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Simon and Hiroko
Hiroko Yuasa, a Japanese traditional dancer, sways and turns in one of her dances, and Simon Fraser thinks he might not have enough film to capture her. He deems himself lucky -- it has taken him months to find her again in Tokyo, after their chance meet at Narita. An American architectural photographer on contract in Japan, he plans already an exhibition with their work together. They take their time in their love.
Before any words of a formal proposal are spoken though, her father gets wind of their palpable closeness. Here is a man thought to have killed with a single Katana slash her mother's lover once. Also certifiably known to have risen to be a Japanese Mafia godfather years after pushing the car of a gang of made men into the moat of the Imperial palace. A teenager then. And Kazuhiro Yuasa has for this misalliance of his daughter only the eyes of a man whose father was a Kamikaze pilot who died by throwing his plane against an American warship during WWII.
An ocean proves too small for Kazuhiro to fail to get understanding from Simon's parents to do together whatever it takes to keep the young couple separate. And close-to-the-heart history has a huge bearing.
Simon and Hiroko are not aware of the secret agreement, and they decide to visit each the family of the other. Their "Sakura" space of love should help them keep in touch. They believe things are going to be OK. Only they're not, for when evil is started it has a mind of its own.
Before any words of a formal proposal are spoken though, her father gets wind of their palpable closeness. Here is a man thought to have killed with a single Katana slash her mother's lover once. Also certifiably known to have risen to be a Japanese Mafia godfather years after pushing the car of a gang of made men into the moat of the Imperial palace. A teenager then. And Kazuhiro Yuasa has for this misalliance of his daughter only the eyes of a man whose father was a Kamikaze pilot who died by throwing his plane against an American warship during WWII.
An ocean proves too small for Kazuhiro to fail to get understanding from Simon's parents to do together whatever it takes to keep the young couple separate. And close-to-the-heart history has a huge bearing.
Simon and Hiroko are not aware of the secret agreement, and they decide to visit each the family of the other. Their "Sakura" space of love should help them keep in touch. They believe things are going to be OK. Only they're not, for when evil is started it has a mind of its own.
- GenresFiction
351 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 25, 2012
3 people are currently reading
1935 people want to read
About the author
Marius Hancu
2 books33 followersMarius Hancu is the author of "Our Lives as Kites" and of "Simon and Hiroko," two literary novels.
Finds:
- An interview with him at Julia Hones' blog
- A review-interview set (in English) with him at Amaranta's Laletricefelice Italian blog
- A review of "Simon and Hiroko" at Resa Nienaber's literary blog
- A review of "Our Lives as Kites" by Susie Crow, a former soloist with the Royal Ballet and Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet, and a choreographer, at Oxford Dance Writers
- his just beginning blog
- his facebook page
- and his tweets
- some of his over 9,000 posts on English grammar and style
- upon request, some of his over 1,500 posts as a Premier Member of the Chicago Manual of Style forum are available
News:
- a print paperback edition has become available for "Our Lives as Kites."
- a print paperback edition has become available for "Simon and Hiroko."
Finds:
- An interview with him at Julia Hones' blog
- A review-interview set (in English) with him at Amaranta's Laletricefelice Italian blog
- A review of "Simon and Hiroko" at Resa Nienaber's literary blog
- A review of "Our Lives as Kites" by Susie Crow, a former soloist with the Royal Ballet and Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet, and a choreographer, at Oxford Dance Writers
- his just beginning blog
- his facebook page
- and his tweets
- some of his over 9,000 posts on English grammar and style
- upon request, some of his over 1,500 posts as a Premier Member of the Chicago Manual of Style forum are available
News:
- a print paperback edition has become available for "Our Lives as Kites."
- a print paperback edition has become available for "Simon and Hiroko."
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
April 10, 2013
Having been asked by the author to review his book, I really wanted to like it. Unfortunately, I had some issues with it.
To begin with, there was Hancu's use of language. I don't know what his background is, but based on this book, I'm guessing that English is not his first language. There was little that was straight-up bad grammar, but there was a lot of unorthodox use of English. Mostly little things, like over-use of definite articles and some odd structures (Things like "compact, the houses were," and "Are you doing it for a long time now?"), but enough to be noticeable. For me, anyway. Understand that I'm coming from the perspective of a language professional who specializes in translation and editing. As a result, I found it very distracting. Especially given that the story itself draws attention to language use by having one character frequently correct another's use of English.
And, also unfortunately, I didn't find the story compelling enough to ignore and/or forgive the non-standard English. It takes the first third of the book for the lovers to be reunited after a chance encounter at a train station, and while we did get some decent character building and backstory during this period, it was kind of dull, and I just wanted things to get moving.
The middle third of the book is devoted to building their relationship. I get why Hancu wanted to focus on that aspect for a while: so we'd appreciate the relationship and find their devotion to each other believable (a modern criticism of Romeo & Juliet is that the whole story takes less than a week, and it's hard to believe that that's enough time to develop a relationship worth dying for). However, again, there just wasn't really a whole lot going on during this section. We start to understand that Hiroko's father is going to be a problem, but all he really does at this point is send a minion to make them uncomfortable. Again, I found myself just waiting for something to happen.
One other huge question I was left with: Sakura space? This was never really explained. I gather that it's a kind of psychic space where two people (soulmates, maybe?) can connect even across huge distances, but in a book that otherwise was grounded solidly in reality, this was a really weird element that just kind of came out of nowhere, and frankly, made no sense.
Ultimately, I liked the concept. There's a reason why the star-crossed lovers theme has been tackled by so many people: it's timeless and lends itself to all kinds of variations. I'm always down for a new one. I liked the cross-cultural twist on it, and I thought he did a pretty decent job of presenting the meeting of the two cultures. Simon and Hiroko's relationship did get to grow in a fairly organic way in this story, and there were some really nice passages and moments in this book. But the execution of the story as a whole just didn't work for me. It had a lot of good elements, but I think the book itself could be much better if they were reworked. Shorten the exposition, and devote a lot more time to developing the actual conflict part of the story, with its inherent suspense and climaxes, and perhaps extend the denouement a bit, too. Tie all the elements together more cohesively, and I think this could be a really good book. It just wasn't there for me.
To begin with, there was Hancu's use of language. I don't know what his background is, but based on this book, I'm guessing that English is not his first language. There was little that was straight-up bad grammar, but there was a lot of unorthodox use of English. Mostly little things, like over-use of definite articles and some odd structures (Things like "compact, the houses were," and "Are you doing it for a long time now?"), but enough to be noticeable. For me, anyway. Understand that I'm coming from the perspective of a language professional who specializes in translation and editing. As a result, I found it very distracting. Especially given that the story itself draws attention to language use by having one character frequently correct another's use of English.
And, also unfortunately, I didn't find the story compelling enough to ignore and/or forgive the non-standard English. It takes the first third of the book for the lovers to be reunited after a chance encounter at a train station, and while we did get some decent character building and backstory during this period, it was kind of dull, and I just wanted things to get moving.
The middle third of the book is devoted to building their relationship. I get why Hancu wanted to focus on that aspect for a while: so we'd appreciate the relationship and find their devotion to each other believable (a modern criticism of Romeo & Juliet is that the whole story takes less than a week, and it's hard to believe that that's enough time to develop a relationship worth dying for). However, again, there just wasn't really a whole lot going on during this section. We start to understand that Hiroko's father is going to be a problem, but all he really does at this point is send a minion to make them uncomfortable. Again, I found myself just waiting for something to happen.
One other huge question I was left with: Sakura space? This was never really explained. I gather that it's a kind of psychic space where two people (soulmates, maybe?) can connect even across huge distances, but in a book that otherwise was grounded solidly in reality, this was a really weird element that just kind of came out of nowhere, and frankly, made no sense.
Ultimately, I liked the concept. There's a reason why the star-crossed lovers theme has been tackled by so many people: it's timeless and lends itself to all kinds of variations. I'm always down for a new one. I liked the cross-cultural twist on it, and I thought he did a pretty decent job of presenting the meeting of the two cultures. Simon and Hiroko's relationship did get to grow in a fairly organic way in this story, and there were some really nice passages and moments in this book. But the execution of the story as a whole just didn't work for me. It had a lot of good elements, but I think the book itself could be much better if they were reworked. Shorten the exposition, and devote a lot more time to developing the actual conflict part of the story, with its inherent suspense and climaxes, and perhaps extend the denouement a bit, too. Tie all the elements together more cohesively, and I think this could be a really good book. It just wasn't there for me.
March 21, 2016
Regrettably, I'm unable to finish this book. The story has a lot of potential and so does the author, but the current version is unreadable. It very much needs a professional editor.
There are some nice sentences with good visuals here and there, but mostly the writing is messy, difficult, and tiring to read, as if written by someone whose first language isn't English. The dialogue is too straight-forward and unnatural. There is too much internalized sexism for me to enjoy what I'm reading. The reason why the protagonist Simon goes to Japan (to be a photographer for a company) doesn't feel realistic as much as it feels like a weak excuse. (Were there really no other good photographers already in Japan? Would a company in the 1990s really go through the trouble of bringing over a foreign worker after the economic collapse?)
Simon's lack of flaws is unsettling. His photography work is somehow unbelievably amazing and loved by all (except his caricature parents: the angry dad who doesn't understand and the doting mother who doesn't listen). He also seems to find his way around Japan without any problem despite the fact that it's his first time there. Despite studying Japanese for 18 months, he still uses English and has no trouble communicating in English with every Japanese he encounters, which is strange and unrealistic.
His only flaw is one that it seems the author didn't intend, which is Simon's arrogance. He is arrogant in his way of working, in his way of describing others, and in thinking he understands Japan and its people. After we first meet Hiroko, she is not described in her own rights as a person but in terms of her attractiveness, as if the only description of her that matters is that Simon approves of her looks. (Hiroko's legs are "not too long"; her hips are "not too narrow.") When Simon finds out one of his acquaintances studied abroad, he (internally) praises him for being better than the Japanese shmucks that stay in Japan and never learn "proper English." Simon often makes observations about Japan and then makes misguided conclusions about what it means to be Japanese.
Again, this story has a lot of potential, but I think it very much needs to be looked at by an experienced editor. I wish the author the best. I would love to read a final draft.
**I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway and gave an honest review.**
There are some nice sentences with good visuals here and there, but mostly the writing is messy, difficult, and tiring to read, as if written by someone whose first language isn't English. The dialogue is too straight-forward and unnatural. There is too much internalized sexism for me to enjoy what I'm reading. The reason why the protagonist Simon goes to Japan (to be a photographer for a company) doesn't feel realistic as much as it feels like a weak excuse. (Were there really no other good photographers already in Japan? Would a company in the 1990s really go through the trouble of bringing over a foreign worker after the economic collapse?)
Simon's lack of flaws is unsettling. His photography work is somehow unbelievably amazing and loved by all (except his caricature parents: the angry dad who doesn't understand and the doting mother who doesn't listen). He also seems to find his way around Japan without any problem despite the fact that it's his first time there. Despite studying Japanese for 18 months, he still uses English and has no trouble communicating in English with every Japanese he encounters, which is strange and unrealistic.
His only flaw is one that it seems the author didn't intend, which is Simon's arrogance. He is arrogant in his way of working, in his way of describing others, and in thinking he understands Japan and its people. After we first meet Hiroko, she is not described in her own rights as a person but in terms of her attractiveness, as if the only description of her that matters is that Simon approves of her looks. (Hiroko's legs are "not too long"; her hips are "not too narrow.") When Simon finds out one of his acquaintances studied abroad, he (internally) praises him for being better than the Japanese shmucks that stay in Japan and never learn "proper English." Simon often makes observations about Japan and then makes misguided conclusions about what it means to be Japanese.
Again, this story has a lot of potential, but I think it very much needs to be looked at by an experienced editor. I wish the author the best. I would love to read a final draft.
**I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway and gave an honest review.**
January 3, 2016
I received this book from Goodreads giveaway, so I thought I should finish it and leave a nice review. However, I can't stand it anymore... I mean I can't finish it...
The biggest problem is the author's writing style. It bothered me and I couldn't concentrate on the story. Since I'm not a native English speaker, I can't point out what was wrong, but I was really annoyed by his English.
The second problem is the main character Simon. He sometimes mentioned Japanese English pronunciation. I have read some novel that was about a relationship between an American guy and a Japanese woman, and it also mentioned strange Japanese English pronunciation, but the American guy also spoke broken Japanese in that book. However, Simon speaks only English. As long as he doesn't speak Japanese in Japan, he shouldn't make a fool of Japanese people speaking English. By the way, I wonder if the author has been to Japan or researched about Japan before writing this book. I don't think many Japanese people can speak English even now. So it's unrealistic that Simon can communicate with Japanese people with English in 1990s.
I wonder what will happen to Simon and Hiroko, but it's impossible for me to keep reading it... :-(
The biggest problem is the author's writing style. It bothered me and I couldn't concentrate on the story. Since I'm not a native English speaker, I can't point out what was wrong, but I was really annoyed by his English.
The second problem is the main character Simon. He sometimes mentioned Japanese English pronunciation. I have read some novel that was about a relationship between an American guy and a Japanese woman, and it also mentioned strange Japanese English pronunciation, but the American guy also spoke broken Japanese in that book. However, Simon speaks only English. As long as he doesn't speak Japanese in Japan, he shouldn't make a fool of Japanese people speaking English. By the way, I wonder if the author has been to Japan or researched about Japan before writing this book. I don't think many Japanese people can speak English even now. So it's unrealistic that Simon can communicate with Japanese people with English in 1990s.
I wonder what will happen to Simon and Hiroko, but it's impossible for me to keep reading it... :-(
February 1, 2013
**I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**
Simon is a professional photographer whose pictures have gotten him noticed internationally, and he finds himself in Japan to work on a project taking pictures of the traditional. It is on this business trip that Simon first meets Hiroko. He's lost, struggling to figure out the subway system in a country where he can barely speak the language, and Hiroko is the angel who steps in to help him find his way.
Their brief meeting at the train station is just the beginning. Simon is enchanted, but with only the girl's first name to go on he has little to go on to find her again. So he sets up a plan, going to the same place every day holding up a sign, desperately seeking the girl who has stolen his heart. And, of course, they find each other.
But this is where the story takes it's tragic twist. Simon is from a wealthy American family, American traditionalists (if you can call them that) and a family that had family members die during WWII. Hiroko's family is no different, with her father still hating the country that set the atomic bomb on his. As the two star crossed lovers fall deeper in love their families want nothing more than to see them torn apart. Then Hiroko's father comes up with a plan. Let the lovers spend some time in the other culture alone, let them experience that hate on their own, and see if their love would survive. As the two go their separate ways they find out they have a bond that can travel across an ocean, but it won't be enough.
In this unique tribute to the Shakespearean classic "Romeo and Juliet" Hancu takes the aftermath from one of the worst wars in history and creates two rival families that would rival the Montagues and Capulets without going to any of those re-imagined stand bys (like rival street gangs). Hancu also does a good job of blending the traditional Japanese culture with the less traditional Western one that makes for an interesting contrast. The language throughout the novel isn't always smooth though, and I'm not sure if this comes from a language difference or a desire to sound more literary than needed. Sometimes a character's narration sounded unnatural or forced (like a Yakuza boss insulting someone by calling them a "fuddle head") and it was difficult to understand what style Hancu was trying for here. The two main conflicts in the plot (I don't want to say too much and give away the ending) also seemed a little forced and simply there so the plot could come to its planned ending.
While there did seem to be some flaws with some of the characters (Simon's parents are as flat as can be and Hiroko's father is not far behind) Hancu creates two vibrant main characters with a believable relationship. The contrast of traditional and modern culture makes for a unique background just as vibrant as the two main characters and makes this book a compelling read even if there are sections that slow it down. I would have liked to see the secondary characters developed a little more, but even in the original "Romeo and Juliet" the side characters leave a lot to be desired in terms of growth and development. With a unique concept that has been executed well make this book one that I would recommend, especially to anyone with a love of Japanese culture.
Simon is a professional photographer whose pictures have gotten him noticed internationally, and he finds himself in Japan to work on a project taking pictures of the traditional. It is on this business trip that Simon first meets Hiroko. He's lost, struggling to figure out the subway system in a country where he can barely speak the language, and Hiroko is the angel who steps in to help him find his way.
Their brief meeting at the train station is just the beginning. Simon is enchanted, but with only the girl's first name to go on he has little to go on to find her again. So he sets up a plan, going to the same place every day holding up a sign, desperately seeking the girl who has stolen his heart. And, of course, they find each other.
But this is where the story takes it's tragic twist. Simon is from a wealthy American family, American traditionalists (if you can call them that) and a family that had family members die during WWII. Hiroko's family is no different, with her father still hating the country that set the atomic bomb on his. As the two star crossed lovers fall deeper in love their families want nothing more than to see them torn apart. Then Hiroko's father comes up with a plan. Let the lovers spend some time in the other culture alone, let them experience that hate on their own, and see if their love would survive. As the two go their separate ways they find out they have a bond that can travel across an ocean, but it won't be enough.
In this unique tribute to the Shakespearean classic "Romeo and Juliet" Hancu takes the aftermath from one of the worst wars in history and creates two rival families that would rival the Montagues and Capulets without going to any of those re-imagined stand bys (like rival street gangs). Hancu also does a good job of blending the traditional Japanese culture with the less traditional Western one that makes for an interesting contrast. The language throughout the novel isn't always smooth though, and I'm not sure if this comes from a language difference or a desire to sound more literary than needed. Sometimes a character's narration sounded unnatural or forced (like a Yakuza boss insulting someone by calling them a "fuddle head") and it was difficult to understand what style Hancu was trying for here. The two main conflicts in the plot (I don't want to say too much and give away the ending) also seemed a little forced and simply there so the plot could come to its planned ending.
While there did seem to be some flaws with some of the characters (Simon's parents are as flat as can be and Hiroko's father is not far behind) Hancu creates two vibrant main characters with a believable relationship. The contrast of traditional and modern culture makes for a unique background just as vibrant as the two main characters and makes this book a compelling read even if there are sections that slow it down. I would have liked to see the secondary characters developed a little more, but even in the original "Romeo and Juliet" the side characters leave a lot to be desired in terms of growth and development. With a unique concept that has been executed well make this book one that I would recommend, especially to anyone with a love of Japanese culture.
November 20, 2012
'From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;
Whose misadventur'd piteous overthrows
Doth with their death bury their parents' strife.'
(Romeo and Juliet, Prologue)
Simon and Hiroko by Marius Hancu might be read as a modern version of the story of the lovers from Verona. Hancu's novel is set in modern Japan: Simon is a young American photographer and Hiroko a dancer. Hiroko's father, a Yakuza boss, has never forgotten the end of World War II and cannot approve his daughter's love for an American boy. Simon's family doesn't understand his job choices and feel only contempt for Japanese people. But Simon and Hiroko love each other and want to overcome all these sufferings... will they be able to live their life? Will they succeed in being free from their families' burden? In a climax of suspence, grief and incomprehension, Hancu tells us a fascinating story about the power of two young people in a world that tries to suffocate one of the driving forces of human life: love. But hatred is strong as well and Simon and Hiroko will have to fight.
October 1, 2012
When Simon met Hiroko Yuesa, it was mostly loves sweet side. She had her traditional dancing and he his photography. However her father Kazuhiro Yuesa has someone else in mind for his daughter to marry.And as hate cuts both ways an ocean proves to small for Kazuhiro to get understanding from Simons family to do whatever it takes to keep the lovers apart. Now it is up to Simon and Hiroko to make the families understand there love and committment to each other. This story reminded me a litte of Romeo and Juliet, but will the couple survive what the Frasers and the Yuasas have in store for them ? Or will they end up like Romeo and Juliet. A must read, if your looking for a great romance .story I look forward to reading more books by this author Marius Hancu
December 11, 2012
This book was actually pretty good. It was a lot better than what I was expecting it to be.
This book is about a forbidden love, like Romeo and Juliet. Simon is a photographer and Hiroko is a dancer. Her father finds out about their relationship and tries to end it. His parents also disagree with their relationship. So the parents of the couple plan to do whatever they can to keep the two lovers apart.
This book is about a forbidden love, like Romeo and Juliet. Simon is a photographer and Hiroko is a dancer. Her father finds out about their relationship and tries to end it. His parents also disagree with their relationship. So the parents of the couple plan to do whatever they can to keep the two lovers apart.
December 13, 2012
A love story set within different cultures, which brings tension and obstacles in believable steps. It is a familiar tale, and somewhat traditional, bringing to mind the classical writings of days gone by.
It is well written, bringing alive the very real feelings involved in this kind of story.
I do not give spoilers, but will say that this book gives wonderful insight into richly woven worlds, maybe not our own.
Good reading.
It is well written, bringing alive the very real feelings involved in this kind of story.
I do not give spoilers, but will say that this book gives wonderful insight into richly woven worlds, maybe not our own.
Good reading.
April 23, 2015
This book I received through Goodreads First Reads. This novel was not what I expected but I was pleasantly surprised. The start of the book was an adorable love story, but the twist at the end was very dramatic and a bit too much of a coincidence that similar fates happened to both lovers. This book was a bit challenging to read because of the author's second language was English, but was still comprehensible. I really enjoyed this book.
November 9, 2023
'Simon and Hiroko' went from puzzling to unreadable. The intersection of the Eastern and Western cultures is one of my favourite topics, and with the plot happening in Tokyo, a place I've visited several times and think affectionately about. But alas, even my deeply ingrained interest wasn't enough to make this a positive experience.
The friction between these cultures is exhibited through Simon, an American living in Tokyo as a professional photographer, and Hiroko, a local woman that he falls for after she helps him out with directions on public transport. It is somewhat 'Romeo and Juliet', with additional tension being brought by Hiroko's father, who is not only controlling towards her, but is yakuza, hence having access to questionable tricks.
The first thing I noticed was that the author does not have the command of English that I'd expect of someone choosing to write in a particular language. There are typos in my edition, but even beyond that, there are incorrect turns of phrases, expressions and sentences that are constructed unnaturally. For example 'axed' instead of 'asked', 'on the other side' instead of 'on the other hand', something happening 'in 90s' instead of 'in the 90s', or the placement of a long descriptive sentence before the pronoun it's applied to. So even when it is grammatically correct, it's heavy handed, and it had the effect of baffling me. This is not helped by the fact that some sentences are unbearably long, they go on and on and on and would have really benefited from plain breaks. I felt like I was exerting a lot more effort than I needed to when reading a book and it wasn't worthwhile.
The second thing that hindered my enjoyment was the tempo. The first part with Simon and Hiroko meeting is fine, them finding each other became dull, and Hiroko's dad organising and executing his plan was just mad speedy. I couldn't follow what was going on, it was so quick, fires in all directions, and the sequences of events were poorly explained.
Lastly, it was strange to have a dynamic between Simon and Hiroko in which he was correcting her English. This is again linked to the choice of language. There are then scenes between Hiroko and her family in which on paper she speaks English, because the author doesn't write Japanese. I'm not sure what I'd suggest as an alternative - writing Japanese with translations in the footer, omitting these scenes entirely - but it confused me to see her speaking imperfect English and immediately after completely flawless.
I was excited about this plot, I thought it would also examine more of these points of tension interestingly. But it lacked character development, nuance in the two main ones, and brought some severe execution faults.
The friction between these cultures is exhibited through Simon, an American living in Tokyo as a professional photographer, and Hiroko, a local woman that he falls for after she helps him out with directions on public transport. It is somewhat 'Romeo and Juliet', with additional tension being brought by Hiroko's father, who is not only controlling towards her, but is yakuza, hence having access to questionable tricks.
The first thing I noticed was that the author does not have the command of English that I'd expect of someone choosing to write in a particular language. There are typos in my edition, but even beyond that, there are incorrect turns of phrases, expressions and sentences that are constructed unnaturally. For example 'axed' instead of 'asked', 'on the other side' instead of 'on the other hand', something happening 'in 90s' instead of 'in the 90s', or the placement of a long descriptive sentence before the pronoun it's applied to. So even when it is grammatically correct, it's heavy handed, and it had the effect of baffling me. This is not helped by the fact that some sentences are unbearably long, they go on and on and on and would have really benefited from plain breaks. I felt like I was exerting a lot more effort than I needed to when reading a book and it wasn't worthwhile.
The second thing that hindered my enjoyment was the tempo. The first part with Simon and Hiroko meeting is fine, them finding each other became dull, and Hiroko's dad organising and executing his plan was just mad speedy. I couldn't follow what was going on, it was so quick, fires in all directions, and the sequences of events were poorly explained.
Lastly, it was strange to have a dynamic between Simon and Hiroko in which he was correcting her English. This is again linked to the choice of language. There are then scenes between Hiroko and her family in which on paper she speaks English, because the author doesn't write Japanese. I'm not sure what I'd suggest as an alternative - writing Japanese with translations in the footer, omitting these scenes entirely - but it confused me to see her speaking imperfect English and immediately after completely flawless.
I was excited about this plot, I thought it would also examine more of these points of tension interestingly. But it lacked character development, nuance in the two main ones, and brought some severe execution faults.
November 12, 2024
This one is a spin on the traditional Romeo and Juliet story. Boy meets girl. They fall in love. Both come from families who have an opposing past. Both families try to stop the relationship. Boy and girl intend to still end up together. Boy and girl meet tragic end.
The spin on this story is that the boy is an American temporarily in Japan, and the girl is a young Japanese woman whose father happens to be involved in the Japanese mafia. It also turns out that the grandfathers of both were involved in WWII on opposite sides.
Despite the story being a bit slow and the writing being very clunky, I was prepared to give this book a solid 3 stars, until the last 25% when it took a totally bizarre and unnecessary twist. Without going into detail, the girl goes to America by herself to meet his parents and ends up being kidnapped into a religious cult while deer hunting with the father. At the same time, the boy is living in an underground tunnel world below Tokyo and "working" for her father when a bizarre sect also living in the tunnels imprisons him. Both story lines come out of nowhere, seem totally unbelievable and out of character of book, and unnecessary.
There are plenty of Romeo and Juliet storyline books out there that you could better spend your time reading.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The spin on this story is that the boy is an American temporarily in Japan, and the girl is a young Japanese woman whose father happens to be involved in the Japanese mafia. It also turns out that the grandfathers of both were involved in WWII on opposite sides.
Despite the story being a bit slow and the writing being very clunky, I was prepared to give this book a solid 3 stars, until the last 25% when it took a totally bizarre and unnecessary twist. Without going into detail, the girl goes to America by herself to meet his parents and ends up being kidnapped into a religious cult while deer hunting with the father. At the same time, the boy is living in an underground tunnel world below Tokyo and "working" for her father when a bizarre sect also living in the tunnels imprisons him. Both story lines come out of nowhere, seem totally unbelievable and out of character of book, and unnecessary.
There are plenty of Romeo and Juliet storyline books out there that you could better spend your time reading.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 30, 2012
I will not talk about the story... this has already been done by the previous reviewers. I just want to say that while reading this book, I could see vivid images of the characters, of the beautiful gardens, of Hiroko and her elegant dances, of the scary tunnel... and I created a very good movie in my mind.
I strongly believe that this is an A+ grade material for a movie which offers not only a sweet love story, but also lots of suspense!
I cannot wait to read more books by Marius Hancu; well... actually I read the other one he has published, which is a beautiful story written in a different genre. Very talented...I am impressed!
I am looking forward to a movie based on "Simon and Hiroko"!! Anybody... hear me?!?!
I strongly believe that this is an A+ grade material for a movie which offers not only a sweet love story, but also lots of suspense!
I cannot wait to read more books by Marius Hancu; well... actually I read the other one he has published, which is a beautiful story written in a different genre. Very talented...I am impressed!
I am looking forward to a movie based on "Simon and Hiroko"!! Anybody... hear me?!?!
August 31, 2015
Good book. Won via Goodreads Giveaway.
May 29, 2015
I have won this book in giveaways and received the book.
Will update review soon once I have read the book.
Will update review soon once I have read the book.
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