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Die Geishas des Captain Fisby: Das kleine Teehaus
In der Zeit als Japan von den Amerikanern besetzt war, versucht vordergründig der resolute und wohl organisierte Oberst Purdy, Ordnung in seinen Herrschaftsbereich zu bekommen. Das gelingt fast überall, nur nicht im Dorf Tobiki, das von Captain Fisby befehligt wird. In Captain Fisby hat er einen Offizier, der wohl auch lieber glücklich ist als korrekt, und für den Härte und Stärke Fremdwörter sind. Also richtet er mit seiner Gutmütigkeit das maximale Chaos an.
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First published January 1, 1967
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About the author
Vern Sneider
17 books3 followersFrom Wikipedia:
Vernon J. Sneider (6 October 1916 – 1 May 1981) was an American novelist perhaps most noted for his 1951 novel The Teahouse of the August Moon, which was later adapted by John Patrick for a Broadway play in 1953, a motion picture in 1956, and the Broadway musical Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen in 1970. The play The Teahouse of the August Moon won the Pulitzer Prize in Drama in 1954. He was born and died in Monroe, Michigan. He was the son of Fred Sneider and Matilda D. Althover Sneider. After graduating from the University of Notre Dame in 1940, he entered the army. He was a member of a military government team that landed in Okinawa in April 1945. There he became commander of Tobaru, a village of 5,000 people that became the Tobiki Village of The Teahouse. He was married first to Barbara Lee Cook (1925-1968).
His novel A Pail of Oysters, about life during the White Terror in Taiwan, was reissued by Camphor Press on February 28, 2016, the 69th anniversary of the 1947 2-28 Incident.
Vernon J. Sneider (6 October 1916 – 1 May 1981) was an American novelist perhaps most noted for his 1951 novel The Teahouse of the August Moon, which was later adapted by John Patrick for a Broadway play in 1953, a motion picture in 1956, and the Broadway musical Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen in 1970. The play The Teahouse of the August Moon won the Pulitzer Prize in Drama in 1954. He was born and died in Monroe, Michigan. He was the son of Fred Sneider and Matilda D. Althover Sneider. After graduating from the University of Notre Dame in 1940, he entered the army. He was a member of a military government team that landed in Okinawa in April 1945. There he became commander of Tobaru, a village of 5,000 people that became the Tobiki Village of The Teahouse. He was married first to Barbara Lee Cook (1925-1968).
His novel A Pail of Oysters, about life during the White Terror in Taiwan, was reissued by Camphor Press on February 28, 2016, the 69th anniversary of the 1947 2-28 Incident.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
March 17, 2019
English review below.
Molto simpatico! Non un capolavoro, ma un libro scorrevole, divertente, e insegna anche poche basilari cose su usanze e tradizioni giapponesi.
Il libro è stato pubblicato nel 1951, pochi anni dopo la seconda guerra mondiale, e infatti parla dell'occupazione americana del Giappone. È ambientato sull'isola di Okinawa e parla dell'americanizzazione dei villaggi, ma nel villaggio di Tobiki il comandante Fisby non riesce a portare avanti questo progetto. Non soltanto perché non ne ha molta voglia, ma anche perché gli è capitato un villaggio con giapponesi testardi e pigri che vogliono fare di testa loro. Quando nel villaggio arrivano due geishe, stravolgono tutto ancora di più. Non aggiungo altro per non spoilerare. Ci sono molte situazione esilaranti, ma devo ammettere che sono tutte simili quindi dopo un po' stancano e il divertimento viene meno.
Non un capolavoro, ma nemmeno un libro da scartare. L'ho letto per la mia sfida di "curarsi con i libri" perché secondo Curarsi con i libri: Rimedi letterari per ogni malanno è consigliato ai maniaci del controllo. Sono abbastanza maniaca del controllo e gli imprevisti mi scombussolano un pochino. Avendo letto il libro non sono ovviamente guarita, ma insegna comunque che le cose prendono sempre la loro strada. Anzi, a chi cerca di essere perfettino e di avere tutto sotto controllo, non sempre tutto va come programmato; a chi invece si adatta ad eventi ed esigenze del momento, le cose magari vanno meglio del previsto.
So che negli anni 60 avevano fatto anche un film con Marlon Brando e Glenn Ford.
English
This was really a funny and lighthearted read! I've read it for my "Novel Cure Challenge" because following The Novel Cure: From Abandonment to Zestlessness: 751 Books to Cure What Ails You, this book helps people who need to have everything under control. I need to have everything under control and I don't like a lot when my plans are put upisde down. This book teaches you that sometimes things go their own way and that this way maybe is better than the one you wanted to pursue with a lot of organization and being a nitpicker.
The story is set one year after WWII and it talks about the American occupation of Japan. The American army wants to "americanize" local people. In Tobiki, a village on Okinawa island, Captain Fisby isn't that lucky with this Americanization because local people prefer to build a tea house instead of a school. When two geisha arrive in Tobiki, everything turns upside down even more.
It is a funny story, there are several situations that make you laugh. Sadly the funny parts are often repetitive. But the book teaches also a few basic things about Japanese customs and traditions. Not a masterpiece, but a flowing and funny read that makes you smile and teaches you also a few things about those years and about Japanese habits.
I know there is also a movie of the 1960s with Marlon Brando and Glenn Ford.
Molto simpatico! Non un capolavoro, ma un libro scorrevole, divertente, e insegna anche poche basilari cose su usanze e tradizioni giapponesi.
Il libro è stato pubblicato nel 1951, pochi anni dopo la seconda guerra mondiale, e infatti parla dell'occupazione americana del Giappone. È ambientato sull'isola di Okinawa e parla dell'americanizzazione dei villaggi, ma nel villaggio di Tobiki il comandante Fisby non riesce a portare avanti questo progetto. Non soltanto perché non ne ha molta voglia, ma anche perché gli è capitato un villaggio con giapponesi testardi e pigri che vogliono fare di testa loro. Quando nel villaggio arrivano due geishe, stravolgono tutto ancora di più. Non aggiungo altro per non spoilerare. Ci sono molte situazione esilaranti, ma devo ammettere che sono tutte simili quindi dopo un po' stancano e il divertimento viene meno.
Non un capolavoro, ma nemmeno un libro da scartare. L'ho letto per la mia sfida di "curarsi con i libri" perché secondo Curarsi con i libri: Rimedi letterari per ogni malanno è consigliato ai maniaci del controllo. Sono abbastanza maniaca del controllo e gli imprevisti mi scombussolano un pochino. Avendo letto il libro non sono ovviamente guarita, ma insegna comunque che le cose prendono sempre la loro strada. Anzi, a chi cerca di essere perfettino e di avere tutto sotto controllo, non sempre tutto va come programmato; a chi invece si adatta ad eventi ed esigenze del momento, le cose magari vanno meglio del previsto.
So che negli anni 60 avevano fatto anche un film con Marlon Brando e Glenn Ford.
English
This was really a funny and lighthearted read! I've read it for my "Novel Cure Challenge" because following The Novel Cure: From Abandonment to Zestlessness: 751 Books to Cure What Ails You, this book helps people who need to have everything under control. I need to have everything under control and I don't like a lot when my plans are put upisde down. This book teaches you that sometimes things go their own way and that this way maybe is better than the one you wanted to pursue with a lot of organization and being a nitpicker.
The story is set one year after WWII and it talks about the American occupation of Japan. The American army wants to "americanize" local people. In Tobiki, a village on Okinawa island, Captain Fisby isn't that lucky with this Americanization because local people prefer to build a tea house instead of a school. When two geisha arrive in Tobiki, everything turns upside down even more.
It is a funny story, there are several situations that make you laugh. Sadly the funny parts are often repetitive. But the book teaches also a few basic things about Japanese customs and traditions. Not a masterpiece, but a flowing and funny read that makes you smile and teaches you also a few things about those years and about Japanese habits.
I know there is also a movie of the 1960s with Marlon Brando and Glenn Ford.
February 25, 2008
This is a rare sort of book, and maybe my favorite book of all. It is the sort of book that works on many levels and layers, having timeless messages that can be continually reinterpreted by the reader while being an amusing and entertaining story at the same time.
July 20, 2025
This was a very fascinating look into life during the early days of the U.S. occupation of Okinawa. Part historical fiction based on the true experiences of the author, part slice-of-life, part comedy, I would recommend this to anyone looking for an easy going read. Although Sneider's writing can slow down at times, he is able to keep a pace befitting the story. Likewise, for the time this was published, I felt like it portrayed the Okinawan people in a positive light (I personally didn't see anything in this book that would be considered racist, even nowadays). Unlike many American novels of the era set overseas, Sneider's depiction of Okinawa has aged very well.
July 28, 2023
"The Teahouse of the August Moon" is a curious relic from the American popular culture of the 1950s written by an author who chooses to entertain rather than to tell all that he knows about the War in the Pacific and the subsequent American occupation of Okinawa. Vern Sneider participated in the invasion of Okinawa of April 1945 during which a third of the island's civilian population perished and subsequently administered the remote village of Tobaru which becomes Tobiki in the novel. In order to tell the story of his experience in Tobaru, Sneider adopts an extremely light tone making no mention of any loss of life on Okinawa during the American invasion while brilliantly employing all the devices of the Sitcom genre that dominated American television in the second half of the 20th century. GR members old enough to have seen M*A*S*H may enjoy Sneider's deft comic touch but most readers under 40 will likely find "The Teahouse of the August Moon" to be highly cloying and hopelessly dated.
Much in the novel makes me cringe. The villagers are without exception hopeless yokels none of whom harbour any resentment against the American invaders. Rather they all seek to curry favour with the American military personnel in the belief that they have much to gain by doing so. Could Sneider possibly be accurate in his portrait of Okinawans who being 700 km from the Japanese mainland and another 1200 km by train from Tokyo could hardly have been the most sophisticated members of the Japanese society? The question is however moot as Sneider's decision to show the Okinawans as country bumpkins is unacceptable by current standards.
Capt. Jeff Fisby the protagonist (and apparent alter ego of Sneider) is completely ignorant of the culture, values and language of the villagers. He simply wants to please his superior Col. Purdy who instructs him to modernize and rebuild the village economy. This objective seems impossible as there is no currency on the island and hence no way to pay anyone wages. Fisby seems unconcerned. His only goal is to satisfy his superior with the least effort possible until he will be returned to his life in America as a pharmacist.
Fisby however is drawn into the life of Tobiki village by his translator who is as dynamic a factotum as Figaro the Barber of Seville. Following Sakini's guidance, Fisby rises to the occasion. He learns to obtain materials through the elaborate barter economy of the occupation. He supervises the building of a Tea House for the two geishas of the village and from there proceeds to build a dynamic local economy. At the end of the novel he brokers the marriage of the senior geisha who wishes to retire and then arranges for his supervisor Col. Purdy to command the vessel that will take the young couple on a honeymoon journey. It is an appropriately happy ending for a novel that follows the rules of the Sitcom genre.
The big vision of Sneider is that the Japanese (or specifically Okinawans) are decent people who like the Americans and who are willing to take directions from them. What the Americans must to do is study the specific needs of the various foreign peoples, develop policies that are appropriate to their circumstances and then collaborate with them in the implementation. Sneider was not alone in holding this point of view; it was generally accepted by those Americans who served in the US armed forces during WWII. "The Teahouse of the August Moon" reflected very well the Zeitgeist of the first two decades that followed WWII but now seems terribly out of date.
Much in the novel makes me cringe. The villagers are without exception hopeless yokels none of whom harbour any resentment against the American invaders. Rather they all seek to curry favour with the American military personnel in the belief that they have much to gain by doing so. Could Sneider possibly be accurate in his portrait of Okinawans who being 700 km from the Japanese mainland and another 1200 km by train from Tokyo could hardly have been the most sophisticated members of the Japanese society? The question is however moot as Sneider's decision to show the Okinawans as country bumpkins is unacceptable by current standards.
Capt. Jeff Fisby the protagonist (and apparent alter ego of Sneider) is completely ignorant of the culture, values and language of the villagers. He simply wants to please his superior Col. Purdy who instructs him to modernize and rebuild the village economy. This objective seems impossible as there is no currency on the island and hence no way to pay anyone wages. Fisby seems unconcerned. His only goal is to satisfy his superior with the least effort possible until he will be returned to his life in America as a pharmacist.
Fisby however is drawn into the life of Tobiki village by his translator who is as dynamic a factotum as Figaro the Barber of Seville. Following Sakini's guidance, Fisby rises to the occasion. He learns to obtain materials through the elaborate barter economy of the occupation. He supervises the building of a Tea House for the two geishas of the village and from there proceeds to build a dynamic local economy. At the end of the novel he brokers the marriage of the senior geisha who wishes to retire and then arranges for his supervisor Col. Purdy to command the vessel that will take the young couple on a honeymoon journey. It is an appropriately happy ending for a novel that follows the rules of the Sitcom genre.
The big vision of Sneider is that the Japanese (or specifically Okinawans) are decent people who like the Americans and who are willing to take directions from them. What the Americans must to do is study the specific needs of the various foreign peoples, develop policies that are appropriate to their circumstances and then collaborate with them in the implementation. Sneider was not alone in holding this point of view; it was generally accepted by those Americans who served in the US armed forces during WWII. "The Teahouse of the August Moon" reflected very well the Zeitgeist of the first two decades that followed WWII but now seems terribly out of date.
January 31, 2016
Tras el fin de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, las tropas estadounidenses ocupan Japón, procurando "americanizar" a la población local. El poco eficiente capitán Fisby está a cargo del proceso en el pueblo de Tobiki, pero los planes cambian con la llegada de dos jóvenes geishas.
"La casa de té de la luna de agosto" es una historia sencilla, divertida y plagada de personajes carismáticos. Ahora nos parece natural hablar de sushi y geishas, pero en la época del autor todo esto debe haber resultado bastante exótico. Sneider nos aproxima parte de la cultura japonesa desde un punto de vista bastante respetuoso, buscando combatir la ignorancia y el prejuicio, pero sin caer en la salida fácil del desprecio a lo occidental. En un tono ligero, expone un tema profundo como la lucha entre aculturación y sincretismo, la tolerancia y la comprensión de culturas diferentes.
"La casa de té de la luna de agosto" es una historia sencilla, divertida y plagada de personajes carismáticos. Ahora nos parece natural hablar de sushi y geishas, pero en la época del autor todo esto debe haber resultado bastante exótico. Sneider nos aproxima parte de la cultura japonesa desde un punto de vista bastante respetuoso, buscando combatir la ignorancia y el prejuicio, pero sin caer en la salida fácil del desprecio a lo occidental. En un tono ligero, expone un tema profundo como la lucha entre aculturación y sincretismo, la tolerancia y la comprensión de culturas diferentes.
October 2, 2023
“İçinde bulunduğunuz zaman çok karanlıksa,
Ancak parlak bir istikbal ümit ederek teselli bulabilirsiniz.”
“Utanmıyoruz diye kötü insan mı oluyoruz patron?”
Türkçeye Çayhane olarak çevrilmiş. Ben İstanbul Devlet Tiyatrosunda oynanan metnini okudum. Türkçeye Ayşe Sarıalp çevirmiş. Maalesef metin basılmamış, sadece devlet tiyatrosunun dramaturji bölümünden alınabiliyor.
Ancak parlak bir istikbal ümit ederek teselli bulabilirsiniz.”
“Utanmıyoruz diye kötü insan mı oluyoruz patron?”
Türkçeye Çayhane olarak çevrilmiş. Ben İstanbul Devlet Tiyatrosunda oynanan metnini okudum. Türkçeye Ayşe Sarıalp çevirmiş. Maalesef metin basılmamış, sadece devlet tiyatrosunun dramaturji bölümünden alınabiliyor.
February 12, 2011
While I was critical of Okinawa's portrayal and some creative license Schneider took with "traditional" customs, in the end I fell in love with Tobiki Village. Ultimately, this novel was hopeful and honored locals and Okinawan culture in the face of westernization.
Read
August 4, 2011A quirky romp and quick read about an Okinawan village undergoing post-war U.S. military "rehabilitation" -- instead it is the U.S. officers whose sensibilities are transformed by the customs and traditions of the villagers they oversee. Felt like a Billy Wilder movie put in print.
March 16, 2013
A funny side to how US "civilized" the island of Okinawa. As a manufacturing engineer, I appreciate the discoveries of developing a town's supply and demand chain all around in the idea of making a teahouse. :)
June 24, 2011
Much better and funnier than the movie.
January 25, 2023
The best-laid plans of mice and men
"The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men / Gang aft a-gley." - Robert Burns
This is the 1951 book that was the basis of the October 15, 1953 play that was the basis of the 1956 movie.
The play Opening Night Cast:
John Forsythe ... Capt. Fisby
David Wayne ... Sakini
Paul Ford Col. ... Wainright Purdy III
Larry Gates Capt ... McLean
William Hansen ... Mr. Oshira
Mariko Niki ... Lotus Blossom
The movie cast:
Glenn Ford ... Capt. Fisby
Marlon Brando ... Sakini
Paul Ford ... Col. Wainwright Purdy III
Eddie Albert ... Capt. McLean
Machiko Kyô ... Lotus Blossom (as Machiko Kyo)
Jun Negami ... Mr. Seiko
Nijiko Kiyokawa ... Miss Higa Jiga
Mitsuko Sawamura ... Little Girl
Harry Morgan ... Sgt. Gregovich
Each version has its advantage. As in most cases, the book is best as each page reeks of puns and satire.
The Second World War has ended but the battle has just begun for a better-built world. On the island of Okinawa colonel Purdy is using a subsection of plan B to rebuild villages based on colonial buildings and "Democracy in the home through the women." In the process, Colonel Purdy plans for a silver star. Others have plans of their own.
"The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry"
"The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men / Gang aft a-gley." - Robert Burns
This is the 1951 book that was the basis of the October 15, 1953 play that was the basis of the 1956 movie.
The play Opening Night Cast:
John Forsythe ... Capt. Fisby
David Wayne ... Sakini
Paul Ford Col. ... Wainright Purdy III
Larry Gates Capt ... McLean
William Hansen ... Mr. Oshira
Mariko Niki ... Lotus Blossom
The movie cast:
Glenn Ford ... Capt. Fisby
Marlon Brando ... Sakini
Paul Ford ... Col. Wainwright Purdy III
Eddie Albert ... Capt. McLean
Machiko Kyô ... Lotus Blossom (as Machiko Kyo)
Jun Negami ... Mr. Seiko
Nijiko Kiyokawa ... Miss Higa Jiga
Mitsuko Sawamura ... Little Girl
Harry Morgan ... Sgt. Gregovich
Each version has its advantage. As in most cases, the book is best as each page reeks of puns and satire.
The Second World War has ended but the battle has just begun for a better-built world. On the island of Okinawa colonel Purdy is using a subsection of plan B to rebuild villages based on colonial buildings and "Democracy in the home through the women." In the process, Colonel Purdy plans for a silver star. Others have plans of their own.
"The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry"
December 2, 2018
It's okay. It's not a madcap comedy. The majority of the book is about an Army officer helping a small Japanese village set up a local economy and a better life after he is given two geisha girls as a gift. He has to open a tea house (due to the demands of the locals) and things blossom (no pun intended) from there.
Unfortunately, this takes far too long in terms of pacing and the book gets a little boring. Plus, the end isn't really a big deal. Vern Snider, the author, served in the South Pacific during the 1940's and it's obvious he fell in love with Japan and the people there. There's an insightful scene I liked that talks about the nature of loneliness that seems relevant in these modern times (such as the idea of people openly choosing to be alone, even when among friends).
It's nowhere near as wacky as the film makes it out to be.
Unfortunately, this takes far too long in terms of pacing and the book gets a little boring. Plus, the end isn't really a big deal. Vern Snider, the author, served in the South Pacific during the 1940's and it's obvious he fell in love with Japan and the people there. There's an insightful scene I liked that talks about the nature of loneliness that seems relevant in these modern times (such as the idea of people openly choosing to be alone, even when among friends).
It's nowhere near as wacky as the film makes it out to be.
December 30, 2018
Hilarious adventure of a major in the post-war US occupation of Japan, tasked with bringing Western civilization to a small village in Okinawa. The major is soon swept along in the life of the village, and realizes that the culture there is not so backward as he thought, and can't resist but support the locals in rebuilding their lives. He finally manages to inspire his colonel (and possibly avoids a court-martial) who enthusiastically moves the plot to its final conclusion.
After half the book, the humor stops being funny, as things turn more and more absurd, and thankfully comes to less than satisfying denouement.
I read the play in high school over 50 years ago and thought I'd like to read the novel, but, as I recall, the play was much better.
After half the book, the humor stops being funny, as things turn more and more absurd, and thankfully comes to less than satisfying denouement.
I read the play in high school over 50 years ago and thought I'd like to read the novel, but, as I recall, the play was much better.
April 30, 2020
Simpatico e fluente, La casa da tè alla luna d'agosto di Vern Sneider, racconta di come il progetto del colonnello Purdy di civilizzare all'americana i villaggi nipponici occupati viene sovvertito dall'arrivo di due geishe a Tobiki, paese in cui è di stanza il non proprio autoritario sergente Fisby.
L'apparizione di Primo Fiore e Fior di Loto porterà la piccola comunità a riprendere le attività che, secondo il piano americano, andavano a rilento con qualche piccola modifica per costruire una sala da tè e tutto il necessario ad essa correlata per ospitare degnamente le due signore all'inizio mal considerate da Fisby e creare un effetto narrativo dove si instaura un nuovo ordine.
Recensione libro: https://paroleombra.com/2020/04/17/la...
L'apparizione di Primo Fiore e Fior di Loto porterà la piccola comunità a riprendere le attività che, secondo il piano americano, andavano a rilento con qualche piccola modifica per costruire una sala da tè e tutto il necessario ad essa correlata per ospitare degnamente le due signore all'inizio mal considerate da Fisby e creare un effetto narrativo dove si instaura un nuovo ordine.
Recensione libro: https://paroleombra.com/2020/04/17/la...
April 26, 2020
This is a book that is truly “of its time.” It was light satire when published in 1951, remained so as a play that was first produced in 1953 and curiously toned down by Hollywood in its film release in 1956. Today, when it is noticed at all, it is likely to be reviled as racist. I would choose other adjectives but I will say that when I first read it my thought was, “entertaining but lightweight.” Today I’ll just say, read it if you want a sense of how white America saw this part of the 20th century.
July 6, 2020
What could have been in a small village in Okinawa. Puts into perspective an outsider’s view of another culture and the inevitable clashes if you don’t seek to understand those you wish to help. What starts as a frustrating and seemingly incompetent story of an army captain turns into one where he embraces the culture and startles his leadership on what can be accomplished when you work with local people versus dictating to them or assuming their wants and needs. Interesting look into Japanese culture as well with subtle undertones of the tragedies of WWII.
July 28, 2019
An entertaining delightful read set right after the end of WWII in Okinawa. Captain Fisby is responsible for establishing Plan B in the village of Tobiki. As he proceeds to carry out the military plan, he encounters multiple roadblocks that leads him into a completely different direction than ordered by his commanding officer. The villagers find themselves prospering despite numerous obstacles and detours.
Easily read and well written.
Easily read and well written.
March 23, 2019
Kind of light-hearted considering it takes place not long after we dropped two atomic bombs on Japan but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
October 30, 2021
This book was a great find! It's so hilarious and heartwarming in an unusual way, and I just love it! Definitely worth the read!! :)
June 3, 2022
Dnf. The light mockery of the author grated on me
Want to read
August 25, 2022Note to self see https://www.camphorpress.com/books/te...
February 20, 2023
Schön kleine leichte Geschichte.
March 16, 2021
This book is set in Japan a year after WWII.
Captain Fisby is given the task of Americanizing a Japanese village.
However, the villagers are exposed to new ideas and do things their own way after a pair of geishas move into the village. Captain Fisby completely loses any semblance of control.
Captain Fisby learns to appreciate Japanese culture, and that is what I like best about the book.
There are a lot of cultural misunderstandings, which would be expected in real life.
I read this as an exchange student, and could really relate to that.
I do not think that it is disrespectful of Japanese culture. I would not like it if it was. I think it is meant to show the good side of appreciating other cultures.
I read this in German. The German version tries to cater to sex appeal by calling the book "The Geishas of Captain Fisby" and depicting a partially unclothed woman on the front of the book, which is very misleading. The book is not like that at all!
It's a mild comedy.
Captain Fisby is given the task of Americanizing a Japanese village.
However, the villagers are exposed to new ideas and do things their own way after a pair of geishas move into the village. Captain Fisby completely loses any semblance of control.
Captain Fisby learns to appreciate Japanese culture, and that is what I like best about the book.
There are a lot of cultural misunderstandings, which would be expected in real life.
I read this as an exchange student, and could really relate to that.
I do not think that it is disrespectful of Japanese culture. I would not like it if it was. I think it is meant to show the good side of appreciating other cultures.
I read this in German. The German version tries to cater to sex appeal by calling the book "The Geishas of Captain Fisby" and depicting a partially unclothed woman on the front of the book, which is very misleading. The book is not like that at all!
It's a mild comedy.
November 4, 2024
Me encantó! Fue una agradable sorpresa, no sabía con qué me iba a encontrar, esperaba algo totalmente distinto. Es una lectura profunda pero liviana con imágenes hermosas de un momento que seguro fue muy doloroso, pero la vida sigue.
Una oda al paradigma comunitario.
Una oda al paradigma comunitario.
November 23, 2015
After reading The Teahouse of the August Moon (both book and play) and watching the film adaptation, I’m undecided as to whether the story is brilliant satire or badly aged racism with a sprinkle of sexism. Let’s say somewhere in between.
In post-war Japan, an American GI is assigned to a small village and told to Americanize the place. Things begin to go south not long after he arrives and is presented with two geishas (one in the play and movie), whom he thinks are hookers. This is the first in a long ling of subtle but entertaining cultural misunderstandings. The natives, unwilling to go by the military’s recommended playbook, set off to build their own version of democracy, which centers on a teahouse for the geishas.
Really, The Teahouse of the August Moon feels a bit more like something related to the Vietnam War, given its sharp commentaries on military fallacy and incompetence. The story is funny and light on its feet, even if a bit uncomfortable at points for a modern reader.
Of the three versions, I found the novel the most insightful and nuanced. The play and movie were both adapted by the same writer (John Patrick), and the play even won a Pulitzer. Given the drastic changes he made between the novel and play (some necessary, given the different demands of the page and stage; others seemed more design to ensure his fingerprint was on the adaptation), it was surprising that he was so tied to remaining faithful to the play when moving it to the screen. Although the movie does also include Marlon Brandon playing a Japanese man, so let’s say the script and its minor problems aren’t anywhere close to the major shortcoming of the movie.
For me, the novel also had the strongest ending (The closing is tweaked in the play and movie, to the story’s detriment). The novel’s end is pitch perfect, doubly so given how many satires have trouble sticking the landing.
I’m glad I read The Teahouse of the August Moon – and that I took the time to read both play and book and watch the movie. It was fun to compare and see how the message twisted between the three formats. Despite showing its age in places (and boy does it), the story will likely resonate with and amuse modern readers. Recommended.
In post-war Japan, an American GI is assigned to a small village and told to Americanize the place. Things begin to go south not long after he arrives and is presented with two geishas (one in the play and movie), whom he thinks are hookers. This is the first in a long ling of subtle but entertaining cultural misunderstandings. The natives, unwilling to go by the military’s recommended playbook, set off to build their own version of democracy, which centers on a teahouse for the geishas.
Really, The Teahouse of the August Moon feels a bit more like something related to the Vietnam War, given its sharp commentaries on military fallacy and incompetence. The story is funny and light on its feet, even if a bit uncomfortable at points for a modern reader.
Of the three versions, I found the novel the most insightful and nuanced. The play and movie were both adapted by the same writer (John Patrick), and the play even won a Pulitzer. Given the drastic changes he made between the novel and play (some necessary, given the different demands of the page and stage; others seemed more design to ensure his fingerprint was on the adaptation), it was surprising that he was so tied to remaining faithful to the play when moving it to the screen. Although the movie does also include Marlon Brandon playing a Japanese man, so let’s say the script and its minor problems aren’t anywhere close to the major shortcoming of the movie.
For me, the novel also had the strongest ending (The closing is tweaked in the play and movie, to the story’s detriment). The novel’s end is pitch perfect, doubly so given how many satires have trouble sticking the landing.
I’m glad I read The Teahouse of the August Moon – and that I took the time to read both play and book and watch the movie. It was fun to compare and see how the message twisted between the three formats. Despite showing its age in places (and boy does it), the story will likely resonate with and amuse modern readers. Recommended.
March 9, 2016
I like to read up about places I'm about to visit. I read this book a few years ago when Okinawa was a destination -- and I said so on The Well. My in-laws have a personal history with the real establishment that, decades ago, called itself The Teahouse of the August Moon.
This book is great fun! It's a little hard to find, but worth it for a good read. (the script for the Broadway show is easily found on Amazon; I read the preceding novel).
I had low expectations. The little bit I knew about the story were really related to the movie (same name) -- which may be controversial in Okinawa. Marlon Brando plays Sakini, one of the more prominent Okinawan characters. I think there's a general perception over therethat the local people are not respectfully portrayed. Maybe true for the movie (I haven't seen it yet) but I didn't find much narrative disrespect (though there was at least one horribly un-PC physical
description) in the book. If anything, it was the Americans who looked bad.
It's the immediate aftermath of WW2 and Okinawa is occupied by the US. The highest ranking military officers want to bring their version of democracy and they have ideas how to do it, e.g., they'd like to see Williamsburg style homes on this little sub-tropical Japanese island -- and pentagon shaped schools. But in one small town, the ranking US captain goes more into a partnership with the locals -- at first comically so but gradually with more control -- to the point of developing a solid local economy. As it happens, the Americans learn a little about the local culture and they join in on some of the best of it. The cultural portrayal is idealized and overly simplistic -- but not offensively so. There's some that I think is just simply wrong:
it gives the wrong name to the island's unique musical instrument (the sanshin) and, I think, occasionally over-Japanifies (like when it refers to sake as the local drink when, on Okinawa, it's more likely to be awamori). But, overall, it's a light-hearted and uplifting story. Old fashioned -- in a way I liked.
This book is great fun! It's a little hard to find, but worth it for a good read. (the script for the Broadway show is easily found on Amazon; I read the preceding novel).
I had low expectations. The little bit I knew about the story were really related to the movie (same name) -- which may be controversial in Okinawa. Marlon Brando plays Sakini, one of the more prominent Okinawan characters. I think there's a general perception over therethat the local people are not respectfully portrayed. Maybe true for the movie (I haven't seen it yet) but I didn't find much narrative disrespect (though there was at least one horribly un-PC physical
description) in the book. If anything, it was the Americans who looked bad.
It's the immediate aftermath of WW2 and Okinawa is occupied by the US. The highest ranking military officers want to bring their version of democracy and they have ideas how to do it, e.g., they'd like to see Williamsburg style homes on this little sub-tropical Japanese island -- and pentagon shaped schools. But in one small town, the ranking US captain goes more into a partnership with the locals -- at first comically so but gradually with more control -- to the point of developing a solid local economy. As it happens, the Americans learn a little about the local culture and they join in on some of the best of it. The cultural portrayal is idealized and overly simplistic -- but not offensively so. There's some that I think is just simply wrong:
it gives the wrong name to the island's unique musical instrument (the sanshin) and, I think, occasionally over-Japanifies (like when it refers to sake as the local drink when, on Okinawa, it's more likely to be awamori). But, overall, it's a light-hearted and uplifting story. Old fashioned -- in a way I liked.
November 19, 2016
I wasn't really sure what to expect from this novel. I had picked it up at a used book bag sale because it was old and had more room in my bag. It became very apparent by the end that the author sought to honor the Japanese people and their culture rather than exploit it. While certain things would definitely be non-PC today, he presents the story from the perspective of the time in which it was written, so this must be understood while reading.
In a nutshell, it deals with American military occupation of Okinawa after the war and how 2 geisha girls turn a village upside down, and how Fisby deals with all the chaos to create unity and mutual respect in the village, and also opens the door for self respect. It is very entertaining, and I think the underlying message still holds true today.
In a nutshell, it deals with American military occupation of Okinawa after the war and how 2 geisha girls turn a village upside down, and how Fisby deals with all the chaos to create unity and mutual respect in the village, and also opens the door for self respect. It is very entertaining, and I think the underlying message still holds true today.
September 26, 2015
This book was recommended to me by a parishioner after we attended Ministry with the Poor training. She said that much of what was stressed there (the need to listen to the people you are trying to serve so that you know what they truly need and to involve them so that it is a matter of entire communities being developed and improved) was very much a part of the story in this novel. She could not have been more right. This story shows how a post-war community in Okinawa thrives and flourishes when the commanding officer there listens to the people rather than trying to force American ideas of what they need upon them. The book was very funny at times, but I did feel like it got bogged down by the end in lengthy, detailed descriptions of exactly what was going on the town's new economy.
May 23, 2014
This novel, built on the resolution of several minute conflicts, is a reflection of rebuilding Okinawa post WWII. Witty and humorous, it is an easy read, and you will catch yourself chuckling throughout the entire story. I picked this up at a local bookstore considering it was only a dollar. Though a bit skeptical at first, this book turned out to be greater than my expectations. A lovely short story that's a must-have on your bookshelf.
May 7, 2016
The Teahouse of the August Moon falls into the category of a service comedy. There is no active war but a majority of the characters are in the military. It is in the same vein as What did you do in the war Daddy? and Rally round the Flag boys. I liked how the story dealt with people doing what they wanted rather than what was required.
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