Herr Katō spielt Familie

by Milena Michiko Flašar

"Tokyo-born-and-raised multilingual Nishii makes an ideal cipher for the recently retired Mr Katō..."—Booklist

Milena Michiko Flašar's Mr Katō Plays Family is an eccentric second-lease-on-life novel for fans of A Man Called Ove and Beautiful World, Where Are You.

Mr Katō—a curmudgeon and recent retiree—finds his only solace during his daily walks, where he wonders how his life went wrong and daydreams about getting a dog (which his wife won’t allow). During one of these walks, he is approached by a young woman. She calls herself Mie, and invites him to join her business Happy Family, where employees act as part-time relatives or acquaintances for clients in need, for whatever reason, if only for a day.

At first reluctant, but then intrigued, he takes the job without telling his wife or adult children. Through the many roles he takes on, Mr Katō rediscovers the excitement and spontaneity of life, and re-examines his role in his own family. Using lessons learned with his “play families,” he strives to reconnect with his loved ones, to become the father and husband they deserve, and to live the life he’s always wanted.

A Macmillan Audio production from Forge Books.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Japan, Audiobook, German Literature, Adult Fiction, Asian Literature

176 pages, Hardcover

First published February 2, 2018

About the author

Milena Michiko Flašar (St. Pölten, 1980) studied comparative literature, Germanic and Roman languages at the University of Vienna, and taught German to non-native speakers. After several successful publications in a variety of literary magazines, she made her debut in 2008 with the collection Ich bin (I am). This volume includes three short stories about love and parting. The short story Okaasan – Meine unbekannte Mutter (Okaasan – My unfamiliar Mother) appeared in 2010, telling the story of her dying demented mother. She has received several prizes and scholarships for her work. Meanwhile she has started writing full-time. In feburary 2012 her new book Ich nannte ihn Krawatte was published.

(from http://www.citybooks.eu/en/artist/p/m...)

Reviews

[Mai H. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Women in Translation

Herr Katö spielt Familie

While this promised A Man Called Ove, I didn't find myself connecting in the same way. I will say I liked this a bit more at the end, but slice of life novels are often difficult for me if I'm not super engrossed in the character depictions.

🎧 Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio

[Olaf Gütte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Herr Kato, gerade erst in den Ruhestand versetzt,
lässt sich von einer jungen Frau überreden,
in einer Agentur mitzuwirken, die für ihre Kunden
abwesende Familienmitglieder ersetzt, also Familie spielt.
Während dieser Tätigkeit wird ihm immer deutlicher klar,
dass er eigentlich zuhause ebenfalls schon seit längerer Zeit
nur noch Familie spielt und beschließt, dies nun zu ändern.

[switterbug (Betsey) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can a retired husband and father be the protagonist of a coming-of-age story? Do some people grow old before they grow up? Mr. Katō’s cranky privations wrap like rope around his hardened heart. His marriage has declined since retirement--they may as well live on different planets now. He silently blames her for petty woes, such as where she puts his tattered, broken, or smelly old things (a broken radio, his father’s old, worn slippers) or how she preps his meal when he takes his dilatory walks. And she hasn’t removed the threads that close the pockets of his pants! He inwardly criticizes her for his own flaws, and he grumbles about her lively new dance course. He’s convinced he wants a Pomeranian dog but decides she would bark at that, too. His frustrations are her fault, in his intractable mind. But what if he could reinvent himself, over and over, if just for a few hours at a time? Would that help dissolve the walls between him and his wife? “…the only thing binding them together, was the distance between them.” Could it alter his life for the better?

With select individuals, Mr. Katō is quick to show empathy or engage in lively discourse. A taxi driver—a literal stranger—opens Mr. Katō’s cheerful and talkative side, and a homeless man he sees frequently on his walks keeps him absorbed. He contemplates his former colleagues, but usually tries to avoid them. One day, he is walking in the cemetery and impulsively propels forward and upward, as if his fingertips are touching the clouds. A mystery woman named Mie is cheerfully observing him, applauds and strikes up a dialogue. She subsequently offers him a part-time gig--to assume other identities for clients who request a stand-in actor. He’s to play a brief but significant one-time role in their lives. He accepts, after listening to a tape--like the flip side of Mission Impossible.

On one occasion, Katō pretends to be an estranged grandfather, and was delighted by the young boy, Jordan, and his devoted mother. On another job, he’s a silent and clueless husband for a woman who needs to vent. In their roles, she takes him down a peg with a whammy of a demand at the end. At another event, he officiates a wedding, which includes a tender, heartbreaking bride.

Readers, sometimes you will chuckle, or want to bitch slap Katō and his RHS—"retired husband syndrome.” At other times, well, you’ll have some sympathy. My only complaint is struggling to empathize with him. His role-playing bolstered his benevolence for the families he stood in for, but his participation sometimes bordered on saccharine. In his first assignment, I felt that his empathy for the biracial boy was tokenized by the author and shoehorned in for Mr. Katō. However, when he played the silent husband, his natural affinity for the part felt genuine, as did his gig as the wedding officiate. But his takeaway often seemed a bit superficial, or perhaps it hasn’t really deepened for him yet.

The sardonic voice and lightly piercing prose readily underscored each other. Milena Michicko Flašar is a remarkable writer—I would follow her passages anywhere. Translated from the German, Caroline Froh made its meaning soar. The writing exemplified Katō‘s repression, and the inconspicuous, austere sketch of Katō’s wife provided her with, ironically, more definition, set against her husband’s caustic and ignorant criticisms.

Does the playacting improve Katō’s rapport with his family? Is he more attentive? Sensitive? Evolved? Will he finally take her on the trip to Paris he’s been musing about for years, but stubbornly forgetting? Will he get that Pomeranian he so desperately says he wants? Flašar is superb at controlling moral tension within the pacing, and incorporating a bit of surrealism to shake things up. At the close of the book, I’m still pondering the outcome.

Many thank to Forge Books for sending me an ARC to read and review.

[Kelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC received courtesy of Goodreads.com First Reads Giveaways

"Mr. Kato Plays Family" is a strange and depressing story. Mr. Kato has recently retired and his wife doesn't want him hanging around the house. When we first meet him, he's leaving the doctor after a good report but wishing there had been something wrong so he could talk to his wife about it. Mr. Kato's heart and mind are filled with regrets of things unsaid and undone with his family but he doesn't know how to begin anew. As he's wandering through a cemetery, he meets Mei. Mei runs a company called Happy Family that rents people out to play roles in other families. Mr. Kato is intrigued and begins to work with the company. His first assignment is to be a boy's grandfather. Mr. Kato, the boy and the mother spend the day at an aquarium where Mr. Kato is enjoying himself and interacting with the two as if he were the boy's real grandfather. He enjoys the playacting but has no idea how to communicate with his own wife and grown children.

As a recent retiree, I found the book so depressing. It is difficult to fill my time and I do think about the regrets of my life. It's difficult to communicate with others about the feelings and thoughts that are involved in retirement. I don't think younger readers would be able to understand the realities that this novel highlights. It was a very tough read for me. I kept wanting Mr. Kato to open up and start enjoying retirement.

[Moira Macfarlane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Een pijnlijk verhaal over vervlogen dromen, onvermogen en het verlangen naar contact. Zo mooi, verfijnd en traag verteld.

[TL *Humaning the Best She Can* · Rating 3 out of 5]

*libby app, Overdrive was better *


Nice little book to pass the time with. Slice of life and steady paced, just what I needed this week.

This would probably make a good movie.

The ending for me was enough and not enough at the same time.

Would recommend 👌 just go along for the ride :).

Narrator did a good job as well.

[Jeatherhane Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m not sure what to think of this book, because I wasn’t sure what was really happening and what was only happening in the mind of the unnamed main character. I actually didn’t think his wife was real for most of this book. He has recently retired, and he feels regret over the things he didn’t accomplish in his life, shame for becoming estranged from his family, and desperation to be noticed. Luckily a strange woman pops out from behind a tree in a cemetery and offers him a job pretending to be someone else.

The book did give me some things to think about, but overall I was just confused and not that interested in the outcome. I did enjoy the narrator of the audiobook.

I received a DRC of this book via NetGalley

[Carm · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Mr. Kato Plays Family” offers an unusual glimpse into the life of a grumpy retiree who ends up stepping into the roles of other people’s family members. The premise is intriguing, though the execution is a bit uneven. The first third drags with Kato’s internal monologues, which don’t always push the story forward. But once he starts interacting with others, things get oddly funny and surprisingly sweet.

The book’s episodic structure and surreal style have been compared to “A Man Called Ove,” though aside from the curmudgeon, there aren’t many similarities. If you came for the “Ove” comparisons and aren’t into slice-of-life Japanese literary fiction, you might not have a good time here. Still, it does a solid job exploring loneliness, identity, and the complexities of marriage and family.

Overall, “Mr. Kato” is a (mostly) light, thoughtful read that will resonate with fans of character-driven stories. While it didn’t fully captivate me, I was drawn into Kato’s desire for connection. A gerontological bildungsroman? I suppose it is.

[Sofie Dhoore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Volledig mijn ding qua stijl en qua personages. Maar toch had ik er geen klik mee, mijn gedachten dwaalden teveel af. Ik vond het moeilijk om er bij te blijven. Misschien komt doordat ik gebeten ben door een ander boek dat ik aan het lezen ben. Misschien miste ik toch net wat meer diepgang.

[yexxo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Irgendwann ist es soweit: der lang ersehnte Ruhestand! Aber vielleicht ist er doch nicht so sehr ersehnt? Für die namenlose Hauptfigur dieses Buches ist es eine Zäsur, denn von einem Tag auf den anderen ist er ein Niemand. Eine unwichtige Person, die von niemandem gebraucht wird. Seine Frau schickt ihn aus dem Haus, damit er aus dem Weg ist; im Büro ruft er nicht an aus Angst, man könne sich nicht an ihn erinnern. Für die Dinge, die er sich vorgenommen hat (Radio reparieren, Plattensammlung sortieren), fehlt ihm der Elan; vielleicht auch, weil er keinen Sinn darin sieht. Doch am Meisten erschreckt ihn die Beziehungslosigkeit, in der er lebt. Seine Ehe ist schon lange ein Neben- statt ein Miteinander, mit seinen Kindern hat er kaum Umgang, und außer zu einem Obdachlosen in der Nachbarschaft gibt es keine regelmäßigen Kontakte. Doch er sucht die Ursachen dafür nicht bei sich, sondern versucht mit Disziplin eine Regelmäßigkeit in sein Leben zu bringen, das ihm wieder Sinn verleiht - ohne Erfolg. Erst als er der jungen Mei begegnet, die ihm das Angebot macht, in ihrer Agentur als Familienmitglied für Andere kurzzeitig vermittelt zu werden, beginnt sich seine Einstellung und damit auch sein Leben zu ändern.
Es ist eine kleine Geschichte (nicht einmal 160 Seiten), die dennoch einige der Schwierigkeiten, mit denen viele Menschen zu kämpfen haben, überdeutlich macht. Die Konzentration auf die Arbeit (das scheinbar Wichtigste), die keine Zeit lässt, sich noch mit Anderem zu beschäftigen; die daraus entstehende Gleichgültigkeit selbst gegenüber den nächsten KollegInnen (man hat ja keine Zeit); die Problematik, Gefühle zuzulassen, nachdem man selbst schwer verletzt wurde; zu leben ohne dass es immer einen Sinn machen muss, einfach weil es schön ist. Das Buch bietet keine Lösungen an, sondern zeigt in einer liebenswerten Form, wie sich aus kleinsten Veränderungen der Einstellung oder Sichtweise Dinge beginnen, sich anders zu entwickeln als auf die sonst gewohnte Art.
Der Schreibstil der Autorin ist etwas ungewohnt: Der Protagonist erzählt nicht einfach das Geschehene, sondern als Lesende folgt man meist seinen Gedanken, die, wie Gedanken nun mal so sind, nicht immer chronologisch daherkommen, sondern mal hierhin, mal dorthin springen; mal in kurzer, mal in langer Form. Ich habe mich schon nach wenigen Seiten ohne Schwierigkeiten daran gewöhnt und finde diesen Stil im Nachhinein sehr gelungen.
Eine kleine feine Geschichte, die auf gelungene Weise unter anderem so Manches im (vielleicht eigenen?) Leben ganz behutsam in Frage stellt.

[Nicole Wagner · Rating 2 out of 5]

The narrator of this story is a retired old man who lives in his imagination and has stifled his feelings for decades, even as he sometimes lets eccentric leaks of socially bizarre behavior escape.

He's filled up with feelings after a life of conformity and work and can no longer direct his conduct with intention, only a resentful autopilot. He's not connected in his spirit to his body, except in the most mundane ways, like the feel of his slippers conforming to his unique feet. These occasional covert moments of private euphoria are totally secret.

His relationship with his wife is a husk, so lonely. They sleep in different rooms and have become strangers to one another, even as the memory of tender love peeks around the edges of the walls. He longs for a Pomeranian, but the wife tells him it's not a good idea. The Pomeranian is a symbol of mindfulness and presence in the moment, but would also likely keep him away from his ultimate dream of traveling to Paris.

The plot line itself was confusing. Though I emphasized with the narrator, his justified sense of bafflement was contagious. If some of his experience was imagined, it would have made sense. If it was real, then I have many questions.

This book felt like a minimalist music video. Spare, veiled in gauze around the edges, dreamlike. I won't forget it, but it didn't satisfy.

[Laura (thenerdygnomelife) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a hard one for me to peg down. While comparing it to "A Man Called Ove" wil be effective in catching some extra readers, I don't think the comparison lands favorably in the end.

Mr Kato is a retired man, trying to grapple with his changing lifestyle and his aging and tired relationship with his wife. While walking one day and pining for the dog his wife won't let him get, he meets Mei, a young woman who offers him a unique job: pretending to be a family member for others. He accepts the position and begins to "play family" with a host of strangers, exploring what family means in the process.

Much of the book is meandering. It isn't written in first person, but it certainly feels that we are lost in Mr Kato's head. Given his contemplative and somewhat confused perspective facing the nearing end of his life, being in his head often felt a bit jarring. I suspect there's a certain amount here that was lost in translation, both in the pacing and style of the book. I found myself expecting a bit more to happen — more pivotal events, more character growth, more of something I can't quite put my finger on.

[Conny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wie auch schon in "Ich nannte ihn Krawatte" gelingt es Milena Michiko Flašar mit sehr viel Feingefühl, die Eigenheiten einer Gesellschaft hervorzuheben, in der sich die Menschen immer mehr voneinander abgrenzen und isolieren. Und das trifft sicherlich nicht nur auf die Japaner zu – gerade, was ältere Menschen betrifft. Die unaufgeregte, ungezwungene Sprache ist ausserdem wunderbar.

[Laurence · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hoe Milena Michiko Flašar de vergane glorie van een leven beschrijft, is aangrijpend. Het creëert een melancholische en indringende sfeer, zelfs al is het hoofdpersonage niet de sympathiekste mens die er rondloopt, neen, soms echt een zware egoïst. Er zit een zekere poëzie in de momenten die beschreven worden, en van het trieste soort.

En toch vond ik bij het uitlezen van het boek dat er iets ontbrak. De verhaallijn waar de titel naar verwijst, is vrij bijzonder, maar wordt niet in zijn volle potentieel uitgewerkt, bovendien vrij abrupt afgebroken en nauwelijks verweven met de rest van het verhaal. Voor een verhaal als dit, waar de evolutie van het hoofdpersonage zo belangrijk is, wordt er weinig nadruk gelegd waarom die evolutie precies gebeurt, en zelfs weinig nadruk op de evolutie zelf. Het is misschien een keuze van de schrijfster om vooral aan "show, don't tell" te doen, maar door deze loutere opeenvolging van momentopnames wordt uiteindelijk de lezer net wat te veel aan zijn lot overgelaten. Het is een boek dat een grote kracht zou kunnen hebben, maar nu vooral wat gezapig voortkabbelt.

Ik ben er zeker van dat Milena Michiko Flašar een bijzonder boek in zich heeft, maar dit is het dus nog niet. (Noot: haar debuut heb ik nog niet gelezen, weet het me te zeggen als dat wel dat bijzonder boek is.)

(3,5 sterren)

[Louisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Oben Erde, unten Himmel" hatte mich neulich so begeistert, dass ich unbedingt ein weiteres Buch von Milena Michiko Flašar lesen wollte.
Leider hat mir dieses nicht gut gefallen. Die Figuren waren nicht greifbar, die Story hätte noch mehr Potential gehabt und auch der konfuse Schreibstil hat mich nicht überzeugt. Trotzdem ein netter Zeitvertreib für ein paar Stündchen!

[Miss Dandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

2,5 Sterne. Leider hat dieses Buch nichts in mir zum Klingen bringen können. Es hat sich zäh lesen lassen, was vor allem am Schreibstil lag. Es glich eher einem stream of consciousness, den der Leser verfolgt. Viele abgebrochene und eingeschobene Gedankengänge, die immer mehr zu einem Labyrinth wurden. Schade.

[Circlestones Books Blog · Rating 3 out of 5]

„Mit großen Schritten geht er los, als ob dort, wohin er geht, jemand warten würde und es von höchster Dringlichkeit wäre, rechtzeitig hinzugelangen.“ (Zitat Seite 9)

Inhalt:
Seit Herr Kato im Ruhestand ist, hat er plötzlich viel Zeit. Wie schon die Jahre zuvor, kontrolliert er penibel, wie seine Frau die anfallenden Arbeiten im Haushalt erledigt und er merkt genau, wie wenig sie sich im Grunde zu sagen haben. Da trifft er Mie, eine junge Frau, deren Agentur „Happy Family“ Personen als perfektes Double für fehlende Familienmitglieder vermittelt. Die Einsätze sind kurz, für die Dauer eines Besuches oder einer Feier, professionell, aber unverbindlich. In seinem ersten Auftrag spielt er Herrn Kato, den Großvater eines Jungen. Es folgen weitere Einsätze, die ihn langsam verändern.

Thema und Genre:
Dieser Roman skizziert einen kurzen Zeitraum im Leben des Protagonisten, ergänzt durch Rückblenden in Form seiner Gedankengänge. Es ist ein kritisches Gesellschaftsbild, das uns die Autorin hier schildert, als unpassend empfundene oder abwesende Familienmitglieder werden durch perfekt agierende Doubles ersetzt. Kernthema ist der Ruhestand und die Auswirkungen auf das Umfeld am Beispiel eines langjährigen Ehepaares in Japan. Im traditionellen Rollenbild war der Mann der in seinem Beruf aufgehende Erwerbstätige, während die Aufgabe der Frau daraus bestand, den Mann zu Hause perfekt zu umsorgen. Plötzlich war der Ehemann im Ruhestand rund um die Uhr zu Hause, eine neue Situation, die zu Problemen führen konnte.

Charaktere:
Herr Kato – seinen richtigen Namen erfährt der Leser nicht – war gewohnt, dass sich die Familie immer nach seinen Wünschen richtete. Diese Haltung verstärkt sich im Ruhestand, seine Gedanken drehen sich hauptsächlich um die eigenen Befindlichkeiten und kritisch kontrolliert er jeden Handgriff seiner Frau im Haushalt. Erst als er durch seine Stand-In-Auftritte gezwungen ist, sich mit Problemen fremder Menschen zu beschäftigen, beginnt er, auch sein eigenes Leben zu überdenken. Dennoch kein besonders sympathischer Charakter. Die anderen Personen kommen ins Bild, wenn sie für eine Episode und als Vergleich dienen, um dann die Handlung wieder zu verlassen. Interessant ist es, wie die Ehefrau zeitgleich mit dem Ruhestand des Ehemannes langsam beginnt, eigene Wege zu gehen.

Handlung und Schreibstil:
Die personale Erzählperspektive schildert dem Leser die Ereignisse aus Sicht von Herrn Kato. Auf insgesamt 164 Seiten fügt die Autorin kurze Episoden und bruchstückhafte Einblicke in Ereignisse im Leben von Herrn Kato aneinander, ergänzt durch zahlreiche Rückblenden in Form von langen gedanklichen Selbstgesprächen des Hauptprotagonisten. Auch viele der Dialoge finden nur im Kopf von Herrn Kato statt, während in der Realität geschwiegen wird.
Herausragend ist die Sprache dieses Romans, intensive Schilderungen der einzelnen Stimmungen und Gedanken des Herrn Kato wechseln zu beinahe stichwortartigen Halbsätzen, sobald es um wirkliche Gespräche geht.
Der Aufbau der Handlung entspricht der in kleinen Schritten wahrnehmbaren positiven Veränderung des Hauptprotagonisten, er muss „lernen mit dem ganzen Körper zu lächeln“.

Fazit:
Sprachlich ein Lesevergnügen, ist dieser Roman auch thematisch interessant. Allerdings wirkt die hier beschriebene Problematik des Eintritts in den Ruhestand in der heutigen Zeit der ebenfalls berufstätigen Frauen auf mich etwas veraltet. Dies mag daran liegen, dass der Roman in Japan spielt, wo das Arbeitsleben tatsächlich einen sehr hohen Stellenwert einnimmt. Trotz einiger skurriler Szenen überwiegt für mich der negative Grundtenor und die Handlung und ihre Personen konnten mich nicht vollkommen überzeugen. Ein Buch für Leser mit Interesse an neuer deutscher Literatur.

[KarnagesMistress · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know how to rate this book. I've been thinking and thinking. I didn't "really like it." "Like" is the wrong word. I would say that this traditional rate/review format is ill-suited for Mr Katō Plays Family. Mr Katō Plays Family is perfect for literary book clubs. I am still left trying to figure out exactly what I read. The story feels just surreal enough, and not just because of the "playing family." I haven't read Beautiful World, Where Are You, but I have read A Man Called Ove. Yeah, both books feature retired men as their main characters, but that's kind of where the similarities stop. I kept being reminded of (the beautiful and glorious) Kitchen, and not just because of the Japanese setting. Both works are elegant and too short-- you want more! Both books are set in a world you recognize but yet still feels like fantasy.

I enjoyed Brian Nishii's narration. His vocal tone suited the main character, soft and rough at the same time. Slightly hoarse. Whomever selected Brian Nishii chose well.

I would like to thank Macmillan Audio for allowing me to experience this NetGalley audiobook. I'm recommending it. To whom? I'll know them when I meet them. Mr Katō Plays Family is unique.

[Read Walk Repeat · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is based on an interesting idea, but is more of a slow burn that focusses primarily on the main character’s reflection on his life. I did find it pretty down-beat and the main character is not very likeable. Interesting that this novel seemed to get higher reviews in its original language… perhaps some of the charm is lost in translation. Overall an ok story.

💕You might like this book if:
🔹 you like low-key characters with a melancholy personality
🔹 you are wondering about perspectives from people who dread retirement

A huge thanks to NetGalley and McMillan.Audio for access to a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for AAPI month
A man recently retired, takes a job as an actor to lonely people.

[Carina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wie funktioniert der Familienalltag wenn der Mann plötzlich in Pension ist, die Kinder aus dem Haus, die Frau ihr eigenes Ding macht, keine hobbies, keine Freunde. Und das alles in der japanischen Gesellschaft, wo das Berufsleben einen immensen Stellenwert einnimmt. Der Erzählstil ist diesmal etwas zäher als bei ich nannte ihn Krawatte, aber wieder sehr besonders und einprägsam.

[Ursula Drescher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Der Anfang ist okay... Dann wird es lange zach... Herr Kato ist einerseits sehr sympathisch und dann wieder gibt's Momente wo ich mich fremdgeschamt habe für den Umgang mit seiner Frau. Ab ca. S. 75 nimmt die Geschichte aber an Fahrt auf und wird noch echt schön poetisch. Der Schreibstil der Autorin ist einzigartig... Es gibt Gründe warum das bereits mein 3. Buch von ihr ist.. 😉

[Hanna La · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unglaublich deprimierend, aber eine interessante Gesellschaftskritik mit speziell japanischer Aspekten.

Die Charaktere sind alle sehr verschieden und beleuchten so verschiedene, Gesellschafts-, Alters- und Sozialschichten und ihre Probleme. Diese sind sehr vielfältig, resümieren aber alle in der Einsamkeit, die durch die Wahrung des Scheins entsteht. Sie stehen damit prototypisch für die scheinbare Perfektion und das Glück, das aber genau durch diesen Schein und das nicht Ansprechen von Spannungen nicht entstehen kann und in Einsamkeit endet.
Auch das Settung spiegelt den Schein wieder. Es geht um das Leben im Vorort auf einem Berg, der die perfekte Sicht auf die Stadt ermöglicht, aber auch dazu geführt hat, dass der Vater so viel arbeiten musste, dass er das Aufwachsen seiner Kinder versäumt und er sich zu seiner Ehefrau gänzlich entfremdet hat.
Das Pacing ist langsam, da es weniger um den Plot als um das Beleuchten der Figuren in den verschiedenen Situationen und die Gedankenwelt des Protagonisten geht.
Die Sprache ist wunderschön. Die Sätze sind relativ verschachtelt und erzeugen sehr genaue Bilder, da sehr gezielt rhetorische Mittel genutzt werden, um Stimmungen zu erzeugen. Das ist wirklich großartig gelungen und unterstreicht die Traurigkeit in jeder Zeile.
Die Kritik wirkt wie zugespitzt schon fast karikiert, da in unserer westlichen Gesellschaft diese Scheinwelt zwar auch propagiert, aber nicht so auf den Punkt gebracht wird wie anscheinend in Japan. Meine Recherche hat aber ergeben, dass die hier beschriebene Prämisse durchaus realistisch für Japan ist. Man muss noch sagen, dass man zwischendurch wirklich einen Klos im Hals hat, den Figuren aber nicht so nahe kommt, dass man emotional wirklich getroffen ist.

Alles in allem deprimierend, aber gut, um das eigene Leben zu hinterfragen und seine Prioritäten zu klären.

[Cindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know if it's because this book is a translation (and, as we know, those can be hard to bring to life in another language) or if the story itself just didn't resonate with me, but I wasn't a fan of this book. Not at all.

It's the story of Mr. Kato, a retired man who constantly contemplates what went wrong in his life. Constantly getting in his wife's way, he ends up taking many walks and finds himself in the company of Mie, a woman who runs a business offering "stand-in" services for people who require someone to fill in for a long-lost family member in their lives. While this sounds interesting on the surface, it actually WAS NOT. I'm not sure how something so weird could become so boring, but this book achieved such a feat.

As the pages carried on, I felt like the story seemed to take the direction of Mr. Kato's many walks in that it drifted aimlessly with no end in sight. I wanted so badly to like the book - especially as it was touted as being akin to A Man Called One - but it wasn't worth the time. Even at just under 200 pages, the story seemed to drag and there were multiple points where I felt like I didn't know what I had just read. Disjointed, choppy, and sometimes incoherent, I pushed through until the end hoping it would redeem itself.

In the end, Mr. Kato is what he always was - just a man coming to terms with the fact that life is what you make it depending on your headspace. As simple lesson that many are sure to enjoy...I just didn't happen to be one of them.

[Jules The Book Junkie Reviews · Rating 2 out of 5]

The publisher got me with comparing Mr. Kato Plays Family to Man Called Ove. Aside from a curmudgeon of a main character, I did not feel much similarity, which I am starting to assume is the case for nearly every popular read that is used for a comparison for a new book. That said, I found Mr. Kato to be an interesting character and his story, while not gripping, was an interesting study in the dramatic, post-retirement changes to one’s existence.

Recently retired and close to estranged from his wife, Mr. Kato lives an unsatisfactory life. I loved the term “Retired Man Syndrome” that the author (or rather one of her characters uses) in reference to the boredom and lack of purpose men experience after a lifetime of working. I loved the idea of a rent-a-grandparent/parent as a way for both retirees and younger people/families to fill a need and develop relationships.

Overall, Mr. Kato and his story is a bit depressing. I was hoping for the journey to lead to a much more heart-felt and warming ending. While there is somewhat of a satisfying ending, I was clear that Mr. Kato learned what he needed to by the end of the book. However, that could be due to the translation of book written in German about Japanese culture. Perhaps the message was “lost in translation”.

I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. For more reading recommendations, visit Book Junkie Reviews at
www.abookjunkiereviews.wordpress.com

[Gab · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review of the audiobook narrated by Brian Nishii
5 stars
The narrator's voice is interesting and clear at speeds 0.5-2x so this audiobook should be accessible to everyone.
Also, the book is separated in fairly short chapters, which makes the audiobook easy to pick up for a small amount of time (like in transit) without losing the thread of what's happening.

Review of the book
3 stars
It's quite rare I find myself disappointed that a book is so short, but I feel like the interesting premise didn't feature enough? I wish we'd gotten to see the main character experience more "roles" as he's going through his "growing" phase.
That said, I liked the story and I was rooting for Mr Katō as he learned to better appreciate the significant people in his life.


Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read this ARC.

[Bjarne Gudmundr · Rating 1 out of 5]

While there are no issues or errors with the translation and the writing, it commits the ultimate sin...it's boring. I love reflective fiction but none of the characters in this book interested me. Nor did the things they went about doing in overly produced ways.

I don't want to belabor my point so I'll leave it at this. It wasn't bad, it doesn't deserve a 1. It wasn't good or engaging, I didn't care what happened to anyone in this book. Disappointing because the premise seemed like a real winner.

EDIT: For my own edification later, I DNF'd this book somewhere around the middle. Two-stars felt too generous for something I couldn't even finish reading.

[Crystal Palmisano-Dillard · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mr Kato is a retiree at loose ends. It seems he’s lived his life mostly in his head and forgot to actually get to know and connect with those in his life.

Now he’s facing the fact that nothing is really as he’d like it to be and he doesn’t really know his family or friends.

Tbh, he comes across as a selfish person used to being catered to and now upset that he’s fumbling.

[Haaike · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ik bleef wat op mijn honger zitten... Op zich is het titelthema een heel interessant uitgangspunt, maar dat wordt vervolgens amper uitgewerkt, wat ik echt heel jammer vond. Het hoofdpersonage is echt geen aangenaam persoon, wat op zich natuurlijk niet hoeft, maar ik miste ook daar wat ontwikkeling.

[Sonya M · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book was a bit confusing.