some GR librarian could fix this it would be great!. Doesn't it look good. Could it be that there are some differences between the tow publications?

I have corresponded with the author. In Canada the book's title is the Ghost Brush, while the title has been changed to "The Printmaker's Daughter" in the USA by the American publisher. Other than the title, the only difference between the two editions is that the American book has an Afterword, while "Ghost Rush" doesn't.

[Rusty's Ghost Engine (also known as.......... Jinky Spring) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review first posted

https://edwardsghostengine.wordpress....

First, before going into this book I knew it would be very artsy and full of intricate detail about history and the history of Japanese art which is something I hadn’t given much thought on, but as my mum and I were going to be going on a trip to Japan I just knew this would be a perfect read. I will also say here I know practically nothing about Japanese culture, customs and traditions so I knew when going into this that could work positively or negatively depending on the detail in the writing which in this case was adequate for this type of story even if not overly special.

To put it straight here I will say this book more or less lived up to all my expectations especially where the research into the era and culture were concerned as from the start I enjoyed immersing myself into this setting, both the Japan I visited and the Japan in this book. Once again I will say my knowledge on art and history of any nation is practically zero but it was clear here the author had done her research as I found the culture and setting so vivid and rich it did sometimes feel like a genuine glimpse into this world. The afterword at the end of the book was also very interesting to read regarding who really did the famous Japanese prints, was it Hokusai or, as much evidence suggests, was it Oei but she had not place in history because she was a woman. The way the old Japanese society was described in which women have very distinct and restricted roles felt very real and plausible as not only do I realise that was how 19th century Japan was like, but it is so easy in that society and age to take women off the radar and place all credits for their achievements on the closest men to them and that afterword certainly had me thinking was Hokusai really responsible for all the works of art that are in his name?

While I did find I connected to the setting and culture really well, I have to say I didn’t connect the best with Oei as I found her narrative a bit dry and on saying that I found I could really imagine Hokusai well the way he and his personality were described. The whole life story of Oei was a little too long with a few unnecessary sections that could have been axed to make it a more faster, interesting read as it could get really slow at some points that were just about everyday life really. But other than those I thought this was a brilliant story with realistic characters and a well researched time and culture that was the perfect read for my Japan trip. I will also add that I really liked how, despite not really connecting to her, Oei’s story just had something compelling about it that made me want to keep on reading to find out what happened next even though the ending was a bit grim. These stories about women in history, if done right like this one could become a new favourite for me in the future as I feel this will be one of those books I enjoy more as time goes by. I so wish there were more non-western historical books out there…


Who I’d recommend this for

Recommend this I certainly will! Basically anyone who likes historical fiction and is tired of reading only about Europe or America. Also those who like feminist reads about women in history who are not well known and have been put aside in records simple for being female. Mind you this book is quite realistic so doesn’t have a fairy tale ending and it can be quite slow at points, but ultimately I think this book should be more well known.

[Ms.pegasus · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meticulous research has gone into this fictional memoir of Oei Katsushika, the shadowy artist-daughter of the famed Hokusai (1760-1849). His life spanned some 90 years and his works included the woodblock prints of the “Floating World,” the series “36 Views of Mount Fuji” and the “Great Wave off Kanagawa.” Some scholars believe much of the work attributed to Hokusai was actually done in part or in total by Oei. From these arguments, Govier has created an unconventional female character, talented but erased by both culture and history.

Govier wrestles with a number of dilemmas through her character. Given her talent, and the willing collaboration with her father, why didn't she sign her name to her own work, even after Hokusai's death. How did Oei feel about contact with the west, first with the Dutch and then, with the arrival of the American gunships? What compromises did she acquiesce to in pursuing the life of an artist over submitting to social conventions as a woman?

Accepting the credibility of a work of historical fiction is always subjective. A subtle combination of historical accuracy, locale, costume, attitudes, and diction sustain the mood. The problem is magnified when the historical setting is non-Western. That the main character is so radical a thinker was a further obstacle to be overcome. Oei no more blends into 19th century Japan than Georgia O'Keefe merged into the desert she inhabited. “I was the painter of intensity, not a native of that world,” Oei observes in painting the women of the Pleasure District.

For the first third of the book, I failed to feel that sense of historical immersion. The deference to male power and the observation that females were socially invisible seem overly precocious to be the thoughts of a young girl. It is only when Oei grows into adulthood that the story seems to develop a pulse. The family dynamic, her marriage, and her friendships as she ages are more expressive. My favorite part was the dual narrative between Oei and von Siebold. We experience their contrasting points of view instead of merely being told.

In many places, the writing failed to recreate the courtesan culture. Its simpering mannerisms and elaborate stylization failed to translate. Oei observes that styles change and women are forced to recreate themselves according to the current style. Again, the idea is there, but not the emotional force.

I felt bad about not liking this book. I wanted to. However, I'm glad that I read it because of the nonfictional elements. I'd heard of Hokusai. I'd never heard of Oei Katsushika, and her story deserves telling.

NOTES:
added 8/12/2020: Unusual analysis of Hokusai's 10th image in his "36 Views of Mt. Fuji" series. It is an essay that also highlights the theme of a changing world. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2...

[Janie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Big Wave, by the 19th century artist Hokusai, is perhaps the single most recognized Japanese work of art. The artist Hokusai was prolific and never satisfied with his work. He evolved his style continuously and painted until the end of his long life. Or did he? Govier’s book points to Oei, Hokusai’s unconventional daughter, as the real artist behind the masterpieces produced during the final years of her father’s life.

The Ghost Brush is the story of a woman lost to history, from an era and society when women were not allowed to claim a career or identity for themselves. Oei is unforgettable, driven to paint by her own talent, exasperated by her father’s eccentricity, bound to him by grudging admiration and love.

Set in 19th century Japan during the Edo period, the novel plunges us into a society whose rulers resist modernization; the Shogun issues new rules nearly every day to ban some activity or object they suspect might harm their citizen’s morals. With each new edict, artists and writers must find ways to outsmart the Shogun’s laws. It’s not simply a matter of free expression or wit – if an artist paints calendars for a living and calendars are suddenly outlawed, a family could starve. Oei’s family teeters constantly between poverty and starvation, not only because of the constantly changing laws that force Hokusai to find new ways to paint for money, but because Hokusai is useless when it comes to money. He scorns it, can’t manage it, won’t sell his paintings to people he doesn’t like. He’s not difficult, as Oei says. He’s impossible.

Father and daughter are bound to each other from the moment of her birth. She understands his talent like no one else, while he is perversely proud of her ugliness, her intelligence, her unconventional behaviour. Hokusai even takes along his little daughter when he visits the Yoshiwara, a licensed pleasure district of brothers, bars, and restaurants that is as much of a character as any of the humans in the novel. Govier submerges us in prose that unleashes dense images of a raucous, vulgar, and brilliant world.

It is in the Yoshiwara that they meet Shino, the noble-born courtesan, sold to a brothel by her husband for disobeying his orders. This bohemian world introduces us also to the playwright Sanba, who becomes Oei’s longtime lover, poets and painters, courtesans and a blind masseuse. During Hokusai’s spells of restlessness he takes her out of the city and they trudge country roads to fishing villages, to the sea and views of Mt. Fuji. There is even a foreign doctor from the Dutch East India Company who buys Hokusai’s paintings, a sale that puts the artist under suspicion from the Shogun’s spies.

But the story revolves around Hokusai and Oei, who becomes her father’s apprentice. She runs his studio, corrects his students’ work and finishes his paintings when he loses interest – so that she can sell them to support the family. Even after she realizes that Hokusai craves recognition for his art above all else and takes her loyalty for granted, she is bound to the tyranny of his genius.

I rank this novel as one of the best I’ve read in the last ten years. Oei is an amazing creation, a stubborn, talented woman born into a tightly-regulated society. She refuses to conform and manages to dodge censure until she tries to paint her way out of her father’s shadow.

But there’s more to the book than interesting relationships and memorable characters. Govier’s writing is stellar. How she manages to infuse her writing with so much vivid, sensory detail without mangling her sentences into overwrought heaps of prose is beyond me. You breathe in the smell of salted fish on sticks roasting over a charcoal hibachi, hear the high-pitched cries of vendors, feel the touch of snow released from a grey sky and watch the procession of courtesans stepping carefully through the streets between tenement houses built of wood and paper.

The Ghost Brush was pure pleasure from start to finish.

What I Learned About Writing from Reading This Book

I read and re-read the first 40 pages of The Ghost Brush. Granted, this is a literary novel and it’s not necessary to have a dead body in the first five pages or set a hero on his journey within the first chapter. We’ve all been told to set up conflict, tension, and a premise at the beginning because we need to ‘hook’ the reader. Govier does nothing of this sort and yet I’m riveted to the story, whatever it may turn out to be. I know I'm in good hands.

* There’s a brief first chapter where Oei’s ghost introduces herself and her father.
* In the next chapter, Oei is born. She describes her father, her family, her neighborhood.
* Next chapter, our view of her world widens out. More about her father, how he treats his family. We follow Oei and Hokusai through the Yoshiwara, meet new characters, learn more about Edo’s .
* Only in chapter four, when Shino the courtesan appears, do we see a key relationship and story thread developing.

Sure, Hokusai is a pretty entertaining character and Oei’s voice is wonderful: funny, ironic, blunt. But is it enough to keep me reading?

Finally, I think I’ve worked it out. Vignettes. I don't know what else to call them, but within each of these early chapters, Govier has written a series of vignettes that move us deeper into the world of the novel. Sometimes they are told as narrative, sometimes as scenes, or slices of life. Each vignette contains a story arc or two and reveals more about Oei’s circumstances. Each one layers on more tension until we understand that beneath the untidy glamour of the Yoshiwara, there runs an undercurrent of despair.

The bakufu, the feudal government of this era, is not merely oppressive and merciless. The law is a moving target that changes at the whim of the Shogun and his officials. They have spies everywhere.

Through the vignettes we realize that like nature, political danger is an omnipresent source of conflict. The characters deal with irrational edicts the way they would nature – they try to survive by skirting around the worst of it.

It takes a lot of storytelling skill, exceptional prose, and an interesting setting to pull off something like this. Kids, don’t try it at home! And if you do, make sure you have a good editor on your side! It’s going to be a while and a few more manuscripts before I feel competent enough to attempt anything like this. The Ghost Brush Katherine Govier

Katherine was gracious enough to let me interview her (read here)

[Staci · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every once in a while a book comes along that piques my interest enough for me to explore the characters further on my own time. This is one of those stories. Govier has taken real people and painted a life so vivid, so haunting that I felt the need to learn more about Hokusai and his daughter, Oei. At the beginning of the story I honestly had a hard time becoming engaged with the characters and I must admit to being quit turned off by the seedy underbelly of Edo (Tokyo). But as I was reading the story I started to Google the names of paintings and the two main characters. I probably spent about two hours looking at Hokusai's artwork online, reading more information about Oei and poring over the author's website. I can't begin to tell you how much that added to my overall experience and it actually answered a lot of questions I had in regards to courtesans, prostitution in nineteenth-century Japan, shoguns, print blocks, shunga (erotic pictures)/ and everyday life in the early 1800's Japan. I know many readers hesitate to read the Afterward first, but looking back on my experience I wish I would've done that before I started this book. I'm glad that I decided to do some research before moving on with the story. What touched me the most was the bond between father and daughter. They quite literally were married to each other. They spent every waking moment in each other's company and as Hokusai grew older, Oei took care of him when no one else could stand to be in his company. Their connection defied death and Oei's dedication to her father's memory was unprecedented. I also came away from this story with immense admiration for Oei's sense of self. She broke customs by being a more "manly" woman and defied authority on more than one occasion. She tried very hard to stay true to herself even though at times her great artwork was stamped as her father's. I stand in awe of the author's talent for research and how much time she spent acquiring information about Oei. She has woven a story that I am still thinking about today and her story has encouraged me to read more about Hokusai and Oei's legacy.

Recommend? I don't think this book is for everyone, but if you're remotely interested in Japan and its history, especially in regards to the artists that lived during the Edo period, then I would say you would find this to be a very good read. If you're like me and come into this book with no prior knowledge...well, it might fall short of your expectations. For me the saving grace was the information in the back of the book and spending some time doing homework. I might actually read it again just because now I "know" and I feel that the story will be a more cohesive read with those pieces that I didn't quite understand the first time around, dropping nicely into place.

[Steven Buechler · Rating 5 out of 5]

A complex and compelling story about art and 19th-Century Japan. A must read.

-Page 225
"Life, like art, is full of incident. Some people's more than others'.
My father's life, like his art was broad, scattered with figures, events, characters, exertion everywhere - up planks and up mountains, across rivers, on platforms - twinkling and never dull. There was no emphasis. Everything was in competition; anything could distract the eye. A little man at the edge of the paper carrying a bucket will be given his humorous face and his odd posture to amuse. And in the centre a woman bid her lover farewell. There were equal in importance. The whole place is buzzing. At any time, in any place, someone was putting out for the audience, and none of this merited his indifference.
But my life was not.
Not that way.
My life was like a painting on silk, intense but softened. It was a dark splatter of blood on an empty canvas. Examined carefully, it was not just a splash but a cluster - figures pushed together, too close, against each other. There figures are distinct, they are technical, they are dark and deeply impressed. But they float in space, mere space, empty space that makes the severe. Beyond my immediate world was emptiness. Great events and signs were absent for years on end. Then they all came at once."

[Cristina Lupu · Rating 4 out of 5]

ᖴIIᑕᗩ ᒪᑌI ᕼOKᑌᔕᗩI - KᗩTᕼEᖇIᑎE GOᐯIEᖇ

„Fiica lui Hokusai”  este un roman istoric captivant care explorează viața lui Oei, fiica talentată a renumitului pictor japonez Katsushika Hokusai. Cartea oferă o perspectivă detaliată asupra Japoniei secolului al XIX-lea, evidențiind provocările cu care se confruntau femeile artiste într-o societate dominată de bărbați.

Hokusai, supranumit,,Dickens al Japoniei", s-a născut într-o suburbie a orașului Edo in anul 1760 și a fost ucenic pe lângă șlefuitorul de oglinzi al shogunului pentru o perioadă de timp. La 47 de ani a devenit cel mai bine plătit artist din oraș.

O poveste emoționantă despre picturile ukiyo-e din perioada Edo, despre un mare pictor și, mai ales, despre povestea fiicei sale - Oei (cunoscută și sub numele de Katsushika Ōi sau Oei). Aceasta este o figură remarcabilă în istoria artei japoneze, deși adesea eclipsată de faima tatălui său. Era o artistă talentată, cunoscută pentru contribuția sa la ukiyo-e (arta tiparului japonez) și pentru colaborarea strânsă cu Hokusai în ultimii ani ai vieții acestuia. Abia în epoca modernă a început să primească atenția cuvenită ca artistă de sine stătătoare. În prezent, este privită ca un simbol al talentului ascuns al femeilor din epoca Edo, o reprezentare a luptei pentru recunoaștere într-o lume dominată de bărbați.

Autorul a realizat o cercetare detaliată, oferind autenticitate și credibilitate poveștii. Detaliile despre viața curtezanelor, ritualurile și normele sociale ale epocii sunt prezentate cu acuratețe.

Un roman despre condiția femeii în societatea tradițională japoneză, relația maestru-ucenic, sacrificiile necesare pentru artă și conflictul dintre datorie și dorință personală.
Recomand ♥️

Mai multe imagini și materiale sunt menționate de autoare pe site-ul theprintmakersdaughter.com

[Josée · Rating 5 out of 5]

La femme Hokusai, sous le couvert de la fiction, nous permet de découvrir sous toutes ses facettes complexes la fille du grand maître et également la construction du mythe, selon Govier. J'avais débuté la lecture du roman il y a deux ans, puis laissé tomber, pour finalement la reprendre en ce début d'année. J'ai vraiment beaucoup aimé ce livre. Je recommande.

Une femme de l'ombre parmi tant d'autres femmes à découvrir.

[Ilze · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stāsts filigrāni smalki ataino 19.gadsimta Japānu, kad viss brūk un mainās. Un tas ir tik krāsains, cik pati slavenā mākslinieka meita, pati būdama māksliniece ir šīs krāsas sajaukusi, kā sieviete būdama tā, ko ne rietumu, ne austrumu pasaule tai laikā neatzina.

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Printmaker's Daughter" is a book of considerable consternation. While the overall story of artists Hokusai and his daughter, Oei, is complex and interesting, it falls short somehow in this translation to novel.

As a subject of art history, theirs is a biographical tale that is fascinating. Finding out that an example of Oei's work is at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts especially captured my attention! ( I'm making tracks to see it when I go home to visit my children and grands.) It's also interesting to note via Ms Govier's biographical notes at the end of the book, that an American collector purchased many of the prints and had them put in a museum; then, by his will decreed that they could never be loaned: "the collection had been in storage for 100 years."

In this book, what seems to have happened in Ms Govier's elaboration in novel form is that she took the bones of the historical knowledge of Hukosai and Oei, and tried to reconstruct a story around those details. Often that's a good place to start; however, what resulted was a "term paperish" book that left out the essence of the people and the art you'd hope to find in a novel.

There are no real feelings engendered, no emotion truly felt and shown by way of the characterizations. None of the characters moved me at all. I felt a strict distance from them throughout this novel, despite the fact that there were several opportunities that could have been employed to enlist sympathy, empathy, and all sorts of identification in pain and love. There is a definite void of emotion in these very flat characters. It was as if I was getting a view of complete strangers and it stayed that way until the end with no insight into their real thoughts and feelings. Even the lovely and abused courtesan that Hokusai loved was left a blank slate of her true thoughts and agonies. And, what's more, I missed finer details of the landscape, temple convent and buildings! Extremely frustrating.

Now, how can this be true in contrast? I liked the story as it played out, and I believe that those who love novels of this oriental flavor will enjoy it for that reason. I enjoyed the fantasy of how Oei may have looked and acted with the courtesans and her father, and how she may have become the great artist many think she actually was. But I had to skim (which is antithetical to my reading spirit!) through long parts to get to that liking. I had to give up a lot of what I wanted and expected.

The book was too long and left too much out. That's a strange one... In terms of the descriptions of making art; painting on silk and printmaking in particular, we are completely left in the dark. I wanted to know the process, the artist's angst, the finding and connection with colors, the choices of engravers and printers and something about them, the type of paper used, etc. I wanted to know their reactions when the engraving didn't work out! There was so little about the artists' spirits and the compulsion to make art; what first inspired him and her. So much substance could have been included, but wasn't.

I was disappointed with a novel that had such promise in facts available. This is a story that could have had such an impact today not only with regard to women in general, but also with regard to the recognition of women artists; and women artists in Japan, in particular.

So much of the "red light district" of Koshiwara could have been described in exciting, lush detail; but wasn't. I was frustrated with that and with what was lost in the opportunity to capture my imagination with stories and better descriptions of the courtesans. They were shadow images...stick figures.

This book, then, is a mixed bag. I couldn't stop reading it because I wanted to know about the artists and of their lives and culture. And, yet, I felt disappointed that more wasn't made of Govier's author's license, her descriptive abilities and characterizations. On one hand I felt as if I were reading a bad art history thesis; and on the other, a novel that left me wanting more.

I do thank Ms Govier for adding the biographical section at the end of her book. Her notes on Hokusai being called the "Dickens of Japan," and that so many artists were inspired by his work; such as, Van Gogh, Picasso, Matisse, Monet, Toulousse-Lautrec, and Mary Cassat were of great interest and complemented her book. For musicians, I think it was good of her to note that Debussy was inspired to write "La Mer" by one of Hokusai's prints.

I also loved finding out that Oei's disappearance and death...place and time are an unsolved mystery. I thought Ms Govier's handling of that portion of her novel was excellent!


So, in conclusion, I leave the ultimate decision about this book to those of you, as I've said, who love novels of eastern cultures. Japan is a wonderful place to read about, with a culture that invites love and curiosity. You will find your itch for that scratched with "The Printmaker's Daughter." As for the rest, it's for you to decide whether it matters or not to you!

3 1/2 stars, sadly since I wanted to love this novel.

[Christina (A Reader of Fictions) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Drawn in by the pretty cover and the lure of Japan, I had little idea what to expect of this novel. Although the title suggests that the tale would be all about the relationship of a father and daughter, I did not really suspect that would be almost the entirety of what it was about. There is little romance. Mostly, this is a story of art and the family ties between these two.

Actually, given the romance there was, I am glad there was not more. The men Oei took up with were rather creepy, especially the first, a man of her father's years (and he was not young when she was born) seduced her when she was only fifteen. Not strange for that time period, but that does not make it any more okay to me now.

The sections that really came alive were those about the making of the art. The loving discussion of the colors and the lines were touching, even for one, like me, who does not have an artistic bone in her body when it comes to painting, drawing, etc. Oei is a very strong woman, although not when confronted with her father, and she has more skill than most artists, even perhaps her lauded father.

In library school, we discussed at one point the legitimacy of someone from outside a culture trying to write a book about that culture. I don't really know how I feel about that, but I think Govier has likely done a fantastic job. Her mass of research is evident from her Afterword, which goes into detail on why she wrote the novel and the historical basis for her suppositions.

I never really got swept away by this. Despite Oei's strength, I had trouble relating to her and her decisions. There are certainly good things here, but this was not a perfect choice for me.

[EJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

The American slang for the geishas was a bit hard to take but once they were out of the story, loved learning about Hokusai and daughter.

[Wendy Darling]

Seriously?

[Melody Schreiber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oei is a painter in her father’s studio, his oldest and most faithful disciple. Her father, Hokusai, is a famed artist throughout Edo, and his influence is reaching other parts of Japan as well. Despite the shogun’s censorship of art and free speech, Hokusai’s work only grows in popularity, and he even sells his art to the Dutch traders who are allowed limited engagement with Japan.

From the day she was born, her mother—Hokusai’s second wife—gave Oei up to her father, and the two became a pair. As Oei grows older, she becomes more and more like her father, and as the old man’s fame increases, he depends upon her steady hand and eye for vibrant color—though he rarely acknowledges their symbiotic relationship. The charismatic Hokusai claims Oei’s talent as his own even as it begins to take on its own life and outshine the old man’s famous style, and Oei submits to him out of duty.

Hokusai is eccentric, to say the least. After his second wife dies and he is gripped by palsy, Hokusai depends upon Oei to support him. “Suddenly he was all I had, and I was all he had,” she says. Her support of him is physical, emotional, and artistic, and it leaves Oei no time to branch out on her own. Such independence would be a betrayal. Hokusai’s life improbably stretches twice the length of the average Japanese man of his times, but after the old man’s eventual death, Oei is offered a chance to claim her many works under Hokusai’s name. Will she leap at the chance for greatness, or will she continue on as a ghost brush?

One of the most interesting aspects of the book is the unstoppable influx of foreigners into a closed Japan. As Oei ages and becomes more and more independent, the world seems to be opening up to her. “My old life and its people were becoming relics,” she comments. “A new world was advancing on us.”

The author explains in the afterword that she first became interested on Oei—“the ghost brush”—after seeing an exhibition of Hokusai’s many works in D.C.’s Freer Gallery of Art. Comparing his works side by side, it becomes apparent, she writes, that the painter known as Hokusai could not have done this alone. Especially not the final painting, said to have been completed in his eighty-ninth year, with fine details and a total departure from the old man’s style.

She writes, “I knew then that no matter how difficult it would be for an amateur and a non-speaker of Japanese to crack this world, I would write the story.” Employing short, staccato sentences for much of the book, Govier explores what Oei’s life might have been like. Govier appears to have done her research into the fascinating theory that there were two artists painting under the seal and signature of Hokusai.

But a theory a story does not make. I need conflict, I need shape, I need to feel that this is story and it is going somewhere. Instead, we see a woman’s life stretch and meander over six decades as she grapples with her and her father’s identities as artists. That’s a cool idea, but where is the rising action, the climax?

Anything would have spiced up the narrative. Without conflict, without that certain sense of something about to happen, there can be no true tension. Any tension feels fabricated, false, unsupported. The only tension I could find was Oei’s struggle to find herself and to be true to that self. That’s a nice theme, but you can’t tell a story about themes.

The best part about the book is the end. That sounds cheeky, but it’s true. At the end, Oei’s life as a painter and, therefore, a kind of historian/storyteller culminates in the ultimate ghost story: the story of the ghost painter, the woman who was hidden from history but whose art lives on. A great idea, but one that could have been refined and shaped into a more compact and powerful story.

For a full review, visit my book review blog, Melody & Words!

[Nicolas Lontel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ghost brush est une fiction historique sur la peintre Oei Hokusai d'abord connue pour être la fille du peintre Hokusai (celui connu pour avoir peint La Grande Vague de Kanagawa) avant de l'être pour son propre travail. Malheureusement devrait-on dire puisqu'il est aussi époustouflant que celui de son père et a même peint une partie des oeuvres signées du "maître". Son travail, comme sa vie, est toutefois très inséparable de celui de son père, autant de par le travail artistique de par la passion des deux à la peinture, le partage de la maison, des commandes, devant la censure (bien que les deux pouvaient réagir différemment face à celle-ci).

Ce livre est une fiction, il extrapole, imagine des tonnes de dialogues, de situations, de personnages, bien qu'il est définitivement ancrée dans une réalité dépeinte au possible, que ce soit les peintures qu'Oei peignait à la place de son père, la maladie, l'immense intérêt que portait l'occident au travail d'Hokusai qui les mettaient dans une dangereuse position sociale, etc.

L'autrice imagine aussi une Oei très féministe à plusieurs égards, non seulement quand aux réactions au milieu dans lequel elle évolue, mais aussi quand elle confronte les occidentaux sur leur conception de la femme alors qu'elle discute de Shakespeare avec eux et qu'elle s'imaginait que ce dernier avait une fille qui l'aidait dans l'écriture de ses pièces. Cette idée provoque l'hilarité chez les occidentaux et ils ridiculisent l'idée qu'une femme eut pu écrire aux côtés ou même avec Shakespeare, sans jamais réaliser le travail d'Oei dans les toiles signées Hokusai. (Cette discussion est clairement inspirée par la proposition de la sœur de Shakespeare de Virginia Woolf). Autre aspect très intéressant est l'exploration des bordels par Oei qui apparaît non seulement normal, mais dont les travailleuses vont faire intégralement parti de la vie et de l'oeuvre des artistes père et filles. Je crois que ce thème d'une jeune fille qui accompagne son père dans de tels lieux (pour peindre) est définitivement soit inexistant ou alors très très peu discuté et la, relative, banalité avec laquelle la fille en bas âge lors des premières visites est certainement intéressante en soi.

Évidemment, Govier aborde d'autres aspects dont la place des femmes à l'ère Edo, la jalousie/envie/incompréhension du reste de la famille quand au métier d'Oei, sa propre mise en danger à être artiste en tant que femmes, son refus de la domesticité, etc.

Il y a des longueurs, je ne le nierais pas, ça m'a certainement pris plus longtemps que d'habitude à lire, mais dans son ensemble, c'est un livre fascinant qu'il était souvent dur de poser et on a tellement l'impression de rentrer un monde, tout aussi fictif soit-il, ne vraiment pas prendre tout pour du cash!

L'ajout d'une postface qui parle de la découverte de Oei Hokusai par l'autrice et l'état de la recherche et de l'authentification des toiles d'Hokusai à l'époque (un peu moins d'une dizaine d'année) apporte un éclairage très intéressant sur la fiction, les théories de l'autrice, ce qu'elle a essayé de mettre en scène, mais aussi la nécessité de s'interroger sur les oeuvres des grands maîtres ce que, pour certains, semblent s'aveugler à ne pas ôter à Hokusai (père) pour ne pas "ôter de la valeur" à certaines oeuvre. À lire avant ou après, les deux éclaireront l'oeuvre différemment.

[Beth Dawkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oei is the daughter of the famous artist, Hokusai. It is about their life and art in the Edo period of Japan.

This is a historical fiction on the events of Oei’s life. From the time of her birth she has a kinship with her father who is eccentric, and often times called mad. The start of the story has Oei growing up around the entertainment part of town. They meet Shino, a daughter of a noble, who treated her husband badly and was sent to live as a prostitute. Women didn’t have much of a say in their lives at the time. They were owned by their husbands or fathers. Oei has a mother/sister relationship with Shino, and her father has a relationship with Shino that might have been lovers. It is a very interesting look into the world. Her father spends his time sketching, and dodging the censors.

By the time Oei has her first lover she is helping her father mix colors, and developing her skill as an artist. Instead of the company of her mother and sisters, she is around her father and his artistic friends. She is not a proper woman of the time, and is described as manly to others, but she gives me the impression of a strong woman. She quickly goes from mixing paints to finishing full works for her father. He is a long lived man, who develops problems that keep him from finishing work. He is also obsessed with his own immortality. The same subject becomes a question in Oei’s life. Does she want the same for herself? Is she a better artist than her father? A bigger problem is society, which might be why the truth about her has faded.

I didn’t know a thing about Oei’s father before reading this, but since looked up his works. This book is based on the belief that some of Hokusai’s work (especially in his later years) is actually Oei’s. At the end of the book it gives historical facts, and seems like a very strong debate that not all Hokusai’s works are his.

The story itself is a story of Oei’s life. She changes, and grows throughout the story. Her voice is very strong once she gets into her twenties, and towards the rest of her life. The prose becomes very beautiful as the story goes on. Is it odd to think that in a time when women were extremely subservient that one might not be? I don’t think so, depending on her family life, and what she was allowed.

Despite the nice historical notes at the end, the story by itself is nice. It makes me want to see the images described. Oei was a character I grew to admire, and will stay with me. The prose at first felt broken, but later started to even out. It changes between very beautiful and thought provoking, to simplistic. It is a nice view into what Japan might have been like (Please note, I am not a historian, and I know almost nothing about Edo Japan.). I was attracted to it because it involved art, and like books I believe a piece of art can take the viewer somewhere else. If you are a fan of art, historical fiction, or want a strong female lead, you might really enjoy this one.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pulling from history, and adding it's own spin, The Printmaker's Daughter tells the story of Ei Katsushika, the third daughter of Hokusai Katsushika. For those of you who may be fans of Japanese art, or of their rich history, this name will ring a bell. Hokusai was a famous artist at the end of an era. A man who openly and vibrantly put his feelings down into his paintings. Faced with censorship and hardship, Hokusai was a man shrouded in much mystery. The Printmaker's Daughter takes what is known to be fact, and mixes it gorgeously with a fictional story.

In the beginning, Ei is shown as the favorite of her father. She is afforded a freedom that most women didn't have at this time. Galavanting around town, meeting people from all different walks of life, and even being allowed to attend places that children weren't technically allowed to go. Ei's ability to slip unnoticed into these places allows the reader to get a through glimpse at what life was like for the common people during this time. I thought it was truly brilliant how much Ei is allowed to experience, and therefore how much the reader is as well.

As Ei gets older, Katherine Govier really shows the truth behind this young girl's life. The reader follows as Ei tries to make a place in the world for herself. Constantly belittled by her father and told she is nothing, it is her strength that really drew me in. Until her dying breath, she faced the world head on and did what she felt was right for her. In fact, all the characters in this story are strong and wonderfully written. The first person narrative is beautifully done, and it is very easy to become immersed in this story.

The Printmaker's Daughter is hauntingly beautiful and well written. The vivid characters bring the story to life, and really were what kept me reading on. If I had one complaint, it would be that there were times when Ei's story became a little heavy in the historical descriptions. However, considering the topic, it makes perfect sense. I'm simply not a reader who often delves into Historical Fiction, so it was a different read for me. The discussion at the end of the book ties everything together, and definitely answered all the questions I had left upon finishing this intriguing book.

If you are a reader who enjoys historical fiction, this is a book that you will fall in love with. I definitely recommend Katherine Govier's The Printmaker's Daughter and look forward to more from this author.

[Bookaholic]

Fiica lui Hokusai, de Katherine Govier este una dintre cărțile care desfac istoria oficială și o cercetează maniacal, din cît mai multe unghiuri, pentru a înțelege de ce anumite figuri au ajuns canonice, iar altele, deși ar fi avut aceleași merite, abia ocupă o margine sau nici măcar atît.

În cazul de față, personajul istoric căruia scriitoarea canadiana Katherine Govier încearcă să-i facă dreptate este pictorița Oei, fiica lui Hokusai, despre al cărei talent se spune că l-ar fi depășit chiar pe al tatălui, autorul celebrelor stampe prin care Occidentul începea să cunoscă și apoi să fie hipnotizat de lumea niponă. Cartea este scrisă din punctul de vedere al lui Oei, iar ca tonalitate, oscilează între atașament, respect și iubire necondiționată pentru tatăl ei, și revoltă în fața pornirilor lui narcisite și a lipsei de generozitate, artistică și emoțioanlă, care o rănea, de multe ori.

Oei era fiica preferată a lui Hokusai. L-a ajutat de mică în atelier, i-a fost complice în tot felul de încurcături, ținînd ascunse de familie inclusiv escapade amoroase ale pictorului, a învățat de la el meșteșugul picturii și a ajuns să aibă la rîndul ei ucenici. Parte din lucrările lui Hokusai au fost făcute și cu aportul ei, cum se întîmpla de foarte multe ori în ateliere, cînd ucenicii pictează porțiuni bune din tablourile maeștrilor. Astea sunt lucruri ceva mai cunoscute, cel puțin de cei care s-au interesat sau se interesează de opera lui Hokusai și inclusiv de viața lui personală. Este aproape imposibil să ajungi la opera și la viața lui Oei pe altă filieră.

Romanul stufos și ticsit de detalii pe care l-a scris Katherine Govier îi face lui Oei un portret dinamic, foarte credibil, problematizînd, cu bătaie mai lungă, statutul femeilor-artiste în Japonia, dar nu numai. Viața lui Oei e descrisă pe fundalul instabil al unei epoci de transformări majore în viața societății japoneze, în care forțele conservatoare, care voiau să mențină Japonia închisă, se înfruntă cu o insurgență tot mai greu de controlat. Cea mai mare parte din acțiunea romanului se desfășoară la Edo, dar cum Oei și tatăl ei își schimbă de nenumărate ori domiciliul (fie fugînd de datorii, fie de mîna lungă a cenzurii, cu care nu era de glumă), se perindă prin fața cititorului fel de fel de peisaje și de personaje. (continuarea cronicii: http://www.bookaholic.ro/fiica-lui-ho...)

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure I would have read this book a year ago but 2017 turned out to be a bit of a Hokusai year for me in a small way. Or rather in a very large way having spent a short holiday in a house which had The Great Wave as a rather startling mural. I later went to see an 'Exhibition on Screen' as much because I was intrigued to see how that would work as because it was about Hokusai in particular. It was as part of that screening that I heard about Hokusai's daughter Ei and her significance and about their remarkable life together, including the impact of a grandchild's debts.

So I was delighted to be given The Ghost Brush and to follow Katherine Govier's fictional expansion on what little is known about her life and work. It's unfortunate the website associated with the book seems to have disappeared as an easy visual reference to the paintings would have enhanced the experience. What I really enjoyed about the book is that it is a much bigger and more nuanced story than the blurbs would have you think. Inevitably, it is about the unenviable position of women at that time in place in history and how this led to the 'airbrushing' out of Ei's role and work. Govier doesn't seem to labour her tale of human relationships and artistic imperatives with too much exposition on early 19th Century Japan but the novel is sprinkled with jewel-like levels of detail.

Govier depicts Ei as fundamentally her own woman from birth, where she is not her father's daughter. She's described as striking looking and her father's comments on her appearance perhaps serve to consolidate a self-image which fosters a level of non-compliance. She is her father's companion and assistant, she runs the studio and teaches students, but other than shopping, she has no sense of duty towards the domestic arts. She has interesting relationships with men whilst observing other very different male-female relationships: from the irritable marriage between her mother and father to the circumstances of all the different grades of prostitution. The political backdrop is fascinating: the ever shifting, wrong-footing oppressive regime and the ultimately irresistible West, and lends a constant atmosphere of peril to the novel.

Best of all is the beautiful, ugly, painful depiction of a father-daughter relationship in later years - the choices she makes, the rapid flip-flops of disgust, hate, amusement and love... and then what she does after Hokusai's eventual death.

[Dorothy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm looking forward to this book as I have an interest in Oriental painting, and in Japanese culture.

I was surprised to find that I didn't add to this review after finishing this book over a year ago. I loved the book and told many of my friends about it so perhaps I thought that I had done enough reviewing.

So yes...this is one of my favourite books of all time. As I mentioned above I study Chinese Brush Painting, and it is closely related to Japanese art so when I was given this book as a birthday gift I was delighted.

The book is about Hokusai, the famous Japanese artist who did the iconic paintings of Mt Fuji and "the Wave" which we all associate with Japanese art. More correctly speaking, the book is about Hokusai's daughter, Oei, who is not typical for women of her age. She did marry but divorced her husband and returned home to become her father's apprentice and helper.

The book is very well researched and the description of life in Edo at the time is fascinating. Oei led a very unusual life for a woman of the time and met with other artists and poets in the 'red light' areas of the city where respectable women would not go. I was surprised to learn that fast food is not new...the poor in Edo did not have cooking facilities so went to the market to buy their food ready cooked for them. I was also interested in the way in which Hokusai taught his disciples and the amount of work that his daughter did for him. Also interesting was the contact she had with the Dutch traders who were the only foreign nation permitted to trade with Japan at that time. It was through them that Hokusai's work became known in the west. Since reading this book, I have read David Mitchell's The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet which gives more information about the Dutch in Japan at this time.

The book is accompanied by a really good web-site with pictures of the artwork of both Hokusai and Oei. I understand the paperback edition is coming out shortly. I highly recommend this book.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

On the latest leg of my journey rereading novels of my favourite authors, I pulled Katherine Govier’s “The Ghost Brush” off my bookshelf. I should state that Govier was the instructor in the 4th year, fiction workshop when I did my Creative Writing Degree at York University many years ago. I have been a devotee of her works for many years.

“The Ghost Brush” takes us back to 19th Century Japan – a time when the arts flourished despite a political regime that censured it at every step. It tells the story of Oei, daughter of the great Japanese printmaker Hokusai, who was harnessed, arguably enslaved, to her father’s desire to pursue artistic perfection and achieve greatness. Oei is ignored in historical records, but Govier reveals that she was a great artist in her own right.

As with many of Govier’s works, “The Ghost Brush” is a product of exhaustive historical research combined with Govier’s penetrating artistic insight and imagination. It recreates 19th Century Japan on the page and explores several complex themes: how artists can be wholly consumed by their art, the price that such obsession can exact, the oppressed role of women in Japanese society of that time and the cost of refusing to play by society’s rules.

Underlying the whole narrative is the nature of love between a father and daughter who are both artists – at times fierce, tender, resentful and sacrificial.

“The Ghost Brush” is every bit as compelling a read the second time around.

[Autumn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a ghost.

I am a shadow.

I am a woman.

I am an artist.

I am Oei.


A well written and well researched fictional autobiography of great Japanese artist Hokusai's (Most famous painting "The Great Wave") daughter and apprentice Oei. Not much is known about Oei though it is known she had great artistic talents like her father. This book explored Oei's interesting character, complex relationships as a unique woman and the regulations enforced to avoid self expression in nineteenth century Edo, Japan. I loved the lyrical writing style and bold self aware voice of Oei because it seemed fitting for a story about an artist trying to conquer over the ordinary and maintain what was at that time a dangerous profession (especially for a female artist.) I felt sometimes the story paused too long in Oei's leisure and travels, taking the focus away from Oei's unique character and the political state for all artists, but overall I found this book quite an achievement. There were speculations about Oei's life pertaining to her published art and circumstances in her death that were interesting. It is a novel written with passion. The facts/research given in the afterword are also fascinating.


*Note: I won this novel on firstreads and am happy that I had the chance to read it. Recommended to all, especially those interested in nineteenth-century Japanese art.

[Alarie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This year I’ve read several novels on a theme: women authors and artists who lived in times and places when they had to hide their identities or pose as men to practice their craft. History has buried most of them. The printmaker’s daughter is Oei, daughter of the most renowned Japanese artist Hokusai. Even if you don’t recognize his name, you know his prints of waves that inspired Debussy to compose La Mer.

Oei, born in 1800, was Hokusai's most gifted apprentice. He began training her at a young age. Art historians are beginning to understand that much of the work attributed to him, especially in his old age (he lived to 88) was her work. I love stories of these women’s courage, dedication to craft, and willingness to ignore the naysayers. I’m surprised I didn’t enjoy this book more, perhaps because women, artists, and writers all had such a hard life under the whims of the shoguns. Diary of a Geisha already told me more about geisha life than I wanted to know, but reviewing those atrocities was central to this book. Nevertheless, this was a good account of Japanese life in the early to mid-1800s, recounting the eventual opening of the country to Western trade, which allowed Japanese art to influence many Western artists, including the French Impressionists and those after them.

[Shruti morethanmylupus · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had mixed feelings about this book. I picked it up because it was supposed to be like The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet , which I also enjoyed.

The sections about the art were basically the saving grace for me in this book. The pictures are beautifully described - and the discussion of how she draws the lines is lovely. Oei is a strong woman who, perhaps through bad luck of inopportune circumstances or perhaps through bad decisions or some mixture thereof, falls in with bad men who can't or won't love her. I guess what I really liked about this book was the contrast between how Oei seems to think her father thinks of her and the reality of her life that is shown as she grows up. I didn't know anything about Hokusai Katsushika, who was a real-life famous Japanese artist whose life was shrouded in mystery as much as it was riddled by controversy. I liked learning about him a litle more.

I would have given it 4 stars, but I just couldn't get into the writing style.

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oops, I finished this at least a week ago but apparently didn't review it, so this will be brief. It took me a little while to warm up to this book, but once I got into it I really enjoyed it. This is the story of Oei, the daughter of a celebrated Japanese artist of the 19th century -- real people, both. Oei trains beside her father and eventually takes over running his studio. Govier does a lovely job of showing us Oei's life, and how the social and historical pressures of the time shaped it. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. There was a big section at the back discussing how Govier found out about Oei, and then going into the research she did I didn't finish that but appreciated knowing how much research went into the work.

[Stil de scriitor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Iubesc cărțile din colecția Raftul Denisei de la Editura Humanitas și sunt de fiecare dată extrem de bucuroasă când descopăr un nou titlu. Ca în cazul multor cărți, nu știam prea bine care e subiectul cărții, ci am preferat să mă cufund cu totul în lectură. Lectura însă nu a fost punctul meu forte în ultimele săptămână, având un examen important la mijloc, așa că am citit cât am reușit. În linii mari, mi-a plăcut cartea și m-a impresionat în mod special stilul cărții.

http://stildescriitor.ro/blog/2019/07...

[Ruthie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nowhere near as good as Three Views of Crystal Water, this is the story of the daughter of a renowned Japanese artist. She is an artist in her own right and to this day there are many questions about which existing works are hers and which are her father's. An interesting view of life in Japan under the rule of the Shoguns.

[Marion Lougheed · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best books I've ever read. Based on a true story. The daughter of a famous Japanese artist did most of the work in her father's later years, but he continued to get the credit. Katherine Govier evokes the time and place with rich detail and vivid experiential prose. The writing is beautiful. The main character is fascinating. The world is riveting. Read this now.