Red Chrysanthemum

by Henry F. Mazel

Alexander Rada doesn’t want to be called Alexander, or Alex for that matter -- Rada will do just fine. It’s the summer of 1945, and army Lieutenant Rada has just arrived in Tokyo to witness the official surrender of Japan to the Allied Forces on the deck of the battleship Missouri.

Rada has a history. He was a cop in L.A. before the war. A disgraced cop. Along the way, he learned to speak Japanese, and now he’s working at GHQ as a translator for General MacArthur. To almost everyone’s surprise, Rada is transferred to the military police to stop an assassination of a top communist. And the thing is, Rada just hates communists. He finds himself attached to a Japanese partner working for the Occupation forces -- and even more attached to a unique, beautiful Japanese woman. Love is in the air, and Rada is bound to mess it up.

Henry Mazel has brought Occupied Japan vividly to life in RED CHRYSANTHEMUM. It is both a humorous novel and a dead-on history lesson of the period. Through the pristine snowy mountaintops of Northern Japan, to the collapsed smokestacks, charred factories, and twisted metal presiding over a moribund Tokyo, get ready for a thrilling adventure where nothing is what it seems and no one is to be trusted -- maybe not even Rada himself.

Genres: Historical Fiction

228 pages, Paperback

First published September 3, 2013

Reviews

[Hilary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mixed feelings about this one. The narrator (Alex Rada) is not very nice, observant, thoughtful, or intelligent and he doesn't have a super-powered martial arts skill, and he's not even a very good translator, even though that's his job. He's just normal. He suffers from perpetual foot-in-mouth syndrome and is described as a loose cannon.

Rada's backstory is gradually, painfully revealed through details of the American internment camps, through his strange love/using relationship with a girl and through his forced partnership. Through Rada's eyes we see a Japan where nothing seems to be whole, where the people react weirdly to the occupying force, where honor may trump loyalty to emperor, country or family, and where even apparent heroes may not be who they seem. We see the slow building of trust and relationships, of people of different races becoming individuals rather than "Them" (or "Not Us"), and a bit of the world from both viewpoints.

In many ways I enjoyed this, and the ending was certainly decent, but it's a bit lighter in historical detail than I think I wanted, so it lacks rereadability.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Sharon Vos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this book. I've read this author before. He writes a multi-level story; a historical fiction piece, detective story and a romance. You have the feeling you are back in Tokyo in 1945. It's also a detective story with a wisecracking protagonist, who pretends not to be too smart, but reads Kafka and Emily Dickinson. Also, and the part that I liked very much, was the romance between the main character, Alex Rada, and a half Japanese woman named Rachel. She has to make a fateful decision, which reminded me of Sophie's Choice. This is a page-turner with both a dark and humorous side involving the military hierarchy, Japanese communists, and a pretender to the thrown -- the Chrysanthemum throne of emperor Hirohito. A really good read.

[Shana Weiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It's historical fiction, a military detective story, and a romance -- although the romance isn't central, it's compelling. All the characters have to make heart-rending choices about loyalty and morality. But the real reason I loved the book is because my granddad was an MP during the occupation of Japan in 1947, and when he read it he said it reminded him of being on patrol in Tokyo and the book's accuracy about that was amazing. He said the author must be in his eighties or must have had help from someone of that age. My granddad was tickled and thrilled by it, and I guess that made me like the book more because it brought back memories for him

[Soozi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Henry Mazel's creation of the typical wise-cracking tough guy of the 1940's is dead on. His accurate historical information, complete with glossary and use of 40's slang makes for an engaging read. Mazel's almost casual mention of certain Japanese historical events pique the interest and lead one to want to do more research. This is a book that could be used to segue reluctant readers into learning more about Occupied Japan.

[Melinda Davies · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast paced detective yarn set in occupied Japan. Humorous and thoughtful at the same time, A close reading, which is difficult to do, given the fast pace, reveals references to Kafka, Somerset Maugham, Emily Dickinson among others. The romance part, though not central, was a bonus. Thanks to NetGalley for making this available

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting time and place set in Occupied Japan with an MP involved is political intrigue trying to discover who is manipulating whom.

[Paul Cornelius · Rating 1 out of 5]

Historical fiction, this is not. It's historical fantasy. And poorly written historical fantasy. It's not really worth spending too much time writing about it, but, in brief, here are the faults.
*There is no atmosphere. This novel neither feels like postwar Japan or even the US of the immediate postwar period. Henry Mazel, instead, tries to pepper his story with the names of 1940s era American politicians, entertainers, and sports figures. That actually works against creating an authentic atmosphere. It seems contrived and artificial. How much analysis of a Jack Benny joke can a reader stand?
*Mazel attempts to give us some sort of hybrid Sam Spade set in Japan. Unfortunately, Alex Rada, the naval investigator, is more like a cut-rate Mike Hammer. But that fits, because Mazel's writing is closer to Mickey Spillane's than Dashiell Hammett's.
*Mazel's writing per se is verbose, rambling. His syntax and slang does not match the era. And when he does drop in a word or phrase from the postwar years, it is jarring in its awkwardness alongside his usual cascade of dialogue.
*And the history there is is messy. Just one example: Kanchanaburi, location of the famous "Death Railway," was in Thailand, not Burma.

I did like the cover photo for the book.

[Tania Godwin-evans · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am not really sure about this book. I am not sure if it’s the subject matter which I know little to none about, or whether it’s the main character/narrator who is a really unlikeable character; or whether it’s the authors loquacious writing style.

As already stated the main character is really unlikeable, imaginable, unintelligent, and mostly every other ‘un’; plus he is not good at his job, yet he is asked to investigate a mystery by his superiors probably in the hope that he would fail to resolve it. And yet again there is a love element, although not central to the main plot. (Why do authors feel that readers cannot read a male centred novel without having a love element? Guess what – we can!)

Very little is made of the setting which did not really do the books any favours and therefore the book lacked the atmosphere that such scene setting could provide. Instead it felt as though the main characters were running around in a vacuum.

The author writes loads but says very little and there is not much action and very little back story. What back story there is revealed slowly and painfully. In short this story that goes nowhere fast what ending there was, was a foregone conclusion. The narrator also talks to the reader, which I personally don’t like, but then again I dislike ‘Sam Spade’ type novels and films. I would rather have things left ambiguous than spelt out so that I can come to my own conclusions. For this reason I am unable to recommend this book as this reader thinks that, in short, it lacks readability.

Full Disclosure: ARC received from Netgalley for an honest review.

[Cynthia Archer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I requested it through NetGalley, even though it really wasn't something that I might normally have read. The setting was part of what intrigued me when I read the description. I have read books about WWII, but none that focused on the time immediately following the war. Occupied Japan is the setting for this relatively short novel. A GI who has a bit of a shady past is the main character. He is made a pawn for a political murder by his commanders, but manages to do pretty well at keeping himself one step ahead of their traps as he makes alliances with several unlikely Japanese partners to figure out who is really behind the murder. Along the way he meets a fiery, but beautiful Japanese woman who reminds him of a prior lost love.
The story line might sound a bit clique, but it worked for me. I think the author's writing style was just right to carry this story and make it fresh. His writing kept the novel moving as a pace that held my interest. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys WWII settings or political detective stories. The love story was not as integral, but was a nice sideline that added a bit of depth.
I am thankful to NetGalley and the publisher for making this ebook available to me.

[Felicity Gibson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Red Chrysanthemum: Henry F. Mazel
13th January 2014

The book starts with the official surrender of Japan in Tokyo Bay. The protagonist Alex Rada, works as a minor translator and finds himself moved unexpectedly to the military police. He is partnered with a former member of Japanese Naval intelligence and sent on a secret mission. Rada is bewildered by this event. He is an ardent anti-communist and cannot understand why he is the picked one. Rada is involved in an assassination and tries desperately to clear his name. His efforts uncover conflicts between different parts of the armed forces at the highest level.
This is a book which twists and turns with action. The setting of Japan and the bombed out cities and the impact of defeat are excellent. I enjoyed the writer’s style which was just perfect to carry this story along. The love story was not pivotal but a pleasant personal interlude to all the action.
I give this novel 4 stars.
Thank you Netgalley for making this ebook available to me.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in Tokyo during the occupation, the narrator, Rada, is a screw-up of an ex-cop, now translator, who mainly gets through each day doing as little translation as possible, until he is set up for a murder. Add into the mix a plot headed by McArthur, a link to Nimitz through Rada’s Japanese counterpart, Jinno, a girl turned hooker trying to save her brother, listening devices planted in the U.S. Embassy before the war by the Japanese builder, communists and on and on. Tons of things going on, even though it’s a short little book. Lots of Japanese history included which was fun. Parts of the story sound so probable, you may find yourself looking it up to check. Received free copy for review.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

"When I started this I wasn't sure I would be reading it through to the end because there was just something about the style of the writing that failed to grab me but I looked at the slimness and pushed through. The story itself just scooped me up and transported me away from my reader's skepticism, suspended my belief, and I ended up speeding right along."
read more: http://likeiamfeasting.blogspot.com/2...

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a 180 from what I was expecting. I was expecting a deep, dark, and sad story. There were times that I laughted and kept reading waiting to see what would befall the poor guy. Going to see if I can find more by Henry F. Mazel.

I received this e-book from NetGalley for free for an honest review.

[Henry F. · Rating 5 out of 5]

-- Daya Benn (at The Spruence Center)

A Remarkable book. A landmark novel. Mazel captures the feel and pulse of post-war Japan. An extraordinarily engaging and imaginative work. Perhaps the best Occupation novel since ‘Where are the Victors.’

Also available on Kindle (HFM)

[Sorcha]

full review can be found here:

https://nordie.wordpress.com/2016/11/...