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Inhabitation
A living lizard nailed to a pillar and a young man bound by a family misfortune––a tale that poses questions about life, death, and karma by one of Japan’s most beloved living writers.
In 1970s Osaka, college student Tetsuyuki moves into a shabby apartment to evade his late father’s creditors. But the apartment’s electricity hasn’t been reconnected yet, and Tetsuyuki spends his first night in darkness. Wanting to hang up a tennis cap from his girlfriend, Yōko, he fumbles about in the dark and drives a nail into a pillar. The next day he discovers that he has pierced the body of a lizard, which is still alive. He decides to keep it alive, giving it food and water and naming it Kin.
Inhabitation unfolds from there, following the complications in Tetsuyuki’s relationship with Yōko, a friendship with his supervisor who hides his heart disease at work, and his father’s creditors, always close on his heels. Daunted, Tetsuyuki speaks to Kin night after night, and Kin’s peculiarly tortured situation reflects the mingled pain, love, and guilt that infuses Tetsuyuki’s human relationships.
For more than four decades, Teru Miyamoto’s gentle prose—which often explores a kind of spiritual isolation—has enthralled Japanese readers. Now, translator Roger K. Thomas brings one of Miyamoto’s most well-loved novels to an English-speaking audience for the first time.
In 1970s Osaka, college student Tetsuyuki moves into a shabby apartment to evade his late father’s creditors. But the apartment’s electricity hasn’t been reconnected yet, and Tetsuyuki spends his first night in darkness. Wanting to hang up a tennis cap from his girlfriend, Yōko, he fumbles about in the dark and drives a nail into a pillar. The next day he discovers that he has pierced the body of a lizard, which is still alive. He decides to keep it alive, giving it food and water and naming it Kin.
Inhabitation unfolds from there, following the complications in Tetsuyuki’s relationship with Yōko, a friendship with his supervisor who hides his heart disease at work, and his father’s creditors, always close on his heels. Daunted, Tetsuyuki speaks to Kin night after night, and Kin’s peculiarly tortured situation reflects the mingled pain, love, and guilt that infuses Tetsuyuki’s human relationships.
For more than four decades, Teru Miyamoto’s gentle prose—which often explores a kind of spiritual isolation—has enthralled Japanese readers. Now, translator Roger K. Thomas brings one of Miyamoto’s most well-loved novels to an English-speaking audience for the first time.
304 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1984
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About the author
Teru Miyamoto
144 books93 followersTeru Miyamoto (宮本 輝), born Masahito Miyamoto (宮本 正仁), is a Japanese author. He graduated from Otemon Gakuin University with a degree in literature in 1970.
1977 Dazai Osamu Prize for Mud River (Doro no Kawa)
1978 Akutagawa Prize for Firefly River (Hotarugawa)
1987 Yoshikawa Eiji Prize for Literature for Yu-Shun
1977 Dazai Osamu Prize for Mud River (Doro no Kawa)
1978 Akutagawa Prize for Firefly River (Hotarugawa)
1987 Yoshikawa Eiji Prize for Literature for Yu-Shun
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
November 14, 2022
"Pienso que la ceremonia del té es una religión. Al estar en la sala de té, tanto el dueño como los invitados son la muerte. Cuando salimos de la sala de té, hay vida. Por eso, una vez que salgan de aquí, han de seguir con vida, sin importar cuánto la rechacen".
Perseguido por yakuzas, con un trabajo precario y su novia enamorada de otro hombre: a pesar de todo, extrañamente, el protagonista sigue vivo, como ese lagarto clavado a una columna de su cuarto. Luminoso relato de iniciación entre la novela europea de finales del siglo XIX y el budismo.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Perseguido por yakuzas, con un trabajo precario y su novia enamorada de otro hombre: a pesar de todo, extrañamente, el protagonista sigue vivo, como ese lagarto clavado a una columna de su cuarto. Luminoso relato de iniciación entre la novela europea de finales del siglo XIX y el budismo.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
July 23, 2023
Mi-a plăcut mult Teru Miyamoto. Am scris aici mai multe despre cartea asta și despre „Brocart de toamnă”: https://ramona.boldizsar.ro/doua-roma...
September 29, 2020
What a timely, delicious novel - just as I was feeling a bout of nihilisim coming on. Existential, heavy with analogies, and at times erotic. Basically, all in a day's work with Japanese fiction.
May 22, 2023
Un roman deopotrivă duios, optimist și încărcat de misterioasa înțelepciune filozofică niponă care pe mine mai mereu mă pune în dificultate.
March 24, 2021
The novel's ending endeared me to the protagonist only slightly more than in the rest of the story. I found him unlikable throughout and utterly unworthy of his girlfriend's love and loyalty (which ultimately made her less likable, too). I could find no reason for her to remain so devoted to him, and to me this was the novel's biggest failing. By the end I was rooting for neither of them, and only for the lizard. I loved Miyamoto's other translated novels and short story collections (Kinshu, Phantom Lights, and Rivers), but this one I could have passed on. If I could rate a book on Goodreads with only 2.5 stars, I would have done so for this.
November 4, 2022
Acercamiento a la literatura japonesa de la mano de Teru Miyamoto, que no me ha cuajado sobremanera. La historia nos acerca a la Osaka de los los años 70, de la mano del joven Tetsuyuki, quien a raíz de las muchas deudas que su padre fallecido les ha legado, se ve obligado, junto a su madre, a dejar su domicilio familiar acosado por los acreedores. Emprenderán una nueva vida, cada uno por su lado, intentando trabajar para conseguir la cantidad reclamada, con la angustia de la violencia de sus acosadores sobre sus cabezas. La noche que se traslada a su nuevo hogar, Tetsuyuki atraviesa por accidente con un gran clavo a un lagarto que circulaba por la pared. Lejos de morir, el animal se convierte en un confidente y un alter ego de nuestro protagonista que le acompañará en los acontecimientos relevantes que le harán dar el salto simbólico en su vida, hacia la madurez y la edad adulta.
Una trama muy onírica y llena de simbolismos, que recoge los grandes temas de la literatura oriental y japonesa: filosofía, religión, amor, sexualidad… Muy poética por momentos, llena de extractos filosóficos cuasi aleccionadores que nos empapan de la cultura del país, y con una ambientación centrada en la ciudad, sus costumbres, su día a día. En definitiva, todo un conjunto de pros, pero que en mi caso no he disfrutado plenamente. Siento que ha sido una historia con un potencial tremendo, cuyos elementos trascendentales y surrealistas me encandilaron a priori, pero con un desarrollo que me ha dejado desmotivada.
He de reconocer que no soy nada experta en literatura japonesa y que apenas he tenido acceso a ella, y me parece un tipo de literatura que quizá hay que conocer más en profundidad para disfrutarla. Por ello, no puedo decir que no me haya gustado la novela, o no me haya enganchado la trama, simplemente no la he disfrutado, no he sentido necesidad de acudir a esta historia. Puede que me falte todavía mucho bagaje lector de este tipo y que mi opinión no sea la más fiable. A Japón y a mí, nos queda un largo camino por delante.
Una trama muy onírica y llena de simbolismos, que recoge los grandes temas de la literatura oriental y japonesa: filosofía, religión, amor, sexualidad… Muy poética por momentos, llena de extractos filosóficos cuasi aleccionadores que nos empapan de la cultura del país, y con una ambientación centrada en la ciudad, sus costumbres, su día a día. En definitiva, todo un conjunto de pros, pero que en mi caso no he disfrutado plenamente. Siento que ha sido una historia con un potencial tremendo, cuyos elementos trascendentales y surrealistas me encandilaron a priori, pero con un desarrollo que me ha dejado desmotivada.
He de reconocer que no soy nada experta en literatura japonesa y que apenas he tenido acceso a ella, y me parece un tipo de literatura que quizá hay que conocer más en profundidad para disfrutarla. Por ello, no puedo decir que no me haya gustado la novela, o no me haya enganchado la trama, simplemente no la he disfrutado, no he sentido necesidad de acudir a esta historia. Puede que me falte todavía mucho bagaje lector de este tipo y que mi opinión no sea la más fiable. A Japón y a mí, nos queda un largo camino por delante.
April 29, 2019
Tetsuyuki's life is filled with misfortune; his late father's debt has him and his mother hiding separately from seedy collectors. His girlfriend, Yoko, is too good for him. He's a full time student and a part time bellboy. However, Tetsuyuki's journey truly begins the night he accidentally nails a lizard to the wall of his new apartment-- and it lives. His annoyance turns to fondness, naming it Kin-chan, who feels like his only true companion. Philosophical, dramatic, and turbulent, Inhabitation will hurl you right into the world of 1970's Japan, and I found myself simultaneously frustrated (in a good way) and aching with at our irresolute protagonist.
October 26, 2022
Tetsuyuki Iryō es un joven japonés que nos narra su último año de universidad y todas las vicisitudes por las que pasa durante ese año previo a empezar su vida adulta, teniendo que sobrevivir a la soledad, las inseguridades y la gran deuda que su padre le dejó con la yakuza.
Es un libro de transición, superación, madurez; lleno de metáforas y pensamientos filosóficos.
Tiene un estilo narrativo muy sencillo y sobrio, lo cual facilita la lectura, aunque para mí gusto es demasiado mecánico.
Es un libro curioso, que te transporta a las calles de Tokio mediante una mirada muy intimista de la vida de Tetsuyiko, Yōko (su novia) y sus compañeros de trabajo.
Es un libro de transición, superación, madurez; lleno de metáforas y pensamientos filosóficos.
Tiene un estilo narrativo muy sencillo y sobrio, lo cual facilita la lectura, aunque para mí gusto es demasiado mecánico.
Es un libro curioso, que te transporta a las calles de Tokio mediante una mirada muy intimista de la vida de Tetsuyiko, Yōko (su novia) y sus compañeros de trabajo.
November 27, 2022
Vis de primăvară de Teru Miyamoto ( 1984)
Tetsuyuki este un student sărac care trăiește în Osaka în anii ‘70. Tatăl i-a murit de curând și are de plătit datoriile acestuia pe care creditori neînduplecați i le pretind lui și mamei sale, folosind intimidarea și forța. Încercând să tragă de timp, bietul student se ascunde într-o locuință sărăcăcioasă la marginea orașului. Mutând-se în grabă, este nevoit să bată un cui într-o grindă, pe întruneric. A doua zi este șocat de ceea ce descoperă: o șopârlă era țintuită de stâlp, pătrunsă de cuiul său chiar la mijloc. Șopârla era vie!
Așa pornește povestea captivantă a acestui roman a cărui acțiune se desfășoară pe parcursul unui an: o șopârlă țintuită de un lemn, un student constrâns de diverse forțe din exterior – recuperatori violenți, un rival în dragoste, colegi de muncă cu caractere dificile. Însă, așa cum Tetsuyuki dovedește milă și grijă față de șopârlă, hranind-o, încălzind-o, vorbind cu ea, la fel și eroul nostru primește sprijin în încercările care îl maturizează. Mai ales femeile au un astfel de rol în roman, ele fiind hrănitoare, oferind liniște, iubire, încredere și sprijin concret necondiționat. Dar el primește sprijin și din amintirile pe care le are cu tatăl său, dar și din relația pe care și-o dezvoltă cu acest animal micuț, dar rezilient. Când va veni iar primăvara, Tetsuyuki și șopârla lui își vor împlini visul de a fi iar liberi? Vor găsi ei combinația potrivită pentru a face față prezentului și viitorului?
“ Există oameni care au curaj, dar duc lipsă de perseverență; sunt alții care au speranță, dar nu au curaj. Mai există și din aceia care au și speranță, și curaj din belșug, dar clachează la prima adiere de vânt. Mulți sunt și cei care trec prin viață îndurând orice, răbdători, dar nu fac față provocărilor. Curajul, speranța și perseverența sunt cele mai importante aspecte care conduc spre atingerea țelului. Dacă lipsește unul din ele, nu se întrevede niciun ideal. […] Acela care posedă calitățile amintite mai sus este teribil. Fie că ajunge cerșetor, fie că-l pândește moartea după colț, el reușește să se târască și să ajungă iar sus.”
Vis de primăvară este un roman delicat, alert, plin de înțelesuri. Este, de asemenea, o carte despre supraviețuire și despre relații neașteptate care îți deschid mintea și inima.
Tetsuyuki este un student sărac care trăiește în Osaka în anii ‘70. Tatăl i-a murit de curând și are de plătit datoriile acestuia pe care creditori neînduplecați i le pretind lui și mamei sale, folosind intimidarea și forța. Încercând să tragă de timp, bietul student se ascunde într-o locuință sărăcăcioasă la marginea orașului. Mutând-se în grabă, este nevoit să bată un cui într-o grindă, pe întruneric. A doua zi este șocat de ceea ce descoperă: o șopârlă era țintuită de stâlp, pătrunsă de cuiul său chiar la mijloc. Șopârla era vie!
Așa pornește povestea captivantă a acestui roman a cărui acțiune se desfășoară pe parcursul unui an: o șopârlă țintuită de un lemn, un student constrâns de diverse forțe din exterior – recuperatori violenți, un rival în dragoste, colegi de muncă cu caractere dificile. Însă, așa cum Tetsuyuki dovedește milă și grijă față de șopârlă, hranind-o, încălzind-o, vorbind cu ea, la fel și eroul nostru primește sprijin în încercările care îl maturizează. Mai ales femeile au un astfel de rol în roman, ele fiind hrănitoare, oferind liniște, iubire, încredere și sprijin concret necondiționat. Dar el primește sprijin și din amintirile pe care le are cu tatăl său, dar și din relația pe care și-o dezvoltă cu acest animal micuț, dar rezilient. Când va veni iar primăvara, Tetsuyuki și șopârla lui își vor împlini visul de a fi iar liberi? Vor găsi ei combinația potrivită pentru a face față prezentului și viitorului?
“ Există oameni care au curaj, dar duc lipsă de perseverență; sunt alții care au speranță, dar nu au curaj. Mai există și din aceia care au și speranță, și curaj din belșug, dar clachează la prima adiere de vânt. Mulți sunt și cei care trec prin viață îndurând orice, răbdători, dar nu fac față provocărilor. Curajul, speranța și perseverența sunt cele mai importante aspecte care conduc spre atingerea țelului. Dacă lipsește unul din ele, nu se întrevede niciun ideal. […] Acela care posedă calitățile amintite mai sus este teribil. Fie că ajunge cerșetor, fie că-l pândește moartea după colț, el reușește să se târască și să ajungă iar sus.”
Vis de primăvară este un roman delicat, alert, plin de înțelesuri. Este, de asemenea, o carte despre supraviețuire și despre relații neașteptate care îți deschid mintea și inima.
December 21, 2019
Tetsuyuki is an Osaka college student burdened with family debt and baggage. moving to a shabby apartment he accidentally nails a lizard to the wall during electricity cut off.
should he pull the nail out and risk the lizard bleeding to death? or just wait until it dies of starvation?
As the plot carries on with the events, relations and life problems, the reader realises that we are all that Lizard, pinned down to a wall by heavy burdens; we know how to get rid of them but afraid to take action and, most of the time, opt for slow death.
Unique approach to life and death themes with the lizard symbolism. one which created a bond between the lizard and the protagonist.
on cons side, the details of the plot are predictable and style is mundane.
should he pull the nail out and risk the lizard bleeding to death? or just wait until it dies of starvation?
As the plot carries on with the events, relations and life problems, the reader realises that we are all that Lizard, pinned down to a wall by heavy burdens; we know how to get rid of them but afraid to take action and, most of the time, opt for slow death.
Unique approach to life and death themes with the lizard symbolism. one which created a bond between the lizard and the protagonist.
on cons side, the details of the plot are predictable and style is mundane.
May 30, 2024
Meh… a good idea and I like the general story but I didn’t think it was well-written OR it could have been poorly translated, not sure. Only if I could read Japanese would I know. Honestly this is just very boring on a line level
August 3, 2022
nimic nu e mai real decât atunci când o șopârlă(Kin) trăiește un an străpunsă de un cui și cel care o hrănește simte că împart același corp
June 14, 2021
Randomly picked up this and liked it more than I thought. Nice anology and characterization. When I read a few reviews i was confused about how the story revolves around a lizard. After reading it, i must say that that interpretation is correct and incorrect at the same type. The story can be seen as attached to the analogy or it can be detached from it as well.
May 15, 2020
I quite enjoyed this strange book, although a few things make me hesitate to rate it at 4 stars. The story is that of student Tetsuyuki, who's forced to move into an isolated apartment because debt collectors are after him and his mother due to his deceased father's debts. His first night, without electricity, he accidentally hammers a nail through a lizard into a post. When he discovers it the next morning, still alive, he's at a loss. Over the next year, as Tetsuyuki takes a part-time job and prepares to marry his girlfriend, while fearing the imminent discovery by thugs, the lizard -- which he names Kin -- comes to represent a kind of combined freedom and love of life that keeps him going. Dreams and depression, confusion and uncertainty, are talked through with Kin, while Tetsuyuki wonders how the lizard continues living. Kin's place in the boy's life is a conceit that works, but what drags the book down a bit is the fact that Tetsuyuki's often a jerk, and it's not always clear why. He has some reasons to be; his life is difficult. But his character sometimes seems muddled, and his motivations unclear. I wanted to root for him, but the book made that challenging. Still, by the end I felt pretty satisfied with the story, and it's certainly an unusual book worth checking out if the description intrigues you.
October 26, 2022
Of pierced lizards, hardships and relationships 🦎
Loved this book more than I thought I would. I thought a book about a lizard-nailed-to-a-pillar as a central concept would be made comical at first but loved how seriously the author and characters tackled that unfortunate incident and the reflections they made out of it.
The characters are all very human; all with their own flaws, fears, hopes and immaturities. I enjoyed reading about them a lot and found pieces of myself in each one of the characters. Teru Miyamoto is one Japanese author I rarely encounter being referred to; not really sure why. I'm mostly familiar with R. Akutagawa, Y. Mishima, H. Murakami, Y. Kawabata, K. Abe, S. Murata, B. Yoshimoto, O. Dazai, S. Endo and the likes but never heard of T. Miyamoto. Nevertheless, this book of his really left a lasting mark on me (a sure indication of a great story for me).
I will be in search for more books from this author starting now ☺️. And would also be on the look out for other great Japanese authors whose name I've barely even heard of: since I find that the stories I've read from Japanese authors rarely miss. There's always something so unique and beautiful in their story-telling that even a story about a lizard pinned to the wall is made deeper and reflective 😌💕.
Loved this book more than I thought I would. I thought a book about a lizard-nailed-to-a-pillar as a central concept would be made comical at first but loved how seriously the author and characters tackled that unfortunate incident and the reflections they made out of it.
The characters are all very human; all with their own flaws, fears, hopes and immaturities. I enjoyed reading about them a lot and found pieces of myself in each one of the characters. Teru Miyamoto is one Japanese author I rarely encounter being referred to; not really sure why. I'm mostly familiar with R. Akutagawa, Y. Mishima, H. Murakami, Y. Kawabata, K. Abe, S. Murata, B. Yoshimoto, O. Dazai, S. Endo and the likes but never heard of T. Miyamoto. Nevertheless, this book of his really left a lasting mark on me (a sure indication of a great story for me).
I will be in search for more books from this author starting now ☺️. And would also be on the look out for other great Japanese authors whose name I've barely even heard of: since I find that the stories I've read from Japanese authors rarely miss. There's always something so unique and beautiful in their story-telling that even a story about a lizard pinned to the wall is made deeper and reflective 😌💕.
December 14, 2022
La literatura japonesa tiene algo especial; algo pausado pero llevo de significado. Esta historia no se queda atrás. Es verdad que las desventuras del protagonista, quien parece que nos narre la historia a pesar de estar escrita en tercera persona, nos llevan a juzgarle, aceptando o no sus decisiones.
Tetsuyuki Iryō no lo tiene fácil; debe lidiar con su realidad, que no es muy halagüeña. Aunque es más fuerte de lo que piensa, su lucha por avanzar, arrastrando todo lo que lleva detrás, le hace dudar de su propio futuro. Sus relaciones en el trabajo, con su novia, con su madre y, sobre todo, consigo mismo se centran en esa relación tan especial, llena de simbología, que establece entre él y un lagarto que se encuentra atrapado, igual que el propio Tetsuyuki.
Fácil de leer, amena en algunos momentos, cansina en otros, he leído este libro disfrutando de su historia, llegando a sentir a veces animadversión por él y otras veces mucha comprensión. Enfrentarse a la realidad de cada uno no es fácil, y eso nos muestra Tetsuyuki.
Un texto para la reflexión sobre el camino que toman muestras decisiones y nuestros sueños.
Tetsuyuki Iryō no lo tiene fácil; debe lidiar con su realidad, que no es muy halagüeña. Aunque es más fuerte de lo que piensa, su lucha por avanzar, arrastrando todo lo que lleva detrás, le hace dudar de su propio futuro. Sus relaciones en el trabajo, con su novia, con su madre y, sobre todo, consigo mismo se centran en esa relación tan especial, llena de simbología, que establece entre él y un lagarto que se encuentra atrapado, igual que el propio Tetsuyuki.
Fácil de leer, amena en algunos momentos, cansina en otros, he leído este libro disfrutando de su historia, llegando a sentir a veces animadversión por él y otras veces mucha comprensión. Enfrentarse a la realidad de cada uno no es fácil, y eso nos muestra Tetsuyuki.
Un texto para la reflexión sobre el camino que toman muestras decisiones y nuestros sueños.
November 15, 2019
Loved it and this alone should make you wanna read it.
“ Before there can be any effect, there has to be a cause. That’s the basis of physics, isn’t it? Is there a single effect in this universe that doesn’t have a cause? Does a tree grow where there’s no seed? Does a nail all by itself pierce a lizard’s back? It’s because everything in this world has a cause that there are effects.
Why are we humans born into this life with differences from each other? There must be some cause for that, too. So then, that cause must have been produced before we were born, right? Doesn’t that make the most sense? Some are born into wealthy families, some into poor ones. Some are born with healthy bodies, some crippled. So then, even though all things have cause and effect, wouldn’t it be odd to say that the differences we are born with have no cause? We certainly experienced lives before being born into this one, we just don’t remember, that’s all. So, I died carrying various debts and then, just like waking up from sleep, I was reborn. But the debts haven’t disappeared...”
“ Before there can be any effect, there has to be a cause. That’s the basis of physics, isn’t it? Is there a single effect in this universe that doesn’t have a cause? Does a tree grow where there’s no seed? Does a nail all by itself pierce a lizard’s back? It’s because everything in this world has a cause that there are effects.
Why are we humans born into this life with differences from each other? There must be some cause for that, too. So then, that cause must have been produced before we were born, right? Doesn’t that make the most sense? Some are born into wealthy families, some into poor ones. Some are born with healthy bodies, some crippled. So then, even though all things have cause and effect, wouldn’t it be odd to say that the differences we are born with have no cause? We certainly experienced lives before being born into this one, we just don’t remember, that’s all. So, I died carrying various debts and then, just like waking up from sleep, I was reborn. But the debts haven’t disappeared...”
November 9, 2019
By far, one of the best novels that I have ever read. Miyamoto is truly a master of literary realism.
February 27, 2021
This review is taken from my IG account @descanto
🏳 I am giving up! Simply giving up reading this book 🏳
I texted Rhea @namakurhea last night and asked her: "I am giving up with this book. I have been trying to read it twice but I freaking cannot get myself into it. How could you deal with this book?"
Inhabitation tells a story about an Osama college students named Tetsuyuki. He's burdened with family debt and baggage. He then would have to move to a shabby apartment where he accidentally nails a lizard to the wall during electricity cut off. He does not know what he has to do with the lizard.
As his story continues, it carries on with the complicated life events including his relationship with others particularly the girlfriend. And the more we know Tetsuyuki, we will know that the lizard here is an allegory, a symbolism of human's characters themselves. They often know how to direct their life but they are afraid to take an action and when they realise what they want, they're just a step closer to death.
I was giving uo reading this book on the second attemps. Like Gosh, how would one stand it? The story is too superficial, scratching the surface of things that can be explore deeper like life and death with the lizard symbolism. It instead goes around the bush making me loose the reading tracks. Like I was left with the question: what's next? What is the central of the story? If the author wants to focus on Tetsuyuki's relationship with the girlfriend then where is the spicy spicey little sparks between them? The book, the plot, the characters are too flat!
I simply gave up reading the book after dealing with it twice. I'm giving up! 🏳
🏳 I am giving up! Simply giving up reading this book 🏳
I texted Rhea @namakurhea last night and asked her: "I am giving up with this book. I have been trying to read it twice but I freaking cannot get myself into it. How could you deal with this book?"
Inhabitation tells a story about an Osama college students named Tetsuyuki. He's burdened with family debt and baggage. He then would have to move to a shabby apartment where he accidentally nails a lizard to the wall during electricity cut off. He does not know what he has to do with the lizard.
As his story continues, it carries on with the complicated life events including his relationship with others particularly the girlfriend. And the more we know Tetsuyuki, we will know that the lizard here is an allegory, a symbolism of human's characters themselves. They often know how to direct their life but they are afraid to take an action and when they realise what they want, they're just a step closer to death.
I was giving uo reading this book on the second attemps. Like Gosh, how would one stand it? The story is too superficial, scratching the surface of things that can be explore deeper like life and death with the lizard symbolism. It instead goes around the bush making me loose the reading tracks. Like I was left with the question: what's next? What is the central of the story? If the author wants to focus on Tetsuyuki's relationship with the girlfriend then where is the spicy spicey little sparks between them? The book, the plot, the characters are too flat!
I simply gave up reading the book after dealing with it twice. I'm giving up! 🏳
September 9, 2020
This is such a good book with wonderful characters, a great rhythm and the clever plot motif/symbol of the lizard. Set in 1970s Osaka focused on 'normal' people and their daily struggles it really resonated with me. We all feel pinned down and struggle to find freedom or direction at given times in our lives. Some will think it is claustrophobic and strange. That's why I really liked it. In the same way as I loved the Scorsese film 'After Hours' set in 1980s New York about a series of misadventures that highlight all of Manhattan's quirky brilliance and tension. This book is packed full of misadventures too and is rendered into English in a smooth and easy to read translation by Roger k. Thomas. Really pleased I picked it up and read it. Just wish more of his work was available in English.
October 5, 2019
This was a terrific read. I had never read a Miyamoto novel prior to this, but I am now excited to dive deeper into his literary catalog. “Inhabitation” is book full of raw and relatable emotion. The relationships between characters seemed so real and honest that it was easy to find ways to relate to what they were going through. Miyamoto does an excellent job articulating the importance of reflecting on life, death, and the thin line that separates the two. This book is also incredibly original. The use of Kin to drive many different metaphors throughout the novel was excellent. From start to finish I really loved this book. Shout out to the translator as well!
July 21, 2021
"Why are we humans born into this life with differences from each other?" - Inhabitation, by Teru Miyamoto
This was the first book I've read by Teru Miyamoto, but certainly will not be the last.
Writing about a young university student being pursued by his father's debtors, Miyamoto breathes life into an evocatively chaotic yet dreamlike world, producing an astounding depiction of what it means to come of age. More than anything else, this book for me was a powerful exercise in nostalgia: it masterfully captured a shape, texture, and intensity of feeling, unique to our early twenties, which I had long forgotten, and which this novel allowed me to wistfully remember.
This was the first book I've read by Teru Miyamoto, but certainly will not be the last.
Writing about a young university student being pursued by his father's debtors, Miyamoto breathes life into an evocatively chaotic yet dreamlike world, producing an astounding depiction of what it means to come of age. More than anything else, this book for me was a powerful exercise in nostalgia: it masterfully captured a shape, texture, and intensity of feeling, unique to our early twenties, which I had long forgotten, and which this novel allowed me to wistfully remember.
December 27, 2023
it's nice to read a book written by a man with a male main character that's not violently misogynistic. i loved it, i loved how mundane it seems even with all of the hurdles in tetsuyuki's life with the people around him, how tetsuyuki waffles and changes his mind and speculates on the meaning of life, and is aware of all of his failures and bad qualities. this book just felt very realistic to me. and the premise may seem strange but i have a feeling i would be facing the same internal war if i accidentally nailed a lizard to a wall and he didn't die. i got so attached to kin-chan :'(
November 11, 2019
Finished in a day and enjoyed it immensely. While Tetsuyuki is not the most lovable protagonist you could hope for, his story rings truthful and humble. Using a seemingly unimportant event as a catalyst for the rest of the story, Miyamoto captures a mixture of anxiety, reality, and dream-like passages in a way that feels so natural. Really excellent slice of life writing that will likely appeal to fans of similar Japanese literature.
August 30, 2020
An utterly claustrophobic read, absolutely nothing worked for me - not a single page, not a single paragraph. I felt like I was nailed to this book like the lizard inside it was nailed to the wall. I really liked the author's Kinshu when I read it six years ago, and also really liked at least some of the stories in his Phantom Lights collection. But Inhabitation - truly creative people have bad ideas sometimes, and for me this book is a Teru Miyamoto's bad idea. I'll certainly be interested in any new books of his that come out in English translation - but after my experience with Inhabitation I will be wary.
June 30, 2022
huh, this one was pretty eccentric. i was completely immersed, even though the premise was simple and the characters all insufferable in their own ways. what is it with japanese fiction and repulsive characters that just draw you in? the book almost read like a series of intertwined short stories, interestingly enough. so many different lives analogized to the lizard nailed into a pillar. my favorite part was the ending. the last line was so freeing!
March 6, 2022
A young boy moves into an apartment to run away from his late father's debt collectors and accidently nails a lizard to a wall.
This is a very good book. If you like Japanese literary fiction, you should pick this up. The only reason I gave it 3 stars is because literary fiction is not my genre and now I feel I've entered a reading slump. But don't let that deter you if you're interested
This is a very good book. If you like Japanese literary fiction, you should pick this up. The only reason I gave it 3 stars is because literary fiction is not my genre and now I feel I've entered a reading slump. But don't let that deter you if you're interested
April 22, 2023
Life, death, sex, betrayal, gangsters, ultimate truths, and a lizard nailed to a wall that will not die. Tetsuyuki’s seemingly simple story has it all.
I liked the book and found it engaging but it didn’t amaze me with brilliance so I only marked it 4 stars. Still, it covered a lot of philosophical ground and made me ponder things.
I liked the book and found it engaging but it didn’t amaze me with brilliance so I only marked it 4 stars. Still, it covered a lot of philosophical ground and made me ponder things.
January 4, 2020
I loved the breezy mood of this book, which made it enjoyable and easy to read despite its underlying complexity. I really enjoyed the Buddhist themes and discussions but found that they didn’t take over the novel at all, but rather harmonized with it perfectly. Highly recommend.
March 4, 2020
Inhabitation is a combination of frustration, nihilism and sex. It keeps you wanting more and the investment eventually pays off. The writing style is similar to Haruki Murakami in my opinion. A good read.
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