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Brrm! Brrm!
A hilarious send-up of East-West relations from a celebrated British talk-show host/writer. An ambitious Japanese intellectual moves to London, but acquiring a "cosmopolitan ease" becomes difficult when he falls for a punked-out vamp and instigates a brawl that produces the headline "Jap Rambo Goes Bananas".
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First published January 1, 1991
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About the author
Clive James
94 books289 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
An expatriate Australian broadcast personality and author of cultural criticism, memoir, fiction, travelogue and poetry. Translator of Dante.
An expatriate Australian broadcast personality and author of cultural criticism, memoir, fiction, travelogue and poetry. Translator of Dante.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
April 12, 2017
This was a fun read. Definitely of its time, there are some parts that might shock readers today. But what the book did really successfully, was turn xenophobia on its head and show us racist 90s London from the perspective of a Japanese man. I really hope the experience for foreigners is better now. (One can only hope).
I thought this was a really well-written book with a great balance of comedy and sadness. The plot was silly, and so were the characters, but I always felt like this was meant to be. The last page filled me with a sense of nostalgic melancholy which I still feel writing this review.
Here were some nice parts:
So why did he feel, when the tube train pulled in, that it had come specifically to run him over? Perhaps it was because he had discovered the hidden cost of adventure, which is to alter the man who wished for it, so that the expanded horizon is seen only by someone else with the same name.
Though volcanic flames flickered in the distance and thin shafts of light transgressed the infernally writhing gloom at unexpected angles, he could see almost nothing except her face, and then lost sight even of that as she clasped him tightly and shouted in his ear.
I thought this was a really well-written book with a great balance of comedy and sadness. The plot was silly, and so were the characters, but I always felt like this was meant to be. The last page filled me with a sense of nostalgic melancholy which I still feel writing this review.
Here were some nice parts:
So why did he feel, when the tube train pulled in, that it had come specifically to run him over? Perhaps it was because he had discovered the hidden cost of adventure, which is to alter the man who wished for it, so that the expanded horizon is seen only by someone else with the same name.
Though volcanic flames flickered in the distance and thin shafts of light transgressed the infernally writhing gloom at unexpected angles, he could see almost nothing except her face, and then lost sight even of that as she clasped him tightly and shouted in his ear.
December 15, 2018
Niet helemaal uitgelezen, na 100 blz kon ik niet meer. Achterhaald, flauw en goedkoop, zo voelt dit boek.
September 28, 2015
"Japanese classical instrumentation was so sparse and pure that he, who was no musician, could almost tell if a shamisen was played in sunlight or shadow."
"In Japan he had lived out scenes from an early nineteenth-century English novel. Life in Tokyo was like a pump room in Bath and life in London was like a game of SF porno pin-ball in Shinjuku."
"He had looked 'cynosure' up, and then found that nobody who spoke English as a native language had ever done the same."
"'And Ted Rochester tells me you're the hottest Jap literary prospect since that mad poofter with the motorbike who cut the Emperor's head off,"
"In Japan he had lived out scenes from an early nineteenth-century English novel. Life in Tokyo was like a pump room in Bath and life in London was like a game of SF porno pin-ball in Shinjuku."
"He had looked 'cynosure' up, and then found that nobody who spoke English as a native language had ever done the same."
"'And Ted Rochester tells me you're the hottest Jap literary prospect since that mad poofter with the motorbike who cut the Emperor's head off,"
December 15, 2011
A.k.a. The Man From Japan.
A young Japanese man in London, Suzuki, is beset on all sides by the west, from its drug-addled, racist chaos to its glossy, phony high society. He beds women, fights, and watches with bewildered, mild dismay as his heretofore perfectly ordered, delicate Japanese life come crashing down. It’s a funny book, erudite and clever, and it has a few sharp insights to Japanese culture to boot. And it all ends happily, of course. A fun read indeed, a modern “Candide.”
A young Japanese man in London, Suzuki, is beset on all sides by the west, from its drug-addled, racist chaos to its glossy, phony high society. He beds women, fights, and watches with bewildered, mild dismay as his heretofore perfectly ordered, delicate Japanese life come crashing down. It’s a funny book, erudite and clever, and it has a few sharp insights to Japanese culture to boot. And it all ends happily, of course. A fun read indeed, a modern “Candide.”
January 3, 2023
1991. I used to find Robin Williams humorous. In some ways his old routines still make me laugh. However many aspects are now considered, and rightly, inappropriate or non pc. The stereotyping here in this book by Clive James was unfortunate for a modern reader.
December 22, 2023
Clive James' literary output was legendary. A true man of letters, his work included all manner of texts. One of his less celebrated books is this novel Brrm! Brrm!, and perhaps its lack of recognition is an injustice. Straddling several genres, including social satire, the 'fish out of water' story, a picaresque Bildungsroman, and a fictional musing on how no matter how hard we try we cannot truly understand the 'other', this is a worthy contribution to near contemporary Anglo-British literature. Whilst not a great novel, and I suspect one that James produced as something like a bagatelle (as opposed to his other more weighty poetic tomes), Brrm! Brrm! still deserves reading.
The protagonist of the novel, Akira Suzuki, is a likeable Japanese young mannaif trying to negotiate his way through the complexities of the English language and the ultimate English metropolis, London. Intensely cerebral, both in terms of his desire to understand all that is going on around him, as well as his desire to express himself through his writing, he is familiar enough with the ways of those around him to not quite understand what he is experiencing. It is this delicate balancing act of comprehension and alienation that forms a key thematic construct for the text. Brrm! Brrm! has the reader looking on Suzuki as alien and alienated, and as we endeavour to sustain our own understanding of him (and he is a rather likeable character) the reader becomes aware of how often incomprehension is our response to the world as well.
James puts Suzuki into some rather comic situations revolving around his intense relationship with a self-destructive and vulgar young woman who calls her Jane Austen. It is the interactions between Jane and Akira that lead him into even more disturbing situations. He becomes the somewhat unwilling sexual partner of his landlady, Mrs Thelwell, finds himself drawn inexorably into the circle of Greco-Australian magnate Sir Ernest "Greek Ern" Papadakis and his beauteous lover Lillian Pflimmin, and continually asks his co-mentor in language and culture, the gay journalist Rochester-san, for some form of guidance. As Suzuki's sexual experiences with Jane, Mrs Thelwell and Lillian blossom he becomes less and less anchored in his Japanese identity, and more and more swept up in the chaos of the world of his English lovers. He is lost in so many ways as his desires and those who encourage them sweep him up in their inexorable cultural, linguistic, emotional and artistic tide.
Brrm! Brrm! is a rewarding novel is that James is not only able to balance the popular with the erudite in his narrative, he also endows his story with a well-proportioned mixture of lightness and heaviness in tone. He is definitely using his lead characters to make some intriguing and intelligent comments about life, and when James wants the reader to dive deeper into these issues he instils his tale with an earnestness that is complex and provocative. Then, when one thinks that this is a potentially dark novel, he lets the comic light in and gives the reader a chance to smile or at least muse positively on what they've read.
I'm not too sure about those passages in the novel where James describes the sexual acts of Akira and his English lovers. They are neither too graphic nor too vague in their descriptiveness, and whilst they definitely are effective in showing the reader how captivated Akira is by the lusts he shares with Jane and to a lesser extent Lillian, they also create a slight sense of discomfort. Perhaps that is how James wants us to respond; he is putting us in Suzuki's place as being somewhat distured by what he experiences in bed with these women.
Brrm! Brrm! is replete with plenty of pop culture references, including a very meta moment where James talks about himself in the third person. It is also choc-a-bloc with Japanese cultural and social references, and whilst it is hard to know how truthful or accurate James' renditions of these are, they combine to form a rather convincing construction of what a Japanese identity might be. It would be interesting to see what Japanese reviewers thought of Brrm! Brrm!.
So, why read this book? First off, this is a relatively brief novel that can be digested rather readily, whilst also offering more meaning and more insights that it's length might suggest. The characters are interesting and for the most part sympathetic, with Akira definitely someone the reader will enjoy. As noted there is a deft touch shown by the author in his combination of the serious and the comic, the erudite and the facile. Finally, Clive James, even in such a relatively brief novel, writes with intelligence, humour and a desire to explore the human experience. He was a key figure in Australian and British culture and since we have lost him it is through his books that we can still keep in touch with his genius. Brrm! Brrm! may not be a classic, but it is still a very solid read for those who want substantive popular fiction.
The protagonist of the novel, Akira Suzuki, is a likeable Japanese young mannaif trying to negotiate his way through the complexities of the English language and the ultimate English metropolis, London. Intensely cerebral, both in terms of his desire to understand all that is going on around him, as well as his desire to express himself through his writing, he is familiar enough with the ways of those around him to not quite understand what he is experiencing. It is this delicate balancing act of comprehension and alienation that forms a key thematic construct for the text. Brrm! Brrm! has the reader looking on Suzuki as alien and alienated, and as we endeavour to sustain our own understanding of him (and he is a rather likeable character) the reader becomes aware of how often incomprehension is our response to the world as well.
James puts Suzuki into some rather comic situations revolving around his intense relationship with a self-destructive and vulgar young woman who calls her Jane Austen. It is the interactions between Jane and Akira that lead him into even more disturbing situations. He becomes the somewhat unwilling sexual partner of his landlady, Mrs Thelwell, finds himself drawn inexorably into the circle of Greco-Australian magnate Sir Ernest "Greek Ern" Papadakis and his beauteous lover Lillian Pflimmin, and continually asks his co-mentor in language and culture, the gay journalist Rochester-san, for some form of guidance. As Suzuki's sexual experiences with Jane, Mrs Thelwell and Lillian blossom he becomes less and less anchored in his Japanese identity, and more and more swept up in the chaos of the world of his English lovers. He is lost in so many ways as his desires and those who encourage them sweep him up in their inexorable cultural, linguistic, emotional and artistic tide.
Brrm! Brrm! is a rewarding novel is that James is not only able to balance the popular with the erudite in his narrative, he also endows his story with a well-proportioned mixture of lightness and heaviness in tone. He is definitely using his lead characters to make some intriguing and intelligent comments about life, and when James wants the reader to dive deeper into these issues he instils his tale with an earnestness that is complex and provocative. Then, when one thinks that this is a potentially dark novel, he lets the comic light in and gives the reader a chance to smile or at least muse positively on what they've read.
I'm not too sure about those passages in the novel where James describes the sexual acts of Akira and his English lovers. They are neither too graphic nor too vague in their descriptiveness, and whilst they definitely are effective in showing the reader how captivated Akira is by the lusts he shares with Jane and to a lesser extent Lillian, they also create a slight sense of discomfort. Perhaps that is how James wants us to respond; he is putting us in Suzuki's place as being somewhat distured by what he experiences in bed with these women.
Brrm! Brrm! is replete with plenty of pop culture references, including a very meta moment where James talks about himself in the third person. It is also choc-a-bloc with Japanese cultural and social references, and whilst it is hard to know how truthful or accurate James' renditions of these are, they combine to form a rather convincing construction of what a Japanese identity might be. It would be interesting to see what Japanese reviewers thought of Brrm! Brrm!.
So, why read this book? First off, this is a relatively brief novel that can be digested rather readily, whilst also offering more meaning and more insights that it's length might suggest. The characters are interesting and for the most part sympathetic, with Akira definitely someone the reader will enjoy. As noted there is a deft touch shown by the author in his combination of the serious and the comic, the erudite and the facile. Finally, Clive James, even in such a relatively brief novel, writes with intelligence, humour and a desire to explore the human experience. He was a key figure in Australian and British culture and since we have lost him it is through his books that we can still keep in touch with his genius. Brrm! Brrm! may not be a classic, but it is still a very solid read for those who want substantive popular fiction.
January 9, 2026
Clive James trying to knowingly do a Jilly Cooper, but his Japanese hero comes across as racist to a modern reader (and I suspect to a Japanese reader at the time). Yes it had flashes of brilliant writing but the many pop references made it only just understandable to this reader, and I suspect they will be completely lost on anyone younger.
December 31, 2017
was ok.
October 15, 2020
Why did I read it ?? Travelling in Central America and I picked it up in Guatemala Guest House .So I read it . It’s ok.
November 24, 2020
Perfectly Clive.
November 27, 2020
A funny and charming little story. I enjoyed the Clive James show many moons ago and recalled his deadpan voice, his particular inflections and pauses, narrating the novel in my head.
May 7, 2021
A hot-blooded young Japanese man in London. Typical C;ive James (and that's a compliment)
September 16, 2021
I was a big fan of Clive James, but this short book, although witty and sharp, seems very dated and is definitely not politically correct in the 21st century.
November 16, 2013
I am reviewing the comic novel, Brrm! Brrm! by Clive James which is an excellent book which I bought from a secondhand bookstore locally. This book is a comedy about the clash of cultures when a Japanese man comes to London and gets a job in a small bookstore there. It's very funny and I think well researched although I'm no expert on this subject. The book is only 160 pages so is quite short. Clive has worked on television in Britain although he comes from Australia but he has a great sense of humor that was ideal for doing programmes like him travelling in different countries experiencing the culture and he used to do a programme on New Years Eve to bring the New Year in. He has also written a couple of other novels, some books on criticism and an autobiography in 3 volumes. Anyway getting back to this book the lead character is called Suzuki which the English laugh at although it would be deeply offensive to do so in Japan. He tells a journalist he is a writer and she offers to do an article for the newspaper on him which is successful. He befriends an English lady and they begin a sexual relationship. There is an amusing scene when he is with his partner and the journalist phones him about doing another article and proceeds to ask him embarrassing questions. There is a reasonably happy ending and I really enjoyed reading it.
November 9, 2015
I have wanted to read this book for several years, remembering the initial review which said that every time the main character, Akira Suzuki, gave his name the English people he was speaking to would respond by going "brrm!brrm!".
It is a humorous book of stereotypes and cultural blunders, in which the unwitting Mr Suzuki thrusts himself into a number of brief relationships which turn out to be, to say the least, ill advised. A punk journalist with drug and alcohol problems, not to mention nil ability to run her own finances let alone her own life, would probably have been best avoided. even if her name was Jane Austin. The his landlady and finally the lycra clad lovely from the gym, would also have been best avoided, but for the fact that they all bring him to into the limelight when his sense of honour demands that he step in to defend them and reveal himself as a expert in martial arts.
The celebrity sensation he causes, while it leads to his hurried departure from England, does also contribute to a change in his modest fortunes.
A simple and enjoyable yarn.
It is a humorous book of stereotypes and cultural blunders, in which the unwitting Mr Suzuki thrusts himself into a number of brief relationships which turn out to be, to say the least, ill advised. A punk journalist with drug and alcohol problems, not to mention nil ability to run her own finances let alone her own life, would probably have been best avoided. even if her name was Jane Austin. The his landlady and finally the lycra clad lovely from the gym, would also have been best avoided, but for the fact that they all bring him to into the limelight when his sense of honour demands that he step in to defend them and reveal himself as a expert in martial arts.
The celebrity sensation he causes, while it leads to his hurried departure from England, does also contribute to a change in his modest fortunes.
A simple and enjoyable yarn.
January 3, 2015
Extremely funny short novel about the cross-cultural adventures of a smart Japanese man living in London. Clive James is a wordsmith, so this novel will appeal to anyone who loves the art of a well-written sentence.
This novel surprised me in several ways:
One was James's detailed knowledge of Japanese culture.
Another was his superb characterisation. James's first novel "Brilliant Creatures" featured one-dimensional, interchangeable characters but this seems to have been deliberate. "Brrm! Brrm!" is funnier, tighter, and more disciplined than "Brilliant Creatures", and its characters are real and vivid.
This novel surprised me in several ways:
One was James's detailed knowledge of Japanese culture.
Another was his superb characterisation. James's first novel "Brilliant Creatures" featured one-dimensional, interchangeable characters but this seems to have been deliberate. "Brrm! Brrm!" is funnier, tighter, and more disciplined than "Brilliant Creatures", and its characters are real and vivid.
August 26, 2012
Brrm! Brrm! is a tale about a young Japanese man living and working in London, a stranger in a strange land. Acutely hilarious, pointedly irreverent and spot on in it's erudition.
Although it is primarily a story of a clash of cultures, James' lush prose and indefatigable sense of humour and razor sharp turn of phrases helps usher the reader swifty to the novel's hopeful ending.
Although it is primarily a story of a clash of cultures, James' lush prose and indefatigable sense of humour and razor sharp turn of phrases helps usher the reader swifty to the novel's hopeful ending.
April 19, 2016
This book is very funny about the East meets West culture clashes. Even though the book is outdated (written in 1991) I could still relate to a lot of the culture issues. My son lives in Japan and I went to visit him; a lot of our Facetime chats still include the great culture differences between the Japanese and other cultures.
November 3, 2012
I hadn't realised Clive James had turned his hand to fiction. Thanks to h2g2 I knew about the Japanese author so frequently referenced in this. And how cheeky of Mr. James was it to reference himself? Highly amusing and good writing.
September 12, 2012
I'm sure it was funny at the time, but the plot didn't leave a lasting impression on my memory.
February 4, 2016
Not one of his better efforts. Don't think he cuts it as a novel writer.
November 28, 2022
I just didn’t get the humor. It wasn’t for me.
April 28, 2013
Very funny.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews