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L'onorevole gita in campagna
In un caldo pomeriggio estivo passeggiano nei viali di Tokio due ragazze sui diciotto anni. Le ha notate uno straniero, in Giappone per motivi di studio. Egli invita la ragazza più graziosa a un giro in campagna, fra due giorni, e la ragazza acconsente. Ma il caso ha portato là anche un piccolo industriale di Tokio. Egli sente discorrere di quel progetto, e ne è sdegnato. Giudica indecoroso che un illustre studioso straniero visiti i dintorni di Tokio con ragazze «del popolo». Sente il dovere di accompagnarlo. Radunerà per l'occasione un gruppo di suoi illustri conoscenti. Il disegno dello straniero è quanto mai semplice; ma sorgono ad ostacolarlo mille contrattempi. Ciascuna delle persone coinvolte nella breve avventura ne vive i preparativi, le ansie, le impressioni, le gioie e le delusioni a modo proprio. Questo piccolo classico è allo stesso tempo una narrazione umoristica, un racconto filosofico e una poetica parodia del romanzo giapponese.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1924
2 people are currently reading
55 people want to read
About the author
Thomas Raucat
9 books1 followerRoger Poidatz was a French writer best known by his pseudonym, Thomas Raucat.
Roger Poidatz was born in Paris and graduated from the Paris École Polytechnique, subsequently becoming a pilot in the French Air Force during World War I, flying reconnaissance aircraft. After the war, he was sent to Japan (a WWI ally) to assist in the education of local pilots.
His mission completed, Poidatz returned to Europe via China and India. During the return voyage, he revised and finished his first novel, L'honorable partie de campagne (1924, translated into English by Leonard Cline as "The Honorable Picnic"), a stylised travelogue account of his experiences and observations in Japan. Poidatz signed the book "Thomas Raucat", a French phonetical approximation of the Japanese phrase "Tomaro-ka" ("Shall I stay overnight?").
L'honorable partie de campagne met with critical and commercial success, but Poidatz would publish only one more book, a collection of short stories that originally appeared in various French magazines published in 1927 as De Shang-Haï à Canton ("From Shanghai to Canton") and re-issued in an enlarged edition in 1928 as Loin des blondes ("Far from the Blondes").
Two of Raucat's Loin des blondes short stories were translated into Dutch by Dutch writer J. Slauerhoff and published in magazines in 1929; they were subsequently published as Twee verhalen ("Two Stories") in 1974.
Roger Poidatz was born in Paris and graduated from the Paris École Polytechnique, subsequently becoming a pilot in the French Air Force during World War I, flying reconnaissance aircraft. After the war, he was sent to Japan (a WWI ally) to assist in the education of local pilots.
His mission completed, Poidatz returned to Europe via China and India. During the return voyage, he revised and finished his first novel, L'honorable partie de campagne (1924, translated into English by Leonard Cline as "The Honorable Picnic"), a stylised travelogue account of his experiences and observations in Japan. Poidatz signed the book "Thomas Raucat", a French phonetical approximation of the Japanese phrase "Tomaro-ka" ("Shall I stay overnight?").
L'honorable partie de campagne met with critical and commercial success, but Poidatz would publish only one more book, a collection of short stories that originally appeared in various French magazines published in 1927 as De Shang-Haï à Canton ("From Shanghai to Canton") and re-issued in an enlarged edition in 1928 as Loin des blondes ("Far from the Blondes").
Two of Raucat's Loin des blondes short stories were translated into Dutch by Dutch writer J. Slauerhoff and published in magazines in 1929; they were subsequently published as Twee verhalen ("Two Stories") in 1974.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 9, 2008
Japan. Again. I guess I am hooked. The honourable picnic is a LOL funny novel and a perfect way to get an insight into Japanese thinking and way of life. Even if it’s sarcastic and scandalous. I know I am over-enthusiastic but you can’t miss this if you are interested in Japan. I laughed myself insane because of the depicted worries caused by a little boy’s hat. The characters are so incredibly funny that you forget it’s insulting. Roger Poidatz truly caused a stir at the time when his book was written (1924). He had to publish under a false name (Thomas Raucat). However, cross-cultural experiences must be handled with humour and this book is just a treat.
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December 30, 2025
Magnifique roman sur le Japon éternel.
April 3, 2024
A short book, absolutely delightful, with what I assume to be detailed insight to the respect and honour that the Japanese must by tradition show eachother. There are 8 chapters, each told in the first-person by one of the characters. The foreigner (large white guy) is attempting to seduce a young (18 year old) girl by arranging to meet her at a resort island. Meanwhile, a Japanese businessman who knows the foreigner arranges to bring several of his influential friends to the resort in order to entertain the foreigner. The foreigner attempts to ditch the businessmen in favor of the girl he wants to seduce, but to no avail.
The chapters featuring the foreigner himself are a bit creepy - he obviously wishes to get this young girl into bed. I would call him a pedophile, actually!
My favorite chapter was that of the businessman organizing the excursion with his colleagues. There is much preparation required to ensure the foreigner has a good impression of the businessmen.
It's hard to describe this book, but I must say the description given on Goodreads, together with several of the reviews, do a great job of helping the reader know what to expect. The book is not very long, and is truly a gem. The edition I possess was printed in 1954. For me, that makes it a treasure.
The chapters featuring the foreigner himself are a bit creepy - he obviously wishes to get this young girl into bed. I would call him a pedophile, actually!
My favorite chapter was that of the businessman organizing the excursion with his colleagues. There is much preparation required to ensure the foreigner has a good impression of the businessmen.
It's hard to describe this book, but I must say the description given on Goodreads, together with several of the reviews, do a great job of helping the reader know what to expect. The book is not very long, and is truly a gem. The edition I possess was printed in 1954. For me, that makes it a treasure.
October 6, 2019
Szóval ez egy olyan durva szatíra. Abból a csípős fajtából, amit be is tiltottak - a fülszöveg tanúsága szerint. De valójában ez egy nagyon furcsa könyv, és egyáltalán nem nevettem sokat, amíg olvastam. A japán merevség, szertartásosság, aggodalmaskodás, tekintélytisztelet kifigurázása olyan tíz-húsz oldalon át még viccesnek mondható, majd 50 oldal után kezd kínossá, már-már közönségessé válni. A gúnyolódás túlzó és erőltetett, és az olvasó határozottan szimpatizálni kezd a gúny tárgyával. A "normálisan" viselkedő, európai idegen válik szép lassan ellenszenvessé, már-már nevetségessé, ráadásul a kötet egészen váratlanul tragédiával zárul.
És ha ez a könyv tudatosan lett így felépítve, akkor mesteri.
És ha ez a könyv tudatosan lett így felépítve, akkor mesteri.
November 17, 2023
Ci sono diecimila modi per contemplare la luna, e tutti sono stati celebrati. Luna d'inverno che illumina un paesaggio nevoso. Luna che disegna a terra l'ombra leggera di una spalliera di glicini. Luna di lago, contemplata da un piccolo belvedere privilegiato; chi sogna, chi recita un frammento di dramma antico, e al ritmo dei versi il tuo riflesso danza fra i gigli acquatici.
Luna solenne che ti inquadri nel portico di un tempio, fra la campana e la sua corda pendente. La si guarda appoggiati a una colonna, e si pensa. Tu fai vivere la campana e le infinite lanterne sospese alla volta.
Luna solenne che ti inquadri nel portico di un tempio, fra la campana e la sua corda pendente. La si guarda appoggiati a una colonna, e si pensa. Tu fai vivere la campana e le infinite lanterne sospese alla volta.
October 5, 2025
This book was written nearly 89 years ago so it portrays some traditional views.Even so it's quite interesting and humorous.
June 28, 2016
I found this book hilarious, and felt it did a great job of highlighting cultural differences between Japan and the West. But how would I know? I've never been to Japan and know little about that country. I'd be fascinated to know whether Japanese readers would see this as an accurate but gentle satire of their behavior, or on the contrary a crude and vulgar denunciation.
Basically the story is this: a fat Swiss businessman on an assignment in Japan invites a pretty girl to meet him for an excursion to a famous island resort. Unfortunately for him, one of his Japanese contacts catches him in the act and takes it upon himself to organize what he sees as a much more suitable outing for the "distinguished foreign guest". The following day, he rounds up 3 gentlemen whom he wishes to entertain alongside the foreigner. Being on good terms with a foreigner will increase his standing among his own people, while treating him to a lavish banquet can only flatter the foreigner, or so he thinks. Everything, in fact, goes pear shaped for everybody involved. The foreigner, who is exclusively interested in sleeping with the pretty girl, tries his best to dodge the businessman, but in vain, since the railway employees see it as their duty to intercept him and ferry him in style to the island. To honor the foreigner, the station master packs him into a car, and since the bridge to the island is only meant for pedestrian traffic, an accident ensues in which the foreigner's luggage is lost and some people are injured. The pretty girl herself does show up, since after all she has accepted 10 yen from the foreigner to finance the trip, but she comes with 2 friends, including a mother with a young son in tow. Being in no hurry at all to meet up with the foreigner, they more or less deliberately miss the agreed train and spend ages buying each other trinkets that cost a lot more than the trip itself. When they eventually show up at the hotel, the businessman and the management join forces to foil any contact between the foreigner and the girl, not to protect her virtue, but because she comes from the wrong suburb and they see her as not good enough for a foreigner. The hotel owner is prepared to pay a small fortune for a geisha to spend time in the foreigner's bedroom so that things are done in the traditional manner.
The conclusion left me a little bewildered. The pretty girl receives a phone call from her grandmother telling her she has to return to Tokyo immediately to get married. While walking on the beach she meets a young man to whom she confides her misgivings about this impending wedding. While she likes her fiancé well enough, she is scared of her future in-laws and would rather wait until her fiancé had finished college. The young man sympathizes and they end up making love on the beach. When he wakes up, the girl has gone and he finds out that she committed suicide by drowning just after leaving him. Given the farcical tone of the book so far, I was taken aback by this brutal ending.
The story is told in 8 chapters, each from the point of view of one of the protagonists. This is a judicious choice as it enables the author to let Japanese men and women of different rank express their values and feelings. Raucat conveys the impression that the Japanese spend a lot of time and money complying with meaningless rituals, but even if he made fun of the Japanese I didn't feel he looked down upon them.
Basically the story is this: a fat Swiss businessman on an assignment in Japan invites a pretty girl to meet him for an excursion to a famous island resort. Unfortunately for him, one of his Japanese contacts catches him in the act and takes it upon himself to organize what he sees as a much more suitable outing for the "distinguished foreign guest". The following day, he rounds up 3 gentlemen whom he wishes to entertain alongside the foreigner. Being on good terms with a foreigner will increase his standing among his own people, while treating him to a lavish banquet can only flatter the foreigner, or so he thinks. Everything, in fact, goes pear shaped for everybody involved. The foreigner, who is exclusively interested in sleeping with the pretty girl, tries his best to dodge the businessman, but in vain, since the railway employees see it as their duty to intercept him and ferry him in style to the island. To honor the foreigner, the station master packs him into a car, and since the bridge to the island is only meant for pedestrian traffic, an accident ensues in which the foreigner's luggage is lost and some people are injured. The pretty girl herself does show up, since after all she has accepted 10 yen from the foreigner to finance the trip, but she comes with 2 friends, including a mother with a young son in tow. Being in no hurry at all to meet up with the foreigner, they more or less deliberately miss the agreed train and spend ages buying each other trinkets that cost a lot more than the trip itself. When they eventually show up at the hotel, the businessman and the management join forces to foil any contact between the foreigner and the girl, not to protect her virtue, but because she comes from the wrong suburb and they see her as not good enough for a foreigner. The hotel owner is prepared to pay a small fortune for a geisha to spend time in the foreigner's bedroom so that things are done in the traditional manner.
The conclusion left me a little bewildered. The pretty girl receives a phone call from her grandmother telling her she has to return to Tokyo immediately to get married. While walking on the beach she meets a young man to whom she confides her misgivings about this impending wedding. While she likes her fiancé well enough, she is scared of her future in-laws and would rather wait until her fiancé had finished college. The young man sympathizes and they end up making love on the beach. When he wakes up, the girl has gone and he finds out that she committed suicide by drowning just after leaving him. Given the farcical tone of the book so far, I was taken aback by this brutal ending.
The story is told in 8 chapters, each from the point of view of one of the protagonists. This is a judicious choice as it enables the author to let Japanese men and women of different rank express their values and feelings. Raucat conveys the impression that the Japanese spend a lot of time and money complying with meaningless rituals, but even if he made fun of the Japanese I didn't feel he looked down upon them.
December 9, 2008
Japan. Again. I guess I am hooked. The honourable picnic is a LOL funny novel and a perfect way to get an insight into Japanese thinking and way of life. Even if it’s sarcastic and scandalous. I know I am over-enthusiastic but you can’t miss this if you are interested in Japan. I laughed myself insane because of the depicted worries caused by a little boy’s hat. The characters are so incredibly funny that you forget it’s insulting. Roger Poidatz truly caused a stir at the time when his book was written (1924). He had to publish under a false name (Thomas Raucat). However, cross-cultural experiences must be handled with humour and this book is just a treat.
May 15, 2009
The Honorable Picnic was written in the 1920's originally in French. It takes place in Japan and is a satirical look at Japanese society and also at foreigners in Japan. I do not like satire and find it gets more and more irritating as I read, but I did have to laugh at some of the portrayals of class conciousness and rules for politenesss - especially the chapter with the railway station master.
But I am not reading the book for its humor but for the picture of Japan between 1900 and 1940. In spite of the satirical overlay, there is a lot of interesting information about Japan and Japanese culture.
But I am not reading the book for its humor but for the picture of Japan between 1900 and 1940. In spite of the satirical overlay, there is a lot of interesting information about Japan and Japanese culture.
July 26, 2014
The Honorable Picnic is the Don Quixote of pre-WWII Japan. The status of women, the boundaries of manners, and the endless attempt to save face all intertwine to create a comedy of errors. Told from the serial perspective of several different characters, it is the story of a western man who tries to seduce a young Japanese girl. A business man does not want the westerner to sully himself with a lower class girl, so he and his associates tag along and get in the way of the seduction.
January 26, 2011
Murderously satyric. Ever since I read it I try to get everyone read it too.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews