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The Bear and the Paving Stone
Winner of the prestigious Akutagawa Prize, three dream-like tales of memory and war Visiting a friend in the French countryside, a man finds himself cast into the quandaries of historical whim, religious identity, and seeing without sight; a walk along the seashore, upon the anniversary of a death, becomes a reverie on building sandcastles; and an innocent break-in at the ruins of an archbishop's residence takes a turn towards disaster. In three stories that prove the unavoidable connections of our past, Toshiyuki Horie creates a haunting world of dreams and memories where everyone ends up where they began - whether they want to or not. Toshiyuki Horie (born 1964) is a scholar of French literature and a professor at Waseda University. He has won many literary prizes, including the Mishima Yukio Prize, Akutagawa Prize (for The Bear and the Paving Stone ), the Kawabata Yasunari Prize, the Tanizaki Jun'ichiro Prize and the Yomiuri Prize for Literature (twice).
123 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2001
19 people are currently reading
1380 people want to read
About the author
Toshiyuki Horie
46 books19 followersToshiyuki Horie (堀江 敏幸 Horie Toshiyuki, born January 3, 1964) is a Japanese author and translator.
Horie was born in Gifu Prefecture, and studied at Waseda University, where he now is a professor of creative writing. He studied for three years at the University of Paris III on a French government scholarship.
Horie, who is also a member of many literary prize selection committees, is a critic and translator of authors including Michel Foucault, Hervé Guibert, Michel Rio, and Jacques Réda.
His books have been translated into French and Korean.
Books (selection)
Kōgai e (郊外へ, "To the Suburbs"), 1995
Shigosen wo motomete (子午線を求めて, "In Search of the Meridian"), 2000
Kakareru te (書かれる手, "The Hand Which is Written"), 2000
1999 Mishima Prize for Oparavan (おぱらばん)
2001 Akutagawa Prize for Kuma no shikiishi (The Bear And The Paving Stone, 熊の敷石)
2004 Tanizaki Prize for Yukinuma to sono shūhen (Yukinuma and Its Environs, 雪沼とその周辺)
2005 Yomiuri Prize for Kagan bōjitsushō
2010 Yomiuri Prize, Section for Essay & Travelogue, for Seigen Kyokusen (正弦曲線, "Sine Curve")
2012 Sei Itō Literary Prize for Nazuna (なずな)
2013 Mainichi Book Review Prize for Furiko de kotoba wo saguru yō ni (振り子で言葉を探るように, "Like Fumbling for Words with a Pendulum")
(from Wikipedia)
Horie was born in Gifu Prefecture, and studied at Waseda University, where he now is a professor of creative writing. He studied for three years at the University of Paris III on a French government scholarship.
Horie, who is also a member of many literary prize selection committees, is a critic and translator of authors including Michel Foucault, Hervé Guibert, Michel Rio, and Jacques Réda.
His books have been translated into French and Korean.
Books (selection)
Kōgai e (郊外へ, "To the Suburbs"), 1995
Shigosen wo motomete (子午線を求めて, "In Search of the Meridian"), 2000
Kakareru te (書かれる手, "The Hand Which is Written"), 2000
1999 Mishima Prize for Oparavan (おぱらばん)
2001 Akutagawa Prize for Kuma no shikiishi (The Bear And The Paving Stone, 熊の敷石)
2004 Tanizaki Prize for Yukinuma to sono shūhen (Yukinuma and Its Environs, 雪沼とその周辺)
2005 Yomiuri Prize for Kagan bōjitsushō
2010 Yomiuri Prize, Section for Essay & Travelogue, for Seigen Kyokusen (正弦曲線, "Sine Curve")
2012 Sei Itō Literary Prize for Nazuna (なずな)
2013 Mainichi Book Review Prize for Furiko de kotoba wo saguru yō ni (振り子で言葉を探るように, "Like Fumbling for Words with a Pendulum")
(from Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews
March 16, 2021
Three stories pulling you into a melancholy world, full of castles, past, surprising layers and filmic scenes
The titular story of The Bear and the Paving Stone is surprisingly long, covering 85 pages, and details a lightly sketched narrator visiting an almost estranged Jewish friend living near Mont Saint-Michel. Toshiyuki Horie deftly leaps through time and in a seemingly effortless manner dives deeper into the history between the characters, including unexpected links between contemporary photography and the Holocaust, philosophy and the care for a blind child.
The second story is set on a beach, with someone mourning and obsessed with building sand castles and watching these being swept away by the tide being the most satisfying.
Finally there is a story about a clandestine trip to a castle, and being abandoned and threatened.
Especially the title story captivated me, and anything more substantial of Horie I definitely would like to read in the future.
The titular story of The Bear and the Paving Stone is surprisingly long, covering 85 pages, and details a lightly sketched narrator visiting an almost estranged Jewish friend living near Mont Saint-Michel. Toshiyuki Horie deftly leaps through time and in a seemingly effortless manner dives deeper into the history between the characters, including unexpected links between contemporary photography and the Holocaust, philosophy and the care for a blind child.
The second story is set on a beach, with someone mourning and obsessed with building sand castles and watching these being swept away by the tide being the most satisfying.
Finally there is a story about a clandestine trip to a castle, and being abandoned and threatened.
Especially the title story captivated me, and anything more substantial of Horie I definitely would like to read in the future.
August 13, 2018
This is a difficult book to assess as I am still considering what I think about it. That, in itself, is usually a good thing. The three stories all consider the fluidity of the worlds of thought, time, memories...all of these important mental constructs upon which we base our lives. I will admit to becoming a bit lost in the reading at times, along with some of the characters. But as I write this review, I am thinking—maybe I need to read this again someday, especially the title story, but not right away. I found the Sandman story more approachable, while it also deals with those odd and tenuous relationships slipping and sliding in time.
How to rate this. I want half stars so badly. 3.5* seems the correct rating, while 4 seems too high for my confused impressions. So 3 it will have to be until I perhaps read this again someday.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
How to rate this. I want half stars so badly. 3.5* seems the correct rating, while 4 seems too high for my confused impressions. So 3 it will have to be until I perhaps read this again someday.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
March 5, 2018
3.5 stars, rounded up.
A small collection of three stories. These stories are so quiet, it's easy to think they're insubstantial. No drama and no plot; these are like whispers, or the sound of waves as they recede from the shore. It was a bit like entering a dream world—a word or an action leads to memories, or to the imagination taking flight. Loss, nostalgia, and a melancholic, bittersweet feeling pervade throughout, but I still felt strangely nourished when I finished.
The only that lowered my star rating is the fact that these pieces flirted with the surreal and the strange, but that aspect of it never really fully bloomed. I would have liked these to be a little stranger.
A small collection of three stories. These stories are so quiet, it's easy to think they're insubstantial. No drama and no plot; these are like whispers, or the sound of waves as they recede from the shore. It was a bit like entering a dream world—a word or an action leads to memories, or to the imagination taking flight. Loss, nostalgia, and a melancholic, bittersweet feeling pervade throughout, but I still felt strangely nourished when I finished.
The only that lowered my star rating is the fact that these pieces flirted with the surreal and the strange, but that aspect of it never really fully bloomed. I would have liked these to be a little stranger.
April 3, 2024
Nieco melancholijna, wielowarstwowa, dotykająca szerokiej gamy tematów, ale nie zrobiła na mnie większego wrażenia.
February 14, 2018
This is a collection three very good short stories covering many different topics. They were interesting and engaging and I would like to read more from this author.
July 13, 2023
The first novella revolved on a reminiscing memories but the way the plot developed was a bit plain, nothing compelling. It was dreamy and melodrama, a talk and snippet of literature-- which I think this part was more of author's admiration towards Littré. I got lost for few times reading the story, and the biography part was really draggy to the point I thought I was reading Littré instead of a novella written by Horie. I don't really favor this one that much. The second novella was okay, a bit strange and mellow, a recollection of memories and reconnecting whats missing. The last novella probably my favorite. Nostalgic and quite deep.
This book honestly giving you a classic vibe, the vintage way of slice of life literature. Not much that I fancy anyway.
This book honestly giving you a classic vibe, the vintage way of slice of life literature. Not much that I fancy anyway.
February 28, 2018
What a strange dream-like world Toshiyuki Horie has created in these three stories. I came across this book entirely by chance, but what caught my eye was that the publishers are Pushkin Press, which a friend of mine loves. So, my friend and I started reading this together, and I loved the interlacing of memory in all the three stories.
There is a sense of loss, of nostalgia, for the past, for what may have been, but Horie surrounds it with a gentle touch of wisdom. You don't feel sad when you read about the loss. You just feel for Life, because this is what Life does to us. We are left with the memories of desire, of haunted ghosts of past regrets, and the utter magic of reliving our life through the sunlight-dipped glasses of memories.
There is a sense of loss, of nostalgia, for the past, for what may have been, but Horie surrounds it with a gentle touch of wisdom. You don't feel sad when you read about the loss. You just feel for Life, because this is what Life does to us. We are left with the memories of desire, of haunted ghosts of past regrets, and the utter magic of reliving our life through the sunlight-dipped glasses of memories.
July 8, 2018
Lovely, deeply humane stories. There's not much in the way of literary fireworks here and those looking for something innovative or showy will be disappointed (although the first story does have some clever linguistic and historical surprises up its discreetly smoothed down sleeve), but these are very good examples of warm, searching, tender Japanese realism. Horie is a careful guide to the thoughts and feelings of people that could be me or you or really anyone. Highly recommended.
April 6, 2025
An enjoyable, quick read about literally nothing
March 24, 2018
In the course of under 200 pages, Horie ties several threads together that would seem to have no connection, but such is the globalized world that a Japanese student studying in Paris has such a fertile mind that makes this possible. Our narrator is a translator with an unusual occupation - he transcribes portions of books for the benefit of publishers in order that they may determine whether or not to translate the entire work into Japanese. This book, which I am glad has passed this test, consists of three memory interludes experienced by our guide: he spends time in Normandy visiting a friend, musing on the Fables of Jean de La Fontaine as well as the history and development of the definitive French Dictionary by Émile Littré. Looking at the mysterious Mont St. Michele from an an unusual angle. That being the longest section. The two shorter installments are none the less equally memorable - one on the importance of impermanence as exemplified by sand castles, and the other, what does memory hold when in the ruins of a monastery again, in Normandy. If anything, I only wish there were more. Some of the endings are curiously abrupt, leaving me to wonder if there is more or if he feels he made his point and need say no more. This will definitely require a second reading.
January 9, 2020
I once had a lecture rabout kazuo ishiguro and "the texture of memory" which I understood to mean half-arsed plotless wandering. I feel like if i had put my hand up and name dropped this bad lad I would have gotten an appreciative nod from the lecturer.
It is entirely focused on different forms of memory and how we interact with them, intergenerational trauma, physical pain, changing landscapea, aging and loss viewed through autobiographies, sandcastles, photographs. And I was into it, I really was. I thought I'd finally found one of this collection I was going to give more than 3 stars, but then a fatal mistake was made. The author tried to write about women.
Oh god, if I read one more middle aged man try to justify looking down a CHILDS shirt because she 'suddenly looked like a woman' I'm going to die. Even when when it wasnt borderline nonce behaviour, it was painful. Like not only had he never met a woman, but he had been raised on an alien planet where the only form of life was sexy vegetable matter, and any bipedal being was bound to be sexualised with all the subtlety of a lecherous sledgehammer.
Also the author was really into Normandy and getting there by train from Paris... Like really into it...
It is entirely focused on different forms of memory and how we interact with them, intergenerational trauma, physical pain, changing landscapea, aging and loss viewed through autobiographies, sandcastles, photographs. And I was into it, I really was. I thought I'd finally found one of this collection I was going to give more than 3 stars, but then a fatal mistake was made. The author tried to write about women.
Oh god, if I read one more middle aged man try to justify looking down a CHILDS shirt because she 'suddenly looked like a woman' I'm going to die. Even when when it wasnt borderline nonce behaviour, it was painful. Like not only had he never met a woman, but he had been raised on an alien planet where the only form of life was sexy vegetable matter, and any bipedal being was bound to be sexualised with all the subtlety of a lecherous sledgehammer.
Also the author was really into Normandy and getting there by train from Paris... Like really into it...
March 1, 2024
Contrairement aux commentaires de lecteurs des éditions anglaises, l'édition de la NRF ne possède qu'un seul texte : « Le pavé de l'ours », ce qui n'est pas plus mal, d'ailleurs, ce court roman (cette novella ?) se suffit à lui-même et on aurait raté quelque chose, je pense, à le noyer dans un cadre de lectures plurielles.
Pour autant, je n'avais aucune attente particulière, si ce n'est peut-être un vague désintérêt. Je ne me souviens même pas vraiment des raisons pour lesquelles je l'ai récupéré, le jour où je l'ai acheté. La quatrième de couverture ne m'aurait pas engagé d'habitude. Pourtant, je ne peux que me réjouir de la curiosité qui m'a poussée ce jour-là à le récupérer. Il ne m'a fallu que quelques pages avant de me laisser glisser par la plume de l'auteur (grâce au travail soigné de sa traductrice).
C’est un de ces romans d’instantanés, articulé autour d’une rencontre brève entre deux individus, de laquelle en ressort tout autre chose. C’est un chassé-croisé de souvenirs du narrateur ; de ceux évoqués par la reconnaissance en son interlocuteur de gestes familiers, ou au contraire surprenants ; de détours et crochets que prennent toujours les conversations au gré des pensées virevoltantes de ceux qui les animent.
On navigue donc à l’aveugle dans un récit contemplatif qui semble guidé par sa narration homodiégétique (à la première personne) mais qui, de fait, est sans cesse bouleversé par les entrecroisements avec son interlocuteur, Yann. Un ami du temps qu’il était étudiant à Paris, qu’il revoit pour la première fois après plusieurs années mais avec lequel il semble retrouver la même familière, comme s’ils n’avaient jamais cessé de se parler.
Et tandis qu’ils naviguent sur les routes de Normandie, les amenant dans la contré natale d’Emile Littré, dont le narrateur est justement en train d’en traduire la biographie, cette coïncidence bienheureuse les amène, par d’étonnants glissements de pensées, à passer d’échanges sur la poétique et la littérature, à celui, entre autres, de la mémoire et de sa transmission, notamment des camps de concentration desquels ont survécu Primo Lévy, Jorge Semprun.
C’est également par le biais d’une photo que Yann tient à donner au narrateur, que la discussion prend un tournant plus personnel, dans l’intimité du photographe. Là où le narrateur ne voit qu’une photo d’usine abandonnée, les barbelés ramènent Yann, lui, à la mémoire douloureuse de sa propre famille, et notamment de sa grand-mère, qui a elle aussi survécu aux atrocités de la guerre.
Mais ce n’est que plus tard, revenu à la littérature, à Littré, que par hasard, le narrateur va tomber sur la Fable qui donne le titre au roman et lui fait réaliser que, peut-être, à sa manière et sans le vouloir, lui-même a été tel le pavé de l’ours pour son ami.
Le roman est une délicate transposition de la Fable, « L’ours et l’amateur des jardins », qu’il m’a fait découvrir, me rappelant la beauté des vers de La Fontaine.
«
Pour autant, je n'avais aucune attente particulière, si ce n'est peut-être un vague désintérêt. Je ne me souviens même pas vraiment des raisons pour lesquelles je l'ai récupéré, le jour où je l'ai acheté. La quatrième de couverture ne m'aurait pas engagé d'habitude. Pourtant, je ne peux que me réjouir de la curiosité qui m'a poussée ce jour-là à le récupérer. Il ne m'a fallu que quelques pages avant de me laisser glisser par la plume de l'auteur (grâce au travail soigné de sa traductrice).
C’est un de ces romans d’instantanés, articulé autour d’une rencontre brève entre deux individus, de laquelle en ressort tout autre chose. C’est un chassé-croisé de souvenirs du narrateur ; de ceux évoqués par la reconnaissance en son interlocuteur de gestes familiers, ou au contraire surprenants ; de détours et crochets que prennent toujours les conversations au gré des pensées virevoltantes de ceux qui les animent.
On navigue donc à l’aveugle dans un récit contemplatif qui semble guidé par sa narration homodiégétique (à la première personne) mais qui, de fait, est sans cesse bouleversé par les entrecroisements avec son interlocuteur, Yann. Un ami du temps qu’il était étudiant à Paris, qu’il revoit pour la première fois après plusieurs années mais avec lequel il semble retrouver la même familière, comme s’ils n’avaient jamais cessé de se parler.
Et tandis qu’ils naviguent sur les routes de Normandie, les amenant dans la contré natale d’Emile Littré, dont le narrateur est justement en train d’en traduire la biographie, cette coïncidence bienheureuse les amène, par d’étonnants glissements de pensées, à passer d’échanges sur la poétique et la littérature, à celui, entre autres, de la mémoire et de sa transmission, notamment des camps de concentration desquels ont survécu Primo Lévy, Jorge Semprun.
C’est également par le biais d’une photo que Yann tient à donner au narrateur, que la discussion prend un tournant plus personnel, dans l’intimité du photographe. Là où le narrateur ne voit qu’une photo d’usine abandonnée, les barbelés ramènent Yann, lui, à la mémoire douloureuse de sa propre famille, et notamment de sa grand-mère, qui a elle aussi survécu aux atrocités de la guerre.
Mais ce n’est que plus tard, revenu à la littérature, à Littré, que par hasard, le narrateur va tomber sur la Fable qui donne le titre au roman et lui fait réaliser que, peut-être, à sa manière et sans le vouloir, lui-même a été tel le pavé de l’ours pour son ami.
Le roman est une délicate transposition de la Fable, « L’ours et l’amateur des jardins », qu’il m’a fait découvrir, me rappelant la beauté des vers de La Fontaine.
«
Un jour que le vieillard dormait d'un profond somme,»
Sur le bout de son nez une allant se placer
Mit l'Ours au désespoir ; il eut beau la chasser.
Je t'attraperai bien, dit-il. Et voici comme.
Aussitôt fait que dit ; le fidèle émoucheur
Vous empoigne un pavé, le lance avec roideur,
Casse la tête à l'homme en écrasant la mouche,
Et non moins bon archer que mauvais raisonneur :
Roide mort étendu sur la place il le couche.
Rien n'est si dangereux qu'un ignorant ami ;
Mieux vaudrait un sage ennemi.
April 4, 2020
Yeah... I quite liked these three short stories. They had something to them. I was surprised to see that the translator is a former colleague of mine, too. While the stories were good, and I enjoyed the translation, I must say that there were quite a few typos in the text that editor, copyeditor, and proofreader really SHOULD have picked up on. It's a shame (when you're paying £7.99 for a book) that it's not being made to a good standard. That gripe aside, I quite enjoyed this.
June 24, 2024
This was not particularly enjoyable. One thing the author does well is to tie loose ends together even though the stories ultimately come across as pretentious and needlessly philosophical. The narrator is left unnamed but the stories are realistic enough for me to think that the writer is the persona. If this is what happens when Japanese and French cultures mix, then I don't want to read more of it. The sandman is coming was rather sweet but the other stories were quite dull and Horie just seemed as though he felt the need to yap for many pages. I would not recommend this one although I do in part blame the fact that it's translated. This seems as though it relies a lot on the sort of language used and in English it didn't serve the same purpose in my opinion.
February 8, 2018
Piękna okładka - zresztą jak w całej japońskiej serii Pushkin Press. Pierwsza długa nowela mi się bardzo podobała, ale pozostałe dwa krótkie opowiadania - średnio. Nie wnosiły nic nowego, były odtwórcze: zarówno w kwestii formy, jak i tematu, wobec tytułowej noweli.
February 17, 2025
1.5
I have no idea what this book was trying to achieve
I have no idea what this book was trying to achieve
January 27, 2018
The Bear and the Paving Stone, by Toshiyuki Horie (translated by Geraint Howells), is a collection of three stories by this award winning Japanese author. The titular tale takes up the bulk of the book and tells of a visit to France where the narrator meets an old friend from his university days. He has been working in Paris, translating a biography of lexicographer and philosopher Émile Littré. Upon finding himself with a little free time he contacts Yann, a freelance photographer, and arranges to meet.
The story describes a vivid dream, a train journey, and the days spent with Yann who invites the narrator to stay for a few days at the place he is renting. It is close to the town where the Littré family lived and also to Mont Saint-Michel, a Gothic monastery which the men travel to view.
As conversations with friends are wont to do there are many changes of direction. The pair reminisce on how they met and on events from their past. Yann is Jewish and his thoughts turn to the impact of the war on his family. The narrator is disturbed by the emotions evoked by some of the photographs Yann offers him as a souvenir.
When his friend must leave for a prearranged journey to Ireland the narrator stays on in Yann’s house, meeting his landlady and neighbour, Catherine, and her young son. He finds connections in the books he is reading, his dreams and one of the child’s favoured toys.
The second story in the collection, The Sandman is Coming, is set on a beach in Japan. The narrator is walking with an old friend’s younger sister and her child, remembering time spent together with her brother in this place. The man is visiting the seaside town to mark the second anniversary of his friend’s death. When younger he would visit each summer and the three would construct impressive sandcastles on the beach. Now the daughter is just s few years younger than her mother when they first met, although more vivid are the narrator’s memories of her when she was fifteen, her cleavage garnering several mentions.
The final story, In The Old Castle, returns to France. The narrator has been sent a photograph of himself taken many years ago when he visited a friend in Normandy to meet his new partner. Incidents during the journey irk him. He is then critical of his friend’s partner’s looks, focusing on how plump she is rather than the welcome she offers. They visit a partially restored castle, breaking in to look around. Initially excited by their daring, events soon take a darker turn.
The writing is calm and restrained, covering many topics and finding overlaps as each tale progresses. The imagery is strong as are the character portrayals although the style remains understated. The theme of old friendships portrays the reliance on shared memory rather than where they are in their lives today.
An enjoyable read with plenty to unpack and consider. Another fine addition to the publisher’s Japanese novella series.
My copy of this book was provided gratis by the publisher, Pushkin Press.
The story describes a vivid dream, a train journey, and the days spent with Yann who invites the narrator to stay for a few days at the place he is renting. It is close to the town where the Littré family lived and also to Mont Saint-Michel, a Gothic monastery which the men travel to view.
As conversations with friends are wont to do there are many changes of direction. The pair reminisce on how they met and on events from their past. Yann is Jewish and his thoughts turn to the impact of the war on his family. The narrator is disturbed by the emotions evoked by some of the photographs Yann offers him as a souvenir.
When his friend must leave for a prearranged journey to Ireland the narrator stays on in Yann’s house, meeting his landlady and neighbour, Catherine, and her young son. He finds connections in the books he is reading, his dreams and one of the child’s favoured toys.
The second story in the collection, The Sandman is Coming, is set on a beach in Japan. The narrator is walking with an old friend’s younger sister and her child, remembering time spent together with her brother in this place. The man is visiting the seaside town to mark the second anniversary of his friend’s death. When younger he would visit each summer and the three would construct impressive sandcastles on the beach. Now the daughter is just s few years younger than her mother when they first met, although more vivid are the narrator’s memories of her when she was fifteen, her cleavage garnering several mentions.
The final story, In The Old Castle, returns to France. The narrator has been sent a photograph of himself taken many years ago when he visited a friend in Normandy to meet his new partner. Incidents during the journey irk him. He is then critical of his friend’s partner’s looks, focusing on how plump she is rather than the welcome she offers. They visit a partially restored castle, breaking in to look around. Initially excited by their daring, events soon take a darker turn.
The writing is calm and restrained, covering many topics and finding overlaps as each tale progresses. The imagery is strong as are the character portrayals although the style remains understated. The theme of old friendships portrays the reliance on shared memory rather than where they are in their lives today.
An enjoyable read with plenty to unpack and consider. Another fine addition to the publisher’s Japanese novella series.
My copy of this book was provided gratis by the publisher, Pushkin Press.
April 10, 2025
I don't know...... I guess my reasons for not really liking this short collection of three short stories are pretty shallow but that's just how I feel. There isn't even a straightforward way to describe what kind of stories they are. If I had to, loosely, I'd say, 'some guy thinking hard about other guys and objectifying women'.
The first story, 'The Bear and the Paving Stone', is about a guy who visits his Jewish friend living in France and there are lots of references to the holocaust meant to generate sympathy for the persecuted Jews but also a reference to “Palestinian terrorists” who bombed a restaurant. I’ve included the passage, see for yourself if it’s a neutral portrayal or not. I’m of the opinion that it is not, and that it added nothing to the story. Could have been left out entirely. The funny thing is that right after that, his Jewish friend shoplifts a tin of Dolma from a store.
The second story, 'The Sandman is Coming', rubbed me the wrong way because the narrator is talking about his dead friend's younger sister, who he met when she was six and he was twenty. They meet again eighteen years later but he mentioned her underaged cleavage TWICE. That is two times too many. I guess it's meant to be a somewhat romantic story (or at least it had the potential to be), like they reunite many years and one failed marriage later as adults, but it seemed like her attraction lay in how she looked like when she was younger. Ummmmmm.
In the third story, 'In the Old Castle', some guy goes to Normandy to visit his friend and finds out that his friend’s new girlfriend is much older. There’s a lot of focus on her unattractive looks. They trespass onto an old castle and the narrator accidentally gets locked in. That’s all.
The first story, 'The Bear and the Paving Stone', is about a guy who visits his Jewish friend living in France and there are lots of references to the holocaust meant to generate sympathy for the persecuted Jews but also a reference to “Palestinian terrorists” who bombed a restaurant. I’ve included the passage, see for yourself if it’s a neutral portrayal or not. I’m of the opinion that it is not, and that it added nothing to the story. Could have been left out entirely. The funny thing is that right after that, his Jewish friend shoplifts a tin of Dolma from a store.
The second story, 'The Sandman is Coming', rubbed me the wrong way because the narrator is talking about his dead friend's younger sister, who he met when she was six and he was twenty. They meet again eighteen years later but he mentioned her underaged cleavage TWICE. That is two times too many. I guess it's meant to be a somewhat romantic story (or at least it had the potential to be), like they reunite many years and one failed marriage later as adults, but it seemed like her attraction lay in how she looked like when she was younger. Ummmmmm.
In the third story, 'In the Old Castle', some guy goes to Normandy to visit his friend and finds out that his friend’s new girlfriend is much older. There’s a lot of focus on her unattractive looks. They trespass onto an old castle and the narrator accidentally gets locked in. That’s all.
December 16, 2018
Toshiyuki Horie’s collection of short stories leaves much to be reflected upon and considered. The writing contains a dreamlike quality, a characteristic I have noticed in many Japanese novels I have read thus far. Thus creating a very reading experience from American and English novels which are largely driven by plot and characters, this series of short stories is rather reflective. Nothing happens and nothing progresses and the characters themselves search for meaning within their lives or attempt to reconcile past events. In this sense, I thought it reflected reality more.
Due to this all three short stories contained a surreal element to them, it created a space where time was lost and no longer seemed to hold meaning as Horie seamlessly blended past events with the present in order to observe how the past continues to impact character’s present. I also found myself continuously searching for meaning in events or symbols that appeared throughout a narrative but eventually came to the realisation that often, there is no meaning hidden behind them. The events simply are, just like they are in life.
*Thank you to Edelweiss for providing me with an Advanced Request Copy in exchange for an honest review.*
Due to this all three short stories contained a surreal element to them, it created a space where time was lost and no longer seemed to hold meaning as Horie seamlessly blended past events with the present in order to observe how the past continues to impact character’s present. I also found myself continuously searching for meaning in events or symbols that appeared throughout a narrative but eventually came to the realisation that often, there is no meaning hidden behind them. The events simply are, just like they are in life.
*Thank you to Edelweiss for providing me with an Advanced Request Copy in exchange for an honest review.*
August 17, 2024
Also on Snow White Hates Apples.
This doesn’t happen often, but The Bear and the Paving Stone had me lost in a way where I wasn’t enthralled by what was written but rather, unable to comprehend its essence.
Sure, I could see that this collection has to do with memory, time and history — that the characters were all reminiscing the past while some considered the present. I could feel the weight of the subjects being explored. But, beyond reading the words and getting the point of each short story? Nada.
There’s just too much unnecessary yapping, especially in the titular piece where the narrator visits his friend in Normandy and finds himself perplexed by history, the personal pasts and presents of people around him and seeing instead of simply looking. Really, it felt more like a less lyrical ode to Littré and I couldn’t see the point of such lengthy paragraphs on him in the short story.
The second piece, ‘ The Sandman is Coming ' made more sense to me since it explored memories, time and personal history more linearly. Here, a man follows the younger sister of a deceased close friend and her daughter on a walk along the seashore. They contemplate their shared past and the short story becomes a reverie of sorts on building sandcastles because memories are like them. You create one, only for it to be washed away in time.
The final piece, ‘ In the Old Castle ' left the smallest impression on me. It’s a short story where the narrator receives a surprise letter from an old friend and takes a trip down memory lane to whence he and said friend broke into the ruins of an archbishop’s residence. Nothing compelling.
Overall, these pieces were akin to the dried leaves on the ground, moving only when a breeze passed them. Quiet, unnoticeable unless you’re paying attention, and rather insubstantial on their own. This collection is a bud that could’ve bloomed into a gorgeous, melancholic fever-like dream of a flower had it possessed more than a touch of surrealism.
This doesn’t happen often, but The Bear and the Paving Stone had me lost in a way where I wasn’t enthralled by what was written but rather, unable to comprehend its essence.
Sure, I could see that this collection has to do with memory, time and history — that the characters were all reminiscing the past while some considered the present. I could feel the weight of the subjects being explored. But, beyond reading the words and getting the point of each short story? Nada.
There’s just too much unnecessary yapping, especially in the titular piece where the narrator visits his friend in Normandy and finds himself perplexed by history, the personal pasts and presents of people around him and seeing instead of simply looking. Really, it felt more like a less lyrical ode to Littré and I couldn’t see the point of such lengthy paragraphs on him in the short story.
The second piece, ‘ The Sandman is Coming ' made more sense to me since it explored memories, time and personal history more linearly. Here, a man follows the younger sister of a deceased close friend and her daughter on a walk along the seashore. They contemplate their shared past and the short story becomes a reverie of sorts on building sandcastles because memories are like them. You create one, only for it to be washed away in time.
The final piece, ‘ In the Old Castle ' left the smallest impression on me. It’s a short story where the narrator receives a surprise letter from an old friend and takes a trip down memory lane to whence he and said friend broke into the ruins of an archbishop’s residence. Nothing compelling.
Overall, these pieces were akin to the dried leaves on the ground, moving only when a breeze passed them. Quiet, unnoticeable unless you’re paying attention, and rather insubstantial on their own. This collection is a bud that could’ve bloomed into a gorgeous, melancholic fever-like dream of a flower had it possessed more than a touch of surrealism.
May 22, 2024
It was a good novella, involving three different short stories that were more or less kind of theme-related. I really enjoyed the connection established by the author between Japan and France; as a French woman who usually reads about foreigners going and experiencing Japan, it was a fascinating perspective to discover! I found myself more interested in the first short story though (perhaps because it was longer than the other ones so I'd had time to get emotionally attached to the characters). The other two were well-written and translated though!
I may re-read it in the future, to understand the underlying themes better--among them were, for instance, the cruelties done during World War II.
I will recommend it!
I may re-read it in the future, to understand the underlying themes better--among them were, for instance, the cruelties done during World War II.
I will recommend it!
June 21, 2018
3.5/5 stars
I received an advance copy of this title in exchange for an honest review
The artistry of this author is unmistakable. Even with the language and cultural gaps, it is easy to feel the precise imagery and psychological character development. The first and third stories have endings that feel abrupt and perhaps even absurd, but the fact that there is so much interweaving of elements among the tales makes it less problematic. Also, there is a fragmentary nature to the life of the narrator that is underscored by these endings. A note about the translation: it feels inconsistent. Some places flow cleanly and intricately while others dissolve into cliche.
I received an advance copy of this title in exchange for an honest review
The artistry of this author is unmistakable. Even with the language and cultural gaps, it is easy to feel the precise imagery and psychological character development. The first and third stories have endings that feel abrupt and perhaps even absurd, but the fact that there is so much interweaving of elements among the tales makes it less problematic. Also, there is a fragmentary nature to the life of the narrator that is underscored by these endings. A note about the translation: it feels inconsistent. Some places flow cleanly and intricately while others dissolve into cliche.
November 4, 2023
I enjoyed the author's descriptions of the Normandy coastline and countryside, the views of Mont St. Michel in Brittany, the stories of the old friends the narrator visits near these places.
The second story is the narrator's poignant look at a young girl as she grows up with the same passion - building sandcastles on the beach, at ages 6, 15, and in her 20s as a young mother.
The third story is humorous and another adventure in Normandy with the Japanese narrator, who like the author, is a scholar and teacher of French literature.
I found these stories interesting because of the author's unique point of view, his humor, and interest in the human condition.
The second story is the narrator's poignant look at a young girl as she grows up with the same passion - building sandcastles on the beach, at ages 6, 15, and in her 20s as a young mother.
The third story is humorous and another adventure in Normandy with the Japanese narrator, who like the author, is a scholar and teacher of French literature.
I found these stories interesting because of the author's unique point of view, his humor, and interest in the human condition.
November 4, 2025
This was a quick read written by a French scholar and professor at Waseda University. He is a Japanese translator who travels to the countryside of France to reunite with former friends from his younger years. Castles and my two favorite sweets, carrot cake & rhubarb pie, seem to be of great connection for him to his European friends. You can get a sense of the French lifestyle (the house had a small brick structure in the yard used as an oven for baking bread, a common French tradition) and history from this book.
It had a feeling of finding deeper meaning in the mundane and the transient that I really appreciated.
It had a feeling of finding deeper meaning in the mundane and the transient that I really appreciated.
February 13, 2019
Collection of three short stories about a Japanese guy’s experiences in France and Japan. All three stories are memories of the protagonist, some weird way connected to each other even though none of the stories crosses another one,or none of the characters are repeated.
Easy to read and experience same complexed emotions the main character went through long ago. I read this book while taking the train from Brooklyn to work, and I’d always look forward to the morning to come, so I could go back to it.
Easy to read and experience same complexed emotions the main character went through long ago. I read this book while taking the train from Brooklyn to work, and I’d always look forward to the morning to come, so I could go back to it.
November 25, 2019
I guess it is a Japanese thing where we are to get the meaning of their stories somewhere within the story and that there's no definite answer to anything. I see it in all the Japanese writers I've read and it is not a bad thing either, it is either your cup of tea or not.
While the stories that Toshiyuki write are ok, there are no unique elements that shout out to me, like how Murakami does. Generally an ok book to while away your time.
While the stories that Toshiyuki write are ok, there are no unique elements that shout out to me, like how Murakami does. Generally an ok book to while away your time.
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December 10, 2019dnf. this is probably the slow-burn apocalypse and we’re all gonna die and I don’t want to spend time reading #ContemporaryLiterature where bland people do nothing for 100pgs
November 18, 2022
Quisiera darle mas estrellas pero es que no encuentro el hilo conector de todo esto. Igual el segundo capitulo? relato? sobre castillos de arena me pareció hermoso ♥
November 7, 2018
If I could I would give this 3.5 but it's not good enough for a 4. I enjoyed Horie's writing style but didn't feel inspired to ponder the hidden depths to these 3 tales. They just didn't grab my imagination.
October 27, 2025
Intelligent and well made stories. Some translating errors though.
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