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Watersong
A mesmerising novel set in Japan, by the author of Rainbirds and The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida, about a young man trying to escape his past.
When Shouji Arai crosses one of his company’s most powerful clients, he must leave Akakawa immediately or risk his life. But his girlfriend Youko is nowhere to be found.
Haunted by dreams of drowning and the words of a fortune teller who warned him away from three women with water in their names, he travels to Tokyo, where he tries in vain to track Youko down. But Shouji soon realises that not everything Youko told him about herself was true. Who is the real woman he once lived with and loved, and where could she be hiding?
Watersong is a spellbinding novel of loves lost and recovered, of secrets never spoken, and of how our pasts shape our futures.
When Shouji Arai crosses one of his company’s most powerful clients, he must leave Akakawa immediately or risk his life. But his girlfriend Youko is nowhere to be found.
Haunted by dreams of drowning and the words of a fortune teller who warned him away from three women with water in their names, he travels to Tokyo, where he tries in vain to track Youko down. But Shouji soon realises that not everything Youko told him about herself was true. Who is the real woman he once lived with and loved, and where could she be hiding?
Watersong is a spellbinding novel of loves lost and recovered, of secrets never spoken, and of how our pasts shape our futures.
304 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2022
24 people are currently reading
1763 people want to read
About the author
Clarissa Goenawan
3 books507 followersClarissa Goenawan is an Indonesian-born Singaporean writer. Her award-winning short fiction has appeared in literary magazines and anthologies in Singapore, Australia, the UK, and the US. Rainbirds is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 195 reviews
July 8, 2022
Each time I read work by Clarissa Goenawan I find myself wondering why she isn't better known. She deserves to be up there with writers we rely on to simultaneously entertain us and to force us to broaden our understanding of what it means to be human. I'm thinking of writers like Barbara Kingsolver, Ruth Ozeki, and Geraldine Brooks.
Goenawan lives in Singapore, but her novels are primarily set in Japan. In Watersong, Shouji Arai finds himself working as an "ear prostitute" in an unusual tea house. His job is to listen to the tea house's patrons, who pay a high price for a pot of tea and an hour of attention. He is not to think of himself as a therapist or a problem solver: he is merely a set of ears taking in whatever a customer says.
Souji grew up having nightmares of drowning. His mother took him to a local fortune teller, whose "diagnosis" was ambivalent. Shouji might drown, someone he loves might drown, but he is kind, so there's a chance he might be spared both fates.
At the novel's start, Souji makes the mistake of trying to help a client, a decision that sets his life on a dangerous course.
That's all I want to say about the plot, for fear of unduly influencing others' reading experiences, but it spins out from there in unsettling ways.
Watersong is a novel that I most decidedly enjoyed reading and one that I would recommend to others, though I would suggest beginning with one of her two previous novels: Rainbirds and The Perfect Life of Miwako Sumida. Why? Because with Watersong, Goenawan seems to be moving a a new direction compared to those works, and I think it would best be read after experiencing one of those two novels and spending some time with her writing voice as it originally emerged.
I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via EdelweissPlus; the opinions are my own.
Goenawan lives in Singapore, but her novels are primarily set in Japan. In Watersong, Shouji Arai finds himself working as an "ear prostitute" in an unusual tea house. His job is to listen to the tea house's patrons, who pay a high price for a pot of tea and an hour of attention. He is not to think of himself as a therapist or a problem solver: he is merely a set of ears taking in whatever a customer says.
Souji grew up having nightmares of drowning. His mother took him to a local fortune teller, whose "diagnosis" was ambivalent. Shouji might drown, someone he loves might drown, but he is kind, so there's a chance he might be spared both fates.
At the novel's start, Souji makes the mistake of trying to help a client, a decision that sets his life on a dangerous course.
That's all I want to say about the plot, for fear of unduly influencing others' reading experiences, but it spins out from there in unsettling ways.
Watersong is a novel that I most decidedly enjoyed reading and one that I would recommend to others, though I would suggest beginning with one of her two previous novels: Rainbirds and The Perfect Life of Miwako Sumida. Why? Because with Watersong, Goenawan seems to be moving a a new direction compared to those works, and I think it would best be read after experiencing one of those two novels and spending some time with her writing voice as it originally emerged.
I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via EdelweissPlus; the opinions are my own.
December 3, 2022
Karena selalu bermimpi tenggelam, Shouji dibawa ibunya menemui tabib. Kemudian tabib itu berkata kalau Shouji nantinya akan bertemu 3 wanita berunsur air, yang mana salah satunya mungkin belahan jiwa.
Bertahun-tahun kemudian, Shouji tumbuh menjadi pria cerdas, lulusan Fakultas Ekonomi Universitas Waseda, dan punya pacar bernama Youko. Saking cintanya dengan Youko, ia rela pergi dan tinggal bersama. Di sana ia pun nggak punya pekerjaan. Duh, kayak benalu yah laki-laki ini, haha!
Youko yang bekerja menjadi "pelacur telinga" pun akhirnya mengajak Shouji ikut bekerja seperti dirinya. Dan dari situlah ramalan mengenai Shouji saat masih kanak-kanak berkelindan, menghantui, yang mana dimulai dari wanita dengan nama berunsur air yang menyebut dirinya Mizuki.
Novel ini ditulis dengan rapi, tapi aku merasa banyak yang tiba-tiba sehingga sensasi yang semestinya jadi plot twist malah biasa saja. Selain itu, masih cukup jauh jika menyamai genre thriller meski penulis tampak berusaha menampilkan atmosfer tersebut. Yah, aku nggak merasakan sensasinya. Tapi, itu mungkin aku-nya saja yang berekpektasi lebih.
Selain itu, aku terkadang merasakan sebuah bias antara budaya Jepang dan budaya Asia secara umum. Hal itu berakibat aku nggak memercayai keautentikan tokoh-tokoh dengan latar yang semestinya.
Ketika membaca novel Jepang, entah apa pun genrenya, aku selalu merasakan "sebuah denting" yang aku sendiri sulit mendefinisikannya. Novel ini, termasuk 2 novel Clarissa sebelumnya, nggak memberikan efek denting tersebut. Meski demikian, bukan berarti novelnya jelek. Aku bahkan selalu menunggu-nunggu novelnya karena punya premis unik dan gaya bahasa yang menyenangkan (yang mana juga diterjemahkan dengan baik ke bahasa Indonesia).
Bahkan, kuakui Watersong, novel ketiganya ini, adalah yang paling page turner dibandingkan dua debut sebelumnya.
Selain itu, aku bersyukur nggak membaca sinopsis yang ada di belakang buku karena spoiler banget. Aku pasti risi banget kalau baca sinopsisnya duluan. (Dan aku baru aja sadar ketika buka Goodreads.)
Ditunggu novel keempatnya!
Bertahun-tahun kemudian, Shouji tumbuh menjadi pria cerdas, lulusan Fakultas Ekonomi Universitas Waseda, dan punya pacar bernama Youko. Saking cintanya dengan Youko, ia rela pergi dan tinggal bersama. Di sana ia pun nggak punya pekerjaan. Duh, kayak benalu yah laki-laki ini, haha!
Youko yang bekerja menjadi "pelacur telinga" pun akhirnya mengajak Shouji ikut bekerja seperti dirinya. Dan dari situlah ramalan mengenai Shouji saat masih kanak-kanak berkelindan, menghantui, yang mana dimulai dari wanita dengan nama berunsur air yang menyebut dirinya Mizuki.
Novel ini ditulis dengan rapi, tapi aku merasa banyak yang tiba-tiba sehingga sensasi yang semestinya jadi plot twist malah biasa saja. Selain itu, masih cukup jauh jika menyamai genre thriller meski penulis tampak berusaha menampilkan atmosfer tersebut. Yah, aku nggak merasakan sensasinya. Tapi, itu mungkin aku-nya saja yang berekpektasi lebih.
Selain itu, aku terkadang merasakan sebuah bias antara budaya Jepang dan budaya Asia secara umum. Hal itu berakibat aku nggak memercayai keautentikan tokoh-tokoh dengan latar yang semestinya.
Ketika membaca novel Jepang, entah apa pun genrenya, aku selalu merasakan "sebuah denting" yang aku sendiri sulit mendefinisikannya. Novel ini, termasuk 2 novel Clarissa sebelumnya, nggak memberikan efek denting tersebut. Meski demikian, bukan berarti novelnya jelek. Aku bahkan selalu menunggu-nunggu novelnya karena punya premis unik dan gaya bahasa yang menyenangkan (yang mana juga diterjemahkan dengan baik ke bahasa Indonesia).
Bahkan, kuakui Watersong, novel ketiganya ini, adalah yang paling page turner dibandingkan dua debut sebelumnya.
Selain itu, aku bersyukur nggak membaca sinopsis yang ada di belakang buku karena spoiler banget. Aku pasti risi banget kalau baca sinopsisnya duluan. (Dan aku baru aja sadar ketika buka Goodreads.)
Ditunggu novel keempatnya!
June 16, 2022
ACTUAL REVIEW:
(DISCLAIMER: SPOILERS BELOW)
This is the lowest I've ever rated any Clarissa Goenawan book and it breaks my heart but I should honestly review her book. She's still an all-time favorite author of mine and maybe I expected too much. After all, overhyping anything can lead to disappointment. Unfortunately, this came true for her third book.
On the whole, WATERSONG is a brilliant literary fiction about letting go of your past and moving on. This is the running theme of all of Clarissa's books. Troubled, dark pasts that the characters are trying to move on. In her first two books, RAINBIRDS and THE PERFECT WORLD OF MIWAKO SUMIDA, the protagonists and some of the other characters have some troubled pasts, or experienced something traumatic at the beginning of the book and cannot move on easily. In WATERSONG, Clarissa showed us the dark side of being unable to move on and clinging to your past. Unlike Ren Ishida and Ryusei Yanagi, Shouji Arai does not find closure, nor does he move on and begin anew. It might seem muddy at first, but he dies in the end.
The story begins when college grad but recently unemployed Shouji Arai is hired by her live-in girlfriend, Youko Sasaki's bosses as an ear prostitute. Basically, Shouji and Youko sit down with a client and listen to them say whatever the client wants to share. They aren't allowed to offer condolences, advice, or questions unless the client specifically asks for it. Their job is to listen to their influential, powerful clients vent to them. Whatever they hear, they are strictly prohibited from speaking about it to anyone, even to their better halves. When Shouji's first client, the wife of a powerful local politician, reveals to him the physically abusive nature of her husband, Shouji is approached by a sketchy reporter to reveal this to the public. Before he can do anything, Shouji learns his life is in danger, as well as Youko's. They are eventually split up and Shouji goes into hiding with help from his cop uncle. He flees to Tokyo from Akakawa and starts a new job as a journalist. He continues looking for Youko who's vanished without a trace, until someone threatens his life over multiple phone calls. Shouji reluctantly stops looking for her.
After years of being unable to move on, he meets with an old classmate at a reunion who almost barges into his life. Liyun, a Singaporean student in Japan, is everything Youko isn't: lively, fun-loving, caring, and understanding. To everyone else, Liyun clearly harbors romantic feelings for Shouji. Unfortunately, Shouji still pines for Youko. Heartbroken over his rejection despite her relentless pursuit, Liyun gives up on him and moves on. Eventually, Shouji finds the politician's wife, Mizuki, and helps her move on from her own dark past.
Alas, he doesn't move on from his own. The sinister shadow of a dark past lingers around him, an impenetrable wall nobody, not even Shouji himself, can break down. At last, he tracks down Youko and persists in convincing her to give themselves one more chance. But unbeknownst to him, a similarly sinister shadow is all around Youko too. Shouji finds out, while bound and drowned, that a colleague from the shady job he and Youko had in Akakawa is her long lost father. Many of the murders across the book occurred in his hands. His reasoning? He wants to protect Youko, his illegitimate daughter who doesn't even know he's her father, from "problematic" men. Shouji eventually dies from drowning, despite being an excellent swimmer. In the epilogue, we find out the dark past that had been casting an ominous presence in his life. A painful memory he blocked from his head and remembered upon death.
I feel so bad for Shouji. My heart breaks for him. He helped Mizuki move on from her past but couldn't move on from his own. I'm glad that Liyun and Mizuki were able to move on from their traumatic pasts and find happiness. Too bad Shouji and Youko, more unfortunate than Keiko Ishida and Miwako Sumida had been, couldn't do that. While Shouji drowns because of chasing one past and running from another, Youko will forever be haunted by a past she doesn't even know about and will forever be traumatized by this past's tyrannical control over her future. I'm pretty sure Mr. Satou had killed Liyun's brother, who was Youko's boyfriend once. After all, his signature killing method is drowning his victims. Given that he killed both the Madam of the tearoom and Mr. Kazuhiro Katou and got away with them, he's capable of anything. He's the actual problematic man in Youko's life and unfortunately for her, she'll never find happiness because of his twisted perception of what her happiness should be. I wished so much for Shouji to give up on Youko and move on, or they finally find each other and begin anew. My hopes were dashed and my heart was broken. The biggest innocent victim out of all the characters was Shouji's mother, who lost her only son. She always feared for his life and they came true: he did die by drowning.
By the way, if you've read and remembered most things from Clarissa Goenawan's last books, you'll find plenty of minor characters returning, such as Jin Fujiwara (the rich playboy of Waseda University), Hidetoshi Oda (the detective in Akakawa whom Ren meets once), Sachiko Hayami (Miwako's hot friend who dated Jin), Izumi (the caretaker of the dilapidated building in Akakawa where Ren temporarily stayed), and Mrs. Katsuragi (the elegant hotelier from Akakawa). Another branch of the stony, stern, powerful Katou family makes an appearance. Also, the three things Ren, Ryusei, and Shouji have in common are, a) they all knew and were friends with Jin, b) they've gone to Akakawa once in their lives, and, c) never got to be with the women they loved. In fact, Shouji and Youko were the couple Izumi briefly mentioned to Ren in RAINBIRDS, the one where the girl lived with her boyfriend, something which wasn't allowed by the landlord but Izumi allowed it because what the landlord doesn't know can't hurt. Anyway, I hope we'll see Jin as the protagonist/narrator of his own book later. He's been consistently present in every Clarissa book. I'd also love to know what happens to Youko in future, because more than Shouji, I'm heartbroken and worried about her.
Anyway, I decided to give WATERSONG three stars because the ending didn't satisfy me. I might up the rating in future but for now, it's three stars. It's just not for me right now.
Looking forward to Clarissa's next book.
(Pre-read review)
Cover reveal is coming soon! I'm so excited. Here is the synopsis since GoodReads hasn't posted any update:
A mesmerising novel set in Japan, by the author of Rainbirds and The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida, about a young man trying to escape his past.
When Shouji Arai crosses one of his company’s most powerful clients, he must leave Akakawa immediately or risk his life. But his girlfriend Youko is nowhere to be found.
Haunted by dreams of drowning and the words of a fortune teller who warned him away from three women with water in their names, he travels to Tokyo, where he tries in vain to track Youko down. But Shouji soon realises that not everything Youko told him about herself was true. Who is the real woman he once lived with and loved, and where could she be hiding?
Watersong is a spellbinding novel of loves lost and recovered, of secrets never spoken, and of how our pasts shape our futures.
Link: https://www.pontas-agency.com/book/wa...
Publishers Marketplace announcement:
Author of RAINBIRDS and THE PERFECT WORLD OF MIWAKO SUMIDA, Clarissa Goenawan's WATERSONG, a love story full of unexpected twists set in Japan; in which a man and his girlfriend provide confidential services to rich clients; breaking company rules, he befriends an elegant customer and tries to help her by exposing her influential husband's misdeeds; the plan backfires, endangering his life and that of his girlfriend; what follows is a long journey where destiny is challenged, faith is questioned, and love is lost and found in equal measure, to Molly Slight at Scribe, by Maria Cardona at Pontas Literary & Film Agency (world right).
(DISCLAIMER: SPOILERS BELOW)
This is the lowest I've ever rated any Clarissa Goenawan book and it breaks my heart but I should honestly review her book. She's still an all-time favorite author of mine and maybe I expected too much. After all, overhyping anything can lead to disappointment. Unfortunately, this came true for her third book.
On the whole, WATERSONG is a brilliant literary fiction about letting go of your past and moving on. This is the running theme of all of Clarissa's books. Troubled, dark pasts that the characters are trying to move on. In her first two books, RAINBIRDS and THE PERFECT WORLD OF MIWAKO SUMIDA, the protagonists and some of the other characters have some troubled pasts, or experienced something traumatic at the beginning of the book and cannot move on easily. In WATERSONG, Clarissa showed us the dark side of being unable to move on and clinging to your past. Unlike Ren Ishida and Ryusei Yanagi, Shouji Arai does not find closure, nor does he move on and begin anew. It might seem muddy at first, but he dies in the end.
The story begins when college grad but recently unemployed Shouji Arai is hired by her live-in girlfriend, Youko Sasaki's bosses as an ear prostitute. Basically, Shouji and Youko sit down with a client and listen to them say whatever the client wants to share. They aren't allowed to offer condolences, advice, or questions unless the client specifically asks for it. Their job is to listen to their influential, powerful clients vent to them. Whatever they hear, they are strictly prohibited from speaking about it to anyone, even to their better halves. When Shouji's first client, the wife of a powerful local politician, reveals to him the physically abusive nature of her husband, Shouji is approached by a sketchy reporter to reveal this to the public. Before he can do anything, Shouji learns his life is in danger, as well as Youko's. They are eventually split up and Shouji goes into hiding with help from his cop uncle. He flees to Tokyo from Akakawa and starts a new job as a journalist. He continues looking for Youko who's vanished without a trace, until someone threatens his life over multiple phone calls. Shouji reluctantly stops looking for her.
After years of being unable to move on, he meets with an old classmate at a reunion who almost barges into his life. Liyun, a Singaporean student in Japan, is everything Youko isn't: lively, fun-loving, caring, and understanding. To everyone else, Liyun clearly harbors romantic feelings for Shouji. Unfortunately, Shouji still pines for Youko. Heartbroken over his rejection despite her relentless pursuit, Liyun gives up on him and moves on. Eventually, Shouji finds the politician's wife, Mizuki, and helps her move on from her own dark past.
Alas, he doesn't move on from his own. The sinister shadow of a dark past lingers around him, an impenetrable wall nobody, not even Shouji himself, can break down. At last, he tracks down Youko and persists in convincing her to give themselves one more chance. But unbeknownst to him, a similarly sinister shadow is all around Youko too. Shouji finds out, while bound and drowned, that a colleague from the shady job he and Youko had in Akakawa is her long lost father. Many of the murders across the book occurred in his hands. His reasoning? He wants to protect Youko, his illegitimate daughter who doesn't even know he's her father, from "problematic" men. Shouji eventually dies from drowning, despite being an excellent swimmer. In the epilogue, we find out the dark past that had been casting an ominous presence in his life. A painful memory he blocked from his head and remembered upon death.
I feel so bad for Shouji. My heart breaks for him. He helped Mizuki move on from her past but couldn't move on from his own. I'm glad that Liyun and Mizuki were able to move on from their traumatic pasts and find happiness. Too bad Shouji and Youko, more unfortunate than Keiko Ishida and Miwako Sumida had been, couldn't do that. While Shouji drowns because of chasing one past and running from another, Youko will forever be haunted by a past she doesn't even know about and will forever be traumatized by this past's tyrannical control over her future. I'm pretty sure Mr. Satou had killed Liyun's brother, who was Youko's boyfriend once. After all, his signature killing method is drowning his victims. Given that he killed both the Madam of the tearoom and Mr. Kazuhiro Katou and got away with them, he's capable of anything. He's the actual problematic man in Youko's life and unfortunately for her, she'll never find happiness because of his twisted perception of what her happiness should be. I wished so much for Shouji to give up on Youko and move on, or they finally find each other and begin anew. My hopes were dashed and my heart was broken. The biggest innocent victim out of all the characters was Shouji's mother, who lost her only son. She always feared for his life and they came true: he did die by drowning.
By the way, if you've read and remembered most things from Clarissa Goenawan's last books, you'll find plenty of minor characters returning, such as Jin Fujiwara (the rich playboy of Waseda University), Hidetoshi Oda (the detective in Akakawa whom Ren meets once), Sachiko Hayami (Miwako's hot friend who dated Jin), Izumi (the caretaker of the dilapidated building in Akakawa where Ren temporarily stayed), and Mrs. Katsuragi (the elegant hotelier from Akakawa). Another branch of the stony, stern, powerful Katou family makes an appearance. Also, the three things Ren, Ryusei, and Shouji have in common are, a) they all knew and were friends with Jin, b) they've gone to Akakawa once in their lives, and, c) never got to be with the women they loved. In fact, Shouji and Youko were the couple Izumi briefly mentioned to Ren in RAINBIRDS, the one where the girl lived with her boyfriend, something which wasn't allowed by the landlord but Izumi allowed it because what the landlord doesn't know can't hurt. Anyway, I hope we'll see Jin as the protagonist/narrator of his own book later. He's been consistently present in every Clarissa book. I'd also love to know what happens to Youko in future, because more than Shouji, I'm heartbroken and worried about her.
Anyway, I decided to give WATERSONG three stars because the ending didn't satisfy me. I might up the rating in future but for now, it's three stars. It's just not for me right now.
Looking forward to Clarissa's next book.
(Pre-read review)
Cover reveal is coming soon! I'm so excited. Here is the synopsis since GoodReads hasn't posted any update:
A mesmerising novel set in Japan, by the author of Rainbirds and The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida, about a young man trying to escape his past.
When Shouji Arai crosses one of his company’s most powerful clients, he must leave Akakawa immediately or risk his life. But his girlfriend Youko is nowhere to be found.
Haunted by dreams of drowning and the words of a fortune teller who warned him away from three women with water in their names, he travels to Tokyo, where he tries in vain to track Youko down. But Shouji soon realises that not everything Youko told him about herself was true. Who is the real woman he once lived with and loved, and where could she be hiding?
Watersong is a spellbinding novel of loves lost and recovered, of secrets never spoken, and of how our pasts shape our futures.
Link: https://www.pontas-agency.com/book/wa...
Publishers Marketplace announcement:
Author of RAINBIRDS and THE PERFECT WORLD OF MIWAKO SUMIDA, Clarissa Goenawan's WATERSONG, a love story full of unexpected twists set in Japan; in which a man and his girlfriend provide confidential services to rich clients; breaking company rules, he befriends an elegant customer and tries to help her by exposing her influential husband's misdeeds; the plan backfires, endangering his life and that of his girlfriend; what follows is a long journey where destiny is challenged, faith is questioned, and love is lost and found in equal measure, to Molly Slight at Scribe, by Maria Cardona at Pontas Literary & Film Agency (world right).
October 27, 2022
Najgorsza książka Goenawan, tylko że w jej przypadku 'najgorsza' oznacza 4 gwiazdki, a nie 5. Wciąż jest to więc książka co najmniej świetna - pięknie napisana, cudownie poprowadzona, zachwycająca fabułą. Ostatnie kilkadziesiąt stron jednak troszkę wymęczyłam, choć samo zakończenie miażdży. Z powodu tego końcowego rozwleczenia odjęłam gwiazdkę.
Najgorsze w tej książce tak naprawdę jest to, że nie wiadomo, ile trzeba będzie czekać, aż Goenawan napiszę następną 😂 kocham tę autorkę, kocham jej subtelny, senny styl. Choć książki są niepokojące, to czytając je, czuję się jak w domu. Piękne uczucie ❤️
Najgorsze w tej książce tak naprawdę jest to, że nie wiadomo, ile trzeba będzie czekać, aż Goenawan napiszę następną 😂 kocham tę autorkę, kocham jej subtelny, senny styl. Choć książki są niepokojące, to czytając je, czuję się jak w domu. Piękne uczucie ❤️
April 17, 2022
4.5*
TL;DR: I recommend this if you like likable characters and stories with mysteries that will keep you wondering.
I'm finally sitting down to write this review after a few weeks and I still think back to it and remember how much I liked it. I absolutely adored Clarissa Goenawan's second book, The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida (and while we're at it, you should go read it if you haven't), and I was thrilled to get an ARC for Watersong as it was one of my most anticipated reads of 2022. That being said, I was a bit scared of picking it up and a bit worried that it would not meet my expectations - I am happy to announce my concerns were entirely misplaced.
Watersong is the story of Shouji Arai, a man whose life will be altered by three women who have something to do with water. We follow Shouji as he begins working in a very interesting tea house along with his girlfriend working as what she deems as being 'ear prostitutes' - an appropriate name for something that ends up being more dangerous than you expect. As things are, a job that seems very simple ends up turning Shouji's life around in every wrong way and his only goal is to keep himself safe and find his girlfriend Youko.
I have seen many readers compare Goenawan's writing with Haruki Murakami and I do agree there's a similar feeling, yet this time around I felt Watersong had a Yōko Ogawa vibe to it. It was intriguing and there was a mystery, but the story followed characters, and I - even though I was intrigued by it all - cared for the characters. This was an absolute treat to read as I like character-driven plots. And I do want to mention - if you're one of these readers who hate books without likable characters -, Watersong has recurring characters that show up more or less often and they are so likable. It's been weeks and I still think of some of them and smile (and as a side note, I still think of Fumi from The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida as one of my favorite book characters ever).
In short, I highly recommend this book. I was intrigued by what was going on and Shouji's job, I was intrigued by the backstories of every character, I was just enchanted by it all - and most of all, I feel the story was somewhat dark, yet Goenawan excels at making it feel almost magical rather than... concerning? Like, I knew Shouji was into a mess and the mess could escalate, yet I just wanted to find Youko as bad as he did and I forgot about the danger - sort of like him.
I recommend this one very much. And now I am going back to my waiting chair to see when Goenawan's next book comes up. Because there is a next one, right? Right?
PS. I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley. Receiving the ARC has not impacted the review (I will admit that it impacted my life as I had a dance party in my room like an excited five-year-old when I saw my request was approved).
TL;DR: I recommend this if you like likable characters and stories with mysteries that will keep you wondering.
I'm finally sitting down to write this review after a few weeks and I still think back to it and remember how much I liked it. I absolutely adored Clarissa Goenawan's second book, The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida (and while we're at it, you should go read it if you haven't), and I was thrilled to get an ARC for Watersong as it was one of my most anticipated reads of 2022. That being said, I was a bit scared of picking it up and a bit worried that it would not meet my expectations - I am happy to announce my concerns were entirely misplaced.
Watersong is the story of Shouji Arai, a man whose life will be altered by three women who have something to do with water. We follow Shouji as he begins working in a very interesting tea house along with his girlfriend working as what she deems as being 'ear prostitutes' - an appropriate name for something that ends up being more dangerous than you expect. As things are, a job that seems very simple ends up turning Shouji's life around in every wrong way and his only goal is to keep himself safe and find his girlfriend Youko.
I have seen many readers compare Goenawan's writing with Haruki Murakami and I do agree there's a similar feeling, yet this time around I felt Watersong had a Yōko Ogawa vibe to it. It was intriguing and there was a mystery, but the story followed characters, and I - even though I was intrigued by it all - cared for the characters. This was an absolute treat to read as I like character-driven plots. And I do want to mention - if you're one of these readers who hate books without likable characters -, Watersong has recurring characters that show up more or less often and they are so likable. It's been weeks and I still think of some of them and smile (and as a side note, I still think of Fumi from The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida as one of my favorite book characters ever).
In short, I highly recommend this book. I was intrigued by what was going on and Shouji's job, I was intrigued by the backstories of every character, I was just enchanted by it all - and most of all, I feel the story was somewhat dark, yet Goenawan excels at making it feel almost magical rather than... concerning? Like, I knew Shouji was into a mess and the mess could escalate, yet I just wanted to find Youko as bad as he did and I forgot about the danger - sort of like him.
I recommend this one very much. And now I am going back to my waiting chair to see when Goenawan's next book comes up. Because there is a next one, right? Right?
PS. I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley. Receiving the ARC has not impacted the review (I will admit that it impacted my life as I had a dance party in my room like an excited five-year-old when I saw my request was approved).
December 4, 2022
Edit: finally decided on a 3-star rating, bc after a few days i already completely forgot how i felt when reading this book. It didn’t really create a lasting impression in me bc of the ending.
The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida was a lot better, in my opinion.
—————————
Okay, so I just finished this book. No rating for now bc I’m still confused and trying to wrap my head around the last part.
*spoiler alert*
I have so many questions.
1. What exactly was the role of Mr Satou in all this? Overprotective dad? That’s it?
2. I think Shouji left his cousin unattended and therefore it led to him drowning in the laundry water, but what was Mr Satou’s role in that? Why did he give the cousin a red balloon?
3. Wtf did Mr Satou mean when he said he should’ve borne the burden himself wtf
4. SO DID SHOUJI DIE?!?!?!!!!!!!
5. WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUKO
6. WHAT THE F WAS THAT ENDING
It was already foreshadowed before that either Youko or Shouji would die, and maybe Shouji did die. But wtf was that. It was so sudden. They just got reunited, and Mr Satou comes outta nowhere. It all seems a little too convenient for me to have Satou be so omniscient. Idk.
I really loved the book at first and towards the middle, but the end just didn’t do it for me. Instead of answering the questions the book presented at the start, it only served to give more confusion.
So, no rating for now. I really wanted to love this book, but I don’t know what to feel bc The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida was really good, and was tied together better at the end. I had really high expectations for Watersong, not gonna lie.
The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida was a lot better, in my opinion.
—————————
Okay, so I just finished this book. No rating for now bc I’m still confused and trying to wrap my head around the last part.
*spoiler alert*
I have so many questions.
1. What exactly was the role of Mr Satou in all this? Overprotective dad? That’s it?
2. I think Shouji left his cousin unattended and therefore it led to him drowning in the laundry water, but what was Mr Satou’s role in that? Why did he give the cousin a red balloon?
3. Wtf did Mr Satou mean when he said he should’ve borne the burden himself wtf
4. SO DID SHOUJI DIE?!?!?!!!!!!!
5. WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUKO
6. WHAT THE F WAS THAT ENDING
It was already foreshadowed before that either Youko or Shouji would die, and maybe Shouji did die. But wtf was that. It was so sudden. They just got reunited, and Mr Satou comes outta nowhere. It all seems a little too convenient for me to have Satou be so omniscient. Idk.
I really loved the book at first and towards the middle, but the end just didn’t do it for me. Instead of answering the questions the book presented at the start, it only served to give more confusion.
So, no rating for now. I really wanted to love this book, but I don’t know what to feel bc The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida was really good, and was tied together better at the end. I had really high expectations for Watersong, not gonna lie.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 30, 2022
Having been a fan of Clarissa Goenawan since reading
Rainbirds
several years ago, I had high expectations for her third book. If you have read her previous books, you would be familiar with some notable traits: Japanese characters and the fictional city of Akakawa. As is the case with
The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida
, the story in Watersong is also divided into three parts which is preceded by a short prologue that manages to stir my curiosity throughout the story. The main character, Shouji Arai, received the following prophecy from a fortune-teller in his hometown in Fukuoka who told his mother: ‘Your son will come across three women with the water element in their names. One of them could be his soulmate. But if he’s not careful, the water will flood. He, or someone close to him–these women perhaps–may drown.’
Each of the three parts of the story focuses on the three women with the water element in their names, namely Mizuki, Liyun, and Youko, which brings a mystical element to the story, albeit it does not lose the touch of crime fiction. If the author’s previous book experiments with three viewpoints from Ryusei, Chie, and Fumi to explain the death of Miwako Sumida, then this book attempts to show how the interactions with the three women influenced and changed Shouji’s life. I read this book really fast and there are cliffhangers at the end of each chapter that tempts me to keep reading from chapter to chapter.
The first woman, Mizuki, meet Shouji through a strange circumstance. Shouji was dating Youko and moved to Akakawa from Tokyo soon after graduating with a degree in economics from Waseda University. Youko has been working for a shady company in Akakawa, where Shouji soon followed suit. The company serves five types of tea and allows the customers to converse freely for one hour with the “listeners”–or as Shouji calls it the “ear prostitutes”–to let them vent their problems or just talk about anything. The rule that reigns supreme for the “listeners” is that they could never disclose any conversations they had with the customers to anyone else. Mizuki, the wife of a powerful politician in Akakawa, came to like Shouji and became his loyal customer. The more they talk, the more Shouji sympathises with Mizuki’s domestic problems and made an attempt to help her, to the point that he dismissed the company’s rules to never divulge the information.
The stories of the next two women are interrelated with the first, and the prophecy in the prologue proves to be a strong mystical element of the story. The second woman, Liyun, is a Singaporean who is a unique cast in Clarissa Goenawan’s characters from her previous books since this is the first time a foreigner appears in her stories. Of the three women, I’m in love most with Liyun whom Shouji likens to a stray cat. An independent woman with a no-nonsense attitude, yet she also welcomes kind gestures and occasional treats just like a stray cat. She is a calculating character that could balance the recklessness of Shouji’s actions. But at the end of the day, Shouji is unsure about his feeling and his choice in life.
Watersong is less experimental, or perhaps it’s me getting used to Clarissa Goenawan’s styles and plots. I find this book better than Rainbirds, but still, I regard The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida as the author’s magnum opus. The characters in Watersong feel distant, but I think of the mystical element and the way the legend over the story is built as a welcome way to build the plot. And the moral story is clear from the very beginning, that kindness alone might not be enough to help other people. Sometimes by attempting to help, we might end up exacerbating the problems. This novel is also highly musical, with a lot of references to classical music that fits here and there in the story (thus, the title speaks for itself).
In some ways, Watersong is really fresh with its plots. There were several occasions when I get surprised by some facts disclosed throughout the story. I could easily imagine reading this book for the second time will bring a lot of aha moments. But also, I’ll have to note that compared to Clarissa Goenawan’s sophomore book, this story is darker and closer to many crime fictions that I encountered in the market. Some Murakami-Esque traits of the characters such as their loneliness and their attempts to overcome the human condition are still present, albeit not as pronounced as in her previous works. I could see that the author begins to find her own unique voice in her third book, still pursuing the same lonely characters with unspeakable pasts with the Japanese city in the 1990s as the backdrop and the criminal actions as a rule to bring social problems into the surface.
Thanks to Scribe UK for providing the electronic advance reading copy through NetGalley.
Each of the three parts of the story focuses on the three women with the water element in their names, namely Mizuki, Liyun, and Youko, which brings a mystical element to the story, albeit it does not lose the touch of crime fiction. If the author’s previous book experiments with three viewpoints from Ryusei, Chie, and Fumi to explain the death of Miwako Sumida, then this book attempts to show how the interactions with the three women influenced and changed Shouji’s life. I read this book really fast and there are cliffhangers at the end of each chapter that tempts me to keep reading from chapter to chapter.
The first woman, Mizuki, meet Shouji through a strange circumstance. Shouji was dating Youko and moved to Akakawa from Tokyo soon after graduating with a degree in economics from Waseda University. Youko has been working for a shady company in Akakawa, where Shouji soon followed suit. The company serves five types of tea and allows the customers to converse freely for one hour with the “listeners”–or as Shouji calls it the “ear prostitutes”–to let them vent their problems or just talk about anything. The rule that reigns supreme for the “listeners” is that they could never disclose any conversations they had with the customers to anyone else. Mizuki, the wife of a powerful politician in Akakawa, came to like Shouji and became his loyal customer. The more they talk, the more Shouji sympathises with Mizuki’s domestic problems and made an attempt to help her, to the point that he dismissed the company’s rules to never divulge the information.
The stories of the next two women are interrelated with the first, and the prophecy in the prologue proves to be a strong mystical element of the story. The second woman, Liyun, is a Singaporean who is a unique cast in Clarissa Goenawan’s characters from her previous books since this is the first time a foreigner appears in her stories. Of the three women, I’m in love most with Liyun whom Shouji likens to a stray cat. An independent woman with a no-nonsense attitude, yet she also welcomes kind gestures and occasional treats just like a stray cat. She is a calculating character that could balance the recklessness of Shouji’s actions. But at the end of the day, Shouji is unsure about his feeling and his choice in life.
Watersong is less experimental, or perhaps it’s me getting used to Clarissa Goenawan’s styles and plots. I find this book better than Rainbirds, but still, I regard The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida as the author’s magnum opus. The characters in Watersong feel distant, but I think of the mystical element and the way the legend over the story is built as a welcome way to build the plot. And the moral story is clear from the very beginning, that kindness alone might not be enough to help other people. Sometimes by attempting to help, we might end up exacerbating the problems. This novel is also highly musical, with a lot of references to classical music that fits here and there in the story (thus, the title speaks for itself).
In some ways, Watersong is really fresh with its plots. There were several occasions when I get surprised by some facts disclosed throughout the story. I could easily imagine reading this book for the second time will bring a lot of aha moments. But also, I’ll have to note that compared to Clarissa Goenawan’s sophomore book, this story is darker and closer to many crime fictions that I encountered in the market. Some Murakami-Esque traits of the characters such as their loneliness and their attempts to overcome the human condition are still present, albeit not as pronounced as in her previous works. I could see that the author begins to find her own unique voice in her third book, still pursuing the same lonely characters with unspeakable pasts with the Japanese city in the 1990s as the backdrop and the criminal actions as a rule to bring social problems into the surface.
Thanks to Scribe UK for providing the electronic advance reading copy through NetGalley.
Read
September 2, 2023DNF
I’m unfortunately giving up on this one. I’m not connecting with the story or any of the characters and honestly have trouble even keeping them apart as their narrative voices feel so similar.
As far as the mystery goes: I have a pretty good idea how this might end already, and simultaneously can’t find a single curious bone in my body to push on and find out.
On a final note: I tried the audiobook to see if it would help me connect. It did not, and I highly recommend against it. The narration is flat and the voice actor does a strange whiny voice for some of the female characters that is hard to take serious.
I’m unfortunately giving up on this one. I’m not connecting with the story or any of the characters and honestly have trouble even keeping them apart as their narrative voices feel so similar.
As far as the mystery goes: I have a pretty good idea how this might end already, and simultaneously can’t find a single curious bone in my body to push on and find out.
On a final note: I tried the audiobook to see if it would help me connect. It did not, and I highly recommend against it. The narration is flat and the voice actor does a strange whiny voice for some of the female characters that is hard to take serious.
June 29, 2022
4.75 stars
I have been an admirer of Goenawan's writing for a little while now and couldn't wait to dive into her third and latest novel, Watersong. Goenawan has an amazing flair for writing complex, elusive and slightly otherworldly/ethereal characters - I particularly enjoy her characterisation of women who possess myriad facets to their personality. They are often portrayed as mysterious and aloof with many hidden secrets and Watersong once again perfectly captures the mystical, complex and troubled woman. But that is not to say her depictions are in any way cliche or cold - you empathise with all of the main female characters in this book - Youko, Mizuki, Liyun and Eri who all have to deal either with grief, loneliness, loss, abuse, the feeling of not quite fitting in and fighting to become successful in a heavily-dominated patriarchal society.
Watersong opens with a lyrical yet haunting prologue which states our MC, Shouji Arai, will become involved with three women who will all have a link to water (I believe some of the characters in their names spell water/sea/ocean, etc.) and their relationships could potentially end up with either the MC or one of the women drowning which ties in with the young MC's nightmares. A sense of foreboding permeates throughout and adds to the slightly surreal, almost dreamlike quality of the narrative.
The story is initially set in Akakawa in the 1990s and focuses on Shouji as an adult where he lives with his girlfriend, Youko, who is an "ear prostitute" - someone who listens to their (very wealthy) clients without passing any judgement or trying to give them life lessons; they are simply passive beings who listen when they are spoken to...
What follows is a beautiful, tragic, haunting and mystical tale of lives lost, others found and plenty of secrets revealed - I was honestly very surprised by what came out "in the wash" (if you'll pardon the pun). For me personally, I think Rainbirds eclipses this ever so slightly as my favourite book by Goenawan but Watersong is an absolute experience from beginning to end, and (possibly unpopular opinion) I did really like and appreciate the ending.
I can confidently say that Clarissa Goenawan has become a new favourite author of mine <3
I have been an admirer of Goenawan's writing for a little while now and couldn't wait to dive into her third and latest novel, Watersong. Goenawan has an amazing flair for writing complex, elusive and slightly otherworldly/ethereal characters - I particularly enjoy her characterisation of women who possess myriad facets to their personality. They are often portrayed as mysterious and aloof with many hidden secrets and Watersong once again perfectly captures the mystical, complex and troubled woman. But that is not to say her depictions are in any way cliche or cold - you empathise with all of the main female characters in this book - Youko, Mizuki, Liyun and Eri who all have to deal either with grief, loneliness, loss, abuse, the feeling of not quite fitting in and fighting to become successful in a heavily-dominated patriarchal society.
Watersong opens with a lyrical yet haunting prologue which states our MC, Shouji Arai, will become involved with three women who will all have a link to water (I believe some of the characters in their names spell water/sea/ocean, etc.) and their relationships could potentially end up with either the MC or one of the women drowning which ties in with the young MC's nightmares. A sense of foreboding permeates throughout and adds to the slightly surreal, almost dreamlike quality of the narrative.
The story is initially set in Akakawa in the 1990s and focuses on Shouji as an adult where he lives with his girlfriend, Youko, who is an "ear prostitute" - someone who listens to their (very wealthy) clients without passing any judgement or trying to give them life lessons; they are simply passive beings who listen when they are spoken to...
What follows is a beautiful, tragic, haunting and mystical tale of lives lost, others found and plenty of secrets revealed - I was honestly very surprised by what came out "in the wash" (if you'll pardon the pun). For me personally, I think Rainbirds eclipses this ever so slightly as my favourite book by Goenawan but Watersong is an absolute experience from beginning to end, and (possibly unpopular opinion) I did really like and appreciate the ending.
I can confidently say that Clarissa Goenawan has become a new favourite author of mine <3
October 17, 2022
What if a fortune teller warned you to keep an eye on three women who happened to have water elements in their names?
‘𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀. 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝗳 𝗵𝗲’𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗱. 𝗛𝗲, 𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗶𝗺–𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘀–𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗱𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗻.’
The novel's start really stirs my curiosity with the feng shui element and mystery that haunt the storyline. The main character, Shouji Arai's reckless actions resulted in him leaving his current company: "The Ear Prostitute" along with his girlfriend, Youko. But his girlfriend is nowhere to be found and he was bound with death-and-life matters. Perhaps the women he encountered might have the answer to his prophecy.
Have you ever encountered an impressive read but at the same time, it gives off a slightly monotonous style yet you're still continuing the book because of the writer's atmospheric writing? Well, this is how I felt about this book but she doesn't disappoint me.
We venture into three parts in this book that cater to three women that surround Shouji Arai's life. Ohmy, those women possess strong-willed. The backstory of every character kept me page-turning. I can sense the projection of the strong women in every scene. Not gonna lie, it was enjoyable as I feel the feminist value. On how Mizuki confronted her abusive life, and the way Liyun was in love but then stand strong after being rejected (I think I love her the most!). Not to forget, Youko instantly being so mysterious yet independently on her own until the end. For Shouji, I don't know. That man was so loyal and kind and his story felt tragic too but it's not deeply highlighted.
However, I do understand why some mixed reviews are being jumbled. I was a bit struck by the slow-pacing plot and open ending. At some points, I missed the dots. Luckily, the engaging writing and a bit of mystery save the whole story. But the water concept intrigued me. I got my own interpretation and I feel like all of them got their 'drowning' moment. And I absolutely love some of the quotes inside here, like:
"𝐈 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 ��𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐠𝐨𝐚𝐥𝐬."
If you want to keep adventuring without dealing with a heavy plot, you can try this out. I've already been admiring Clarissa's writing so this won't be the last. 3 stars from me. Big thanks to @definitelybooks #pansing #definitelybook for this review copy!
‘𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀. 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝗳 𝗵𝗲’𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗱. 𝗛𝗲, 𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗶𝗺–𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘀–𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗱𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗻.’
The novel's start really stirs my curiosity with the feng shui element and mystery that haunt the storyline. The main character, Shouji Arai's reckless actions resulted in him leaving his current company: "The Ear Prostitute" along with his girlfriend, Youko. But his girlfriend is nowhere to be found and he was bound with death-and-life matters. Perhaps the women he encountered might have the answer to his prophecy.
Have you ever encountered an impressive read but at the same time, it gives off a slightly monotonous style yet you're still continuing the book because of the writer's atmospheric writing? Well, this is how I felt about this book but she doesn't disappoint me.
We venture into three parts in this book that cater to three women that surround Shouji Arai's life. Ohmy, those women possess strong-willed. The backstory of every character kept me page-turning. I can sense the projection of the strong women in every scene. Not gonna lie, it was enjoyable as I feel the feminist value. On how Mizuki confronted her abusive life, and the way Liyun was in love but then stand strong after being rejected (I think I love her the most!). Not to forget, Youko instantly being so mysterious yet independently on her own until the end. For Shouji, I don't know. That man was so loyal and kind and his story felt tragic too but it's not deeply highlighted.
However, I do understand why some mixed reviews are being jumbled. I was a bit struck by the slow-pacing plot and open ending. At some points, I missed the dots. Luckily, the engaging writing and a bit of mystery save the whole story. But the water concept intrigued me. I got my own interpretation and I feel like all of them got their 'drowning' moment. And I absolutely love some of the quotes inside here, like:
"𝐈 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 ��𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐠𝐨𝐚𝐥𝐬."
If you want to keep adventuring without dealing with a heavy plot, you can try this out. I've already been admiring Clarissa's writing so this won't be the last. 3 stars from me. Big thanks to @definitelybooks #pansing #definitelybook for this review copy!
July 19, 2022
Part-literary, part-mystery. Watersong is an atmospheric read about letting go of your past and moving on.
Set in Japan, we follow a young man, Shouji Arai being lost in life after graduating from university. He received a prophecy from a fortune-teller in his hometown in Fukuoka who told his mother: ‘Your son will come across three women with the water element in their names. One of them could be his soulmate. But if he’s not careful, the water will flood. He, or someone close to him–these women perhaps–may drown.'
The book is then divided into 3 parts, following the 3 women Shouji met in life. Each woman is an enigma, carrying past and secrets. It makes readers wonder which woman will be the one who wreaks havoc in Shouji's life. The novel also touches on an industry which I heard of, but know nothing about - 'rent men', where individuals are paid to only listen and not giving any comments.
Upon reading Goenawan's previous novels, all her works have a running theme of traumatic past and acceptance. Watersong also has a similar dream-like atmosphere that runs through the story. From a gentle rain to the wild storm, the story slowly builds up its tension and broke up into turmoil.
I found Goenawan is clever in creating a mundane story against a wild backdrop. All the characters carry a composed outlook, but embody a disoriented mind. The one thing that lowered my rating is how similar all her works are. If you had read Rainbirds and Miwako Sumida, it can get a little monotonous here. However, if you're in for her writing, then give it a go, it's simple and evocative as ever.
Set in Japan, we follow a young man, Shouji Arai being lost in life after graduating from university. He received a prophecy from a fortune-teller in his hometown in Fukuoka who told his mother: ‘Your son will come across three women with the water element in their names. One of them could be his soulmate. But if he’s not careful, the water will flood. He, or someone close to him–these women perhaps–may drown.'
The book is then divided into 3 parts, following the 3 women Shouji met in life. Each woman is an enigma, carrying past and secrets. It makes readers wonder which woman will be the one who wreaks havoc in Shouji's life. The novel also touches on an industry which I heard of, but know nothing about - 'rent men', where individuals are paid to only listen and not giving any comments.
Upon reading Goenawan's previous novels, all her works have a running theme of traumatic past and acceptance. Watersong also has a similar dream-like atmosphere that runs through the story. From a gentle rain to the wild storm, the story slowly builds up its tension and broke up into turmoil.
I found Goenawan is clever in creating a mundane story against a wild backdrop. All the characters carry a composed outlook, but embody a disoriented mind. The one thing that lowered my rating is how similar all her works are. If you had read Rainbirds and Miwako Sumida, it can get a little monotonous here. However, if you're in for her writing, then give it a go, it's simple and evocative as ever.
September 3, 2022
The author had written a beautifully complex and intricate story about people who always come back to you, regardless of circumstances or danger. She has such a concise and eloquent way of describing every day scenarios that even going to a convenience store is lyrical. I’m sad it’s now over.
September 1, 2022
Having both Rainbirds and The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida as my fav making me a bit anticipated with Watersong. The narrative carried the same theme like the previous two; a mellow love story and mystery with a vivid exploration of loss, grief and intimate longing yet having a surreal setting that revolved on a superstition belief-- a warning that Shouji received by a fortune teller; to stay away from three women with water element in their names or else, he or the women perhaps, may drown.
Divided into three parts following the three women Shouji met, the plot threaded with a haunting backstory and a dreamlike aftermath after Shouji had to leave his girlfriend, Youko in Akakawa. From involving into an unexpected incident to living low for years because of the mysterious threats he received, the plot intertwined into Shouji's hidden past with few news clipping inserted in between chapters, a new girl that suddenly arrived and the mystery he needs to uncover about the missing Youko.
Not really a fan to the plot execution as it goes too slow pacing for me (I tend to procrastinate my reading because of the pacing tsk~). Quite ambiguous and monotonous, having immaculate and melancholic nuances yet the subtlety was quite tedious for my liking. I don't feel much on the development as the tension and conflicts were lightly riveting, and as for the mystery-- I have my curiosity but sadly, it did not excite me that much to dig further.
Even though I don't find the other characters that intriguing enough (Liyun especially), I love how the author crafted the fragility of Shouji's personality-- of his 'hollowness' and to delve into his lovesick and untangle the secret he left untouched was both heart-rending and engrossing for me. It gets quite suspenseful nearly the end and that last chapter was truly making me perplexed.
A bit underwhelming compared to the two previous novels but would still recommend it if you want a light uncanny character-based plot (semi literary) with sentimental dreamy prose that captured an evocative and emotional phase of oneself. Do take note that this highlighted a bit on domestic abuse and violence, not that thoroughly but the related scenes might be triggering to few. 2.8 stars to this!
Thank you Pansing Distribution for sending me a copy to review!
Divided into three parts following the three women Shouji met, the plot threaded with a haunting backstory and a dreamlike aftermath after Shouji had to leave his girlfriend, Youko in Akakawa. From involving into an unexpected incident to living low for years because of the mysterious threats he received, the plot intertwined into Shouji's hidden past with few news clipping inserted in between chapters, a new girl that suddenly arrived and the mystery he needs to uncover about the missing Youko.
Not really a fan to the plot execution as it goes too slow pacing for me (I tend to procrastinate my reading because of the pacing tsk~). Quite ambiguous and monotonous, having immaculate and melancholic nuances yet the subtlety was quite tedious for my liking. I don't feel much on the development as the tension and conflicts were lightly riveting, and as for the mystery-- I have my curiosity but sadly, it did not excite me that much to dig further.
Even though I don't find the other characters that intriguing enough (Liyun especially), I love how the author crafted the fragility of Shouji's personality-- of his 'hollowness' and to delve into his lovesick and untangle the secret he left untouched was both heart-rending and engrossing for me. It gets quite suspenseful nearly the end and that last chapter was truly making me perplexed.
A bit underwhelming compared to the two previous novels but would still recommend it if you want a light uncanny character-based plot (semi literary) with sentimental dreamy prose that captured an evocative and emotional phase of oneself. Do take note that this highlighted a bit on domestic abuse and violence, not that thoroughly but the related scenes might be triggering to few. 2.8 stars to this!
Thank you Pansing Distribution for sending me a copy to review!
February 15, 2023
Aku speechless, wkwkwkk
Tapi bukan krena kaget atau apa. Udah ketebak juga klo endingnya bakalan kayak gini dan si penggiring itu ya dou. Yg bikin aku speechless adalah aku yg terkaget2 bisa beresin buku ini. Sebenernya seperempat awal tuh menarik bangeeet karena kerjaannya bikin penasaran, build up nya juga bagus. Tapi sayangnya di pertengahan aku kebosanan parah. Karakter dan plotnya nggak ada yang berkembang sama sekali dan stuck aja gtu. Nah pas paruh akhir lumayan sih ningkat lagi dengan clue2 yg udah disebar dan ya bisa disatukan jdi utuh.
Cuman ya gtu mnurutku kentang banget. Karena kek dipaksakan supaya twist nya bombastis. Kek dipaksa banget supaya ada benang merahnya. Alih2 twist yg bombastis malah kek apa banget jadinya. Daripada doi, lebih masuk akal si anu yg jahat kalau emang benang merahnya kejadian itu.
Sejauh ini, ini buku yg paling B aja sih dri 3 buku yg udah kubaca dari penulis.
Tapi bukan krena kaget atau apa. Udah ketebak juga klo endingnya bakalan kayak gini dan si penggiring itu ya dou. Yg bikin aku speechless adalah aku yg terkaget2 bisa beresin buku ini. Sebenernya seperempat awal tuh menarik bangeeet karena kerjaannya bikin penasaran, build up nya juga bagus. Tapi sayangnya di pertengahan aku kebosanan parah. Karakter dan plotnya nggak ada yang berkembang sama sekali dan stuck aja gtu. Nah pas paruh akhir lumayan sih ningkat lagi dengan clue2 yg udah disebar dan ya bisa disatukan jdi utuh.
Cuman ya gtu mnurutku kentang banget. Karena kek dipaksakan supaya twist nya bombastis. Kek dipaksa banget supaya ada benang merahnya. Alih2 twist yg bombastis malah kek apa banget jadinya. Daripada doi, lebih masuk akal si anu yg jahat kalau emang benang merahnya kejadian itu.
Sejauh ini, ini buku yg paling B aja sih dri 3 buku yg udah kubaca dari penulis.
February 25, 2024
Japanese fiction is always weird and unpredictable, and this one followed suit.
Started off mysteriously, but soon fizzled out into mundane details, then tried to recapture the magic, but failed .
A 30 something, who is doomed if he gets involved with women whose names have water element.
Though , throughout the book I was keen to know what happened next, the final product didnt impress me much.
Started off mysteriously, but soon fizzled out into mundane details, then tried to recapture the magic, but failed .
A 30 something, who is doomed if he gets involved with women whose names have water element.
Though , throughout the book I was keen to know what happened next, the final product didnt impress me much.
January 29, 2023
Sudah buku ketiga dari penulis yang kubaca dan tulisannya masih menyimpan banyak misteri. Cara berceritanya juga terkesan kalem, alih-alih menimbulkan ketegangan seperti buku ber-genre misteri atau thriller lainnya.
Buku ini mengisahkan Souji yang harus kabur dari Akakawa setelah melanggar kesepakatan dengan tempat kerjanya. Ketika hendak mengajak serta kekasihnya, Youko, gadis itu menghilang tanpa jejak. Souji hanya mendengar jika Youko pergi ke Tokyo, jadi dia menyusul ke sana. Sembari mencari keberadaan Youko, dia juga mau tidak mau memulai hidup baru. Hari-hari yang digunakannya untuk mencari sang kekasih malah membawanya bertemu kembali dengan dua orang di masa lalu. Satu orang yang bisa dibilang ikut terlibat dengan aksi pelanggarannya, satu orang yang tidak begitu Souji ingat, tetapi membuatnya tertarik. Dua orang wanita yang sudah diramalkan akan ditemuinya di masa depan dan membantunya mencari jejak Youko, meski sangat samar.
Aku masih sering terkesima dengan cara penulis menyebut suatu istilah (dalam hal ini, pekerjaan Youko dan Souji sewaktu di Akakawa). Dalam cerita ini pun banyak hal-hal yang masih terasa familier dengan dua buku sebelumnya, diantaranya; kota Akakawa, Hotel Katsuragi, dan Jin (agak lupa siapa nama belakangnya).
Meskipun Watersong mengambil latar tempat (sebagian besar) di kota besar, misteri yang mengikuti setiap kemunculan karakter-karakternya masih sangat terasa.
Walaupun begitu, masih banya pertanyaan muncul setelah mencapai kalimat terakhir di buku ini. Banyak hal yang masih belum mendapat pencerahan. Entah karena aku kurang fokus saja atau bagaimana, rasanya flow yang sejak awal sudah menanjak, mendadak melandai di seperempat akhir cerita. Tensinya jelas sedikit menurun. Jika dibandingkan dengan dua buku sebelumnya, Watersong jelas menjadi urutan bontot dalam memantik rasa penasaran serta mengoyak emosi di sepanjang 300 lebih halamannya. Mungkin hanya aku yang merasa jika penyelesaian ceritanya terasa sedikit mengganjal, seolah-olah ada yang belum selesai.
But still, appreciate for Clarissa's works! Buku ini mungkin bukan jadi favoritku dari penulis, tetapi bakal menjadi buku paling romantis kedua buku lainnya.
Buku ini mengisahkan Souji yang harus kabur dari Akakawa setelah melanggar kesepakatan dengan tempat kerjanya. Ketika hendak mengajak serta kekasihnya, Youko, gadis itu menghilang tanpa jejak. Souji hanya mendengar jika Youko pergi ke Tokyo, jadi dia menyusul ke sana. Sembari mencari keberadaan Youko, dia juga mau tidak mau memulai hidup baru. Hari-hari yang digunakannya untuk mencari sang kekasih malah membawanya bertemu kembali dengan dua orang di masa lalu. Satu orang yang bisa dibilang ikut terlibat dengan aksi pelanggarannya, satu orang yang tidak begitu Souji ingat, tetapi membuatnya tertarik. Dua orang wanita yang sudah diramalkan akan ditemuinya di masa depan dan membantunya mencari jejak Youko, meski sangat samar.
Aku masih sering terkesima dengan cara penulis menyebut suatu istilah (dalam hal ini, pekerjaan Youko dan Souji sewaktu di Akakawa). Dalam cerita ini pun banyak hal-hal yang masih terasa familier dengan dua buku sebelumnya, diantaranya; kota Akakawa, Hotel Katsuragi, dan Jin (agak lupa siapa nama belakangnya).
Meskipun Watersong mengambil latar tempat (sebagian besar) di kota besar, misteri yang mengikuti setiap kemunculan karakter-karakternya masih sangat terasa.
Walaupun begitu, masih banya pertanyaan muncul setelah mencapai kalimat terakhir di buku ini. Banyak hal yang masih belum mendapat pencerahan. Entah karena aku kurang fokus saja atau bagaimana, rasanya flow yang sejak awal sudah menanjak, mendadak melandai di seperempat akhir cerita. Tensinya jelas sedikit menurun. Jika dibandingkan dengan dua buku sebelumnya, Watersong jelas menjadi urutan bontot dalam memantik rasa penasaran serta mengoyak emosi di sepanjang 300 lebih halamannya. Mungkin hanya aku yang merasa jika penyelesaian ceritanya terasa sedikit mengganjal, seolah-olah ada yang belum selesai.
But still, appreciate for Clarissa's works! Buku ini mungkin bukan jadi favoritku dari penulis, tetapi bakal menjadi buku paling romantis kedua buku lainnya.
May 24, 2023
Apa yang kamu pikirkan ketika mendengar kata air?
#VioReads2023
Dalam hidupnya, Shouji Arai akan bersinggungan dengan 3 perempuan yang memiliki unsur air dalam namanya. Mungkin saja belahan jiwanya. Namun harus hati-hati, atau tidak ketiga perempuan tersebut bisa tenggelam.
Shouji pindah ke Akakawa untuk mengikuti Youko, kekasihnya, yang sekarang kerja di Akakawa. Tak kunjung mendapat pekerjaan, Shouji akhirnya ikut bekerja di perusahaan tempat Youko yang sangat unik, karena disini tugasmu adalah melacurkan telinga. Kamu dibayar untuk mendengarkan cerita klienmu. Ingat, hanya mendengarkan. Tidak boleh memberi saran, mengintervensi, ikut membantu atau mencela.
Segalanya berubah ketika shouji melanggar protokol terhadap kliennya. Ia diancam untuk meninggalkan akakawa termasuk kekasihnya. Apa yang sebenarnya terjadi? Apakah shouji akan kembali bertemu dengan Youko? Siapa saja perempuan dengan unsur air selanjutnya?
Selalu suka sama gaya ceritanya Clarissa Goenawan ❤️😭. Magical, indah, premisnya unik, bikin penasaran dan yang terpenting ngalir bgt! Alurnya terjaga dengan baik, misterinya pelan-pelan dibangun. Kalau soal plot, karakter, dan latar suasana, ini buku dapet bgt 👍🏼
Aku sangat menikmati apapun yang disajikan dalam Watersong. Karakter-karakter lain juga muncul yang ikut membantu Shouji. Dan tiap karakternya unik. Tiap perempuan yang ada digambarkan sebagai karakter yang kuat dan mandiri, terlepas dari masa lalu dan masalah yang mereka pernah lalui. Tak butuh waktu lama untuk aku menyelesaikan buku ini, karena page turner dan udh penasaran dengan endingnya.
Tapi justru endingnya lah yang bikin aku kecewa dengan segenap misteri dan alur yang telah dibangun di awal 😭🥲. Masih banyak plot hole, dan aku nggak ngerti juga sama maksud endingnya. Terkesan tiba-tiba dan gak ada hubungannya. Tapi ada plot twistnya jg yang menurutku keren karena dibalut dengan potongan daily news yang diselipin di beberapa bab.
Despite all that, i still really love this book. Atmosphere yang dibangun dengan latar kota Jepang dengan segala kekompleksan ceritanya bikin menarik. Kagum juga sama Shouji yang tetap setia, tetap in love with Youku and reminisce their time together 🥺. 4🌟 untuk Watersong
#VioReads2023
Dalam hidupnya, Shouji Arai akan bersinggungan dengan 3 perempuan yang memiliki unsur air dalam namanya. Mungkin saja belahan jiwanya. Namun harus hati-hati, atau tidak ketiga perempuan tersebut bisa tenggelam.
Shouji pindah ke Akakawa untuk mengikuti Youko, kekasihnya, yang sekarang kerja di Akakawa. Tak kunjung mendapat pekerjaan, Shouji akhirnya ikut bekerja di perusahaan tempat Youko yang sangat unik, karena disini tugasmu adalah melacurkan telinga. Kamu dibayar untuk mendengarkan cerita klienmu. Ingat, hanya mendengarkan. Tidak boleh memberi saran, mengintervensi, ikut membantu atau mencela.
Segalanya berubah ketika shouji melanggar protokol terhadap kliennya. Ia diancam untuk meninggalkan akakawa termasuk kekasihnya. Apa yang sebenarnya terjadi? Apakah shouji akan kembali bertemu dengan Youko? Siapa saja perempuan dengan unsur air selanjutnya?
Selalu suka sama gaya ceritanya Clarissa Goenawan ❤️😭. Magical, indah, premisnya unik, bikin penasaran dan yang terpenting ngalir bgt! Alurnya terjaga dengan baik, misterinya pelan-pelan dibangun. Kalau soal plot, karakter, dan latar suasana, ini buku dapet bgt 👍🏼
Aku sangat menikmati apapun yang disajikan dalam Watersong. Karakter-karakter lain juga muncul yang ikut membantu Shouji. Dan tiap karakternya unik. Tiap perempuan yang ada digambarkan sebagai karakter yang kuat dan mandiri, terlepas dari masa lalu dan masalah yang mereka pernah lalui. Tak butuh waktu lama untuk aku menyelesaikan buku ini, karena page turner dan udh penasaran dengan endingnya.
Tapi justru endingnya lah yang bikin aku kecewa dengan segenap misteri dan alur yang telah dibangun di awal 😭🥲. Masih banyak plot hole, dan aku nggak ngerti juga sama maksud endingnya. Terkesan tiba-tiba dan gak ada hubungannya. Tapi ada plot twistnya jg yang menurutku keren karena dibalut dengan potongan daily news yang diselipin di beberapa bab.
Despite all that, i still really love this book. Atmosphere yang dibangun dengan latar kota Jepang dengan segala kekompleksan ceritanya bikin menarik. Kagum juga sama Shouji yang tetap setia, tetap in love with Youku and reminisce their time together 🥺. 4🌟 untuk Watersong
September 19, 2022
Watersong by Clarissa Goenawan is a captivating story where the main character, Shouji Arai is intertwined by three women with the character 'water' in their names. This story is so interesting that as soon as I went through the first hundred pages, it was pretty much unputdownable. This story is so intriguing yet mysterious that even though I really don't know where the story is going towards the end, it was an overall great read.
I really love that the author took me around the amazing cities in Japan. It made me feel as though I was traveling along with the characters. The premise of the story is so interesting and absolutely unlike anything I have ever read before. I just didn't know what to expect at all and this book is just a delightful surprise that I'm just waiting to uncover.
One thing that made me go 'what???' is how the story ends. It was an open ending and I have no idea what to make of it. It made me question so much and I just wished someone could answer them. It was quite sudden yet unpredictable which made me shocked, to say the least.
All in all, this was such a wonderful read and I had so much fun going through the pages. I highly recommend you to read this book.
I really love that the author took me around the amazing cities in Japan. It made me feel as though I was traveling along with the characters. The premise of the story is so interesting and absolutely unlike anything I have ever read before. I just didn't know what to expect at all and this book is just a delightful surprise that I'm just waiting to uncover.
One thing that made me go 'what???' is how the story ends. It was an open ending and I have no idea what to make of it. It made me question so much and I just wished someone could answer them. It was quite sudden yet unpredictable which made me shocked, to say the least.
All in all, this was such a wonderful read and I had so much fun going through the pages. I highly recommend you to read this book.
August 15, 2022
"Everybody has a part of themselves they never want anyone to know. Not even the people closest to them."
Undeniably atmospheric, I couldn't stop reading even when I felt, early on, deep in my bones, that the ending just isn't going to be good/happy. As the novel opens with a fortune telling that warns the protagonist, Shouji Arai, away from women with 'water' in their names, the mystery for me as an English reader is how to know these women's names?! yes, I tried Google translate etc but really you just have to be patient as it was all revealed in the book.
On the one hand, I was frustrated that Shouji is stuck in the past but yet, how do you move on without some sort of closure? As Shouji met these 'water' women, however, each of them carried their own secrets which interconnected in a complex web of stories and lives. And slowly, Shouji tried to unravel all and ended in the fulfilling of his prophecy.
There's some thriller elements in this book but it is not a thriller as such. As I sit back, this book is actually very slow but so evocative in imagery, I just had to keep reading. I tried to tag all the clues but I don't think I got the mystery of Shouji's past. The epilogue confused me somewhat and I feel a little dense because I just can't connect the dots. This may require a reread and heaps of notetaking! Unless someone can just DM me and explain, please :)
Thank you, Scribe Publications, for gifting me a copy of this book. All thoughts are mine own.
Undeniably atmospheric, I couldn't stop reading even when I felt, early on, deep in my bones, that the ending just isn't going to be good/happy. As the novel opens with a fortune telling that warns the protagonist, Shouji Arai, away from women with 'water' in their names, the mystery for me as an English reader is how to know these women's names?! yes, I tried Google translate etc but really you just have to be patient as it was all revealed in the book.
On the one hand, I was frustrated that Shouji is stuck in the past but yet, how do you move on without some sort of closure? As Shouji met these 'water' women, however, each of them carried their own secrets which interconnected in a complex web of stories and lives. And slowly, Shouji tried to unravel all and ended in the fulfilling of his prophecy.
There's some thriller elements in this book but it is not a thriller as such. As I sit back, this book is actually very slow but so evocative in imagery, I just had to keep reading. I tried to tag all the clues but I don't think I got the mystery of Shouji's past. The epilogue confused me somewhat and I feel a little dense because I just can't connect the dots. This may require a reread and heaps of notetaking! Unless someone can just DM me and explain, please :)
Thank you, Scribe Publications, for gifting me a copy of this book. All thoughts are mine own.
January 14, 2023
3.34 ⭐💫
Review ( mungkin ) menyusul.. ✌️
Review ( mungkin ) menyusul.. ✌️
August 5, 2022
I have been highly anticipated by this book since last year. When the cover was released, there's just something mysterious with it and I have put this book on my reading list every day since.
I read the first chapter in the bookstore a while ago, but decided not to bring it home because I feel like the story was too depressing at that time. It was a big mistake though, it keeps haunting my mind not knowing what happen next. When I get to transit next time, I decided to buy it without much thinking. I did not regret the decision.
The story focuses on Shouji Arai, who decided to take a 'shady' job by being a listener. How hard can it be to just listen to someone? Don't we listen to people every day? Turns out just listening to someone without any judgement and not reacting are not as simple as it seems.
You could imagine who would hire a man like Shouji. Someone who has no one to listen? Maybe someone famous that are afraid of judgement. Maybe a politician, who has too much on their mind, but can't even trust anyone. Or maybe it's just someone who is lonely and need to feel heard.
Too bad we are not robots, as Shouji is not a heartless man. He made a mistake of trying to help a client, a decision that changed his life and turn it into a dangerous course.
At first I thought it would be a thrilling journey. I was not completely wrong though, but this novel focuses more on what happened to Shouji after the 'incident'. How he tried to move on with his life while keep wondering that if some questions are better left unanswered. It tells more of his everyday life, trying to hold on where there's not much to hold on to (familiar?).
It's a haunting read. I don't think I like the ending because it left me hanging on? Or maybe I just want the ending to be what I expected. I don't know. Do I wish the ending will be different? I don't know either. It's a mystery for the first to the last page.
I read the first chapter in the bookstore a while ago, but decided not to bring it home because I feel like the story was too depressing at that time. It was a big mistake though, it keeps haunting my mind not knowing what happen next. When I get to transit next time, I decided to buy it without much thinking. I did not regret the decision.
The story focuses on Shouji Arai, who decided to take a 'shady' job by being a listener. How hard can it be to just listen to someone? Don't we listen to people every day? Turns out just listening to someone without any judgement and not reacting are not as simple as it seems.
You could imagine who would hire a man like Shouji. Someone who has no one to listen? Maybe someone famous that are afraid of judgement. Maybe a politician, who has too much on their mind, but can't even trust anyone. Or maybe it's just someone who is lonely and need to feel heard.
Too bad we are not robots, as Shouji is not a heartless man. He made a mistake of trying to help a client, a decision that changed his life and turn it into a dangerous course.
At first I thought it would be a thrilling journey. I was not completely wrong though, but this novel focuses more on what happened to Shouji after the 'incident'. How he tried to move on with his life while keep wondering that if some questions are better left unanswered. It tells more of his everyday life, trying to hold on where there's not much to hold on to (familiar?).
It's a haunting read. I don't think I like the ending because it left me hanging on? Or maybe I just want the ending to be what I expected. I don't know. Do I wish the ending will be different? I don't know either. It's a mystery for the first to the last page.
January 15, 2023
This book sounds promising even when I only read the synopsis. Then, when I read the prologue, it already hooked me. It gets interesting as I continue reading it especially when the main character starts to work for an unknown company where the workers are required to only listen to the clients & not responding or suggesting anything, “Ear Prostitute”. After an accident happen, the main character, Shouji, lost his beloved girlfriend, Youko. Youko disappeared so suddenly & Shouji was left all alone. He spent days trying to find Youko.
Along the journey on finding Youko, Shouji encountered womens with water elements in their named. Which is why the book is divided into three parts, following the womens he met. I find that this story is unique as Shouji met these womens because each of them has a past life that is quite tragic relating to water. Also, Shouji is always near these womens due to his childhood story where he met a fortune-teller that warned him that he will meet three women in future and one of them could be his soulmate. And that if he’s not careful, he or people close to him may drown.
I find that the story itself is interesting but I was not satisfied with the ending. I got confused on what is the relation of that ending with him? Also, I love the plot twist that is revealed by one of the character. The writing is quite easy to be read & understand. I really enjoyed the story. As for the main character Shouji, I love how he’s so loyal that he’s able to wait for years to find his lover(maybe soulmate). I’m so interested in the unnamed job he got into eventhough it is quite dangerous👀. If you love mysteries, this book is the best for you to jump into & get drown with the story.
Thank you so much @definitelybooks #pansing for the review copy! This book is available in all
local bookstores near you,grab it or you’ll miss it!
Along the journey on finding Youko, Shouji encountered womens with water elements in their named. Which is why the book is divided into three parts, following the womens he met. I find that this story is unique as Shouji met these womens because each of them has a past life that is quite tragic relating to water. Also, Shouji is always near these womens due to his childhood story where he met a fortune-teller that warned him that he will meet three women in future and one of them could be his soulmate. And that if he’s not careful, he or people close to him may drown.
I find that the story itself is interesting but I was not satisfied with the ending. I got confused on what is the relation of that ending with him? Also, I love the plot twist that is revealed by one of the character. The writing is quite easy to be read & understand. I really enjoyed the story. As for the main character Shouji, I love how he’s so loyal that he’s able to wait for years to find his lover(maybe soulmate). I’m so interested in the unnamed job he got into eventhough it is quite dangerous👀. If you love mysteries, this book is the best for you to jump into & get drown with the story.
Thank you so much @definitelybooks #pansing for the review copy! This book is available in all
local bookstores near you,grab it or you’ll miss it!
July 30, 2022
I love Clarissa Goenawan’s novels and this was no exception.
I did wish the ending was slightly different, but I am choosing to interpret it slightly differently to what it seems would happen based on what he recalls Mizuki saying to him.
The characters were wonderful. All three of the women were sympathetic and Shouji himself.
Another beautifully written book set in Japan that I frequently forgot wasn’t actually written by a Japanese author as I read it. Absolutely love her style of writing.
I did wish the ending was slightly different, but I am choosing to interpret it slightly differently to what it seems would happen based on what he recalls Mizuki saying to him.
The characters were wonderful. All three of the women were sympathetic and Shouji himself.
Another beautifully written book set in Japan that I frequently forgot wasn’t actually written by a Japanese author as I read it. Absolutely love her style of writing.
December 16, 2022
Actual rating 3.2 ⭐
Apa yang kalian lakukan jika bertemu dengan peramal yang menceritakan takdir kalian di masa depan? Saat kecil, Shouji Arai pernah diramal bahwa ia akan bertemu dengan 3 wanita dengan unsur air pada nama mereka dan salah satu dari mereka akan membawa Shouji menemui ajal. Awalnya ku pikir kata-kata peramal itu hanyalah angin lalu karena hidup Shouji setelah dewasa nampak baik-baik saja. Setelah lulus kuliah di Tokyo, Shouji mengikuti Youko, pacarnya, yang dipindahtugaskan ke Akakawa. Shouji pun ikut bekerja di tempat kerja Youko yang merupakan kedai teh eksklusif. Di sana ia bekerja sebagai pendengar alias pelacur telinga alias orang yang mendengarkan orang lain curhat. Premis ceritanya nampak menarik dan aku cukup penasaran dengan pekerjaan sebagai pendengar ini tapi ternyata pekerjaan itu hanya muncul sebagai pembuka kejadian-kejadian yang menimpa Shouji selanjutnya.
Sebagai pendengar, job desc nya Shouji hanyalah mendengarkan sambil menanggapi kliennya sesekali. Ia tidak boleh membocorkan rahasia klien ataupun mencoba menyelesaikan masalah kliennya karena pendengar bukanlah terapis. Tapi, Shouji melanggar peraturan di tempat kerjanya saat ia sedang menangani klien paling berpengaruh. Sejak saat itu dunia Shouji mulai porak poranda karena ia harus lari dari kejaran orang-orang yang dikirim perusahaan, ditambah lagi Youko menghilang.
Menurutku alur cerita dalam buku ini lambat, tapi karena ditulis dengan apik, awalnya aku tidak merasa bosan. Tapi lambat laun, semakin banyak masalah dan tanda tanya yang membuatku kehilangan fokus ceritanya. Aku merasa seperti disuguhkan banyak sekali potongan puzzle yang tidak pas jika disatukan. Belum lagi banyak kejadian yang "tahu-tahu begitu" tanpa ada penjelasan lebih lanjut dan juga timeline cerita yang bikin aku bingung (tapi mungkin ini karena aku bacanya malam-malam pas udah ngantuk kali, ya 😂😂. Cerita masa lalu Shouji dan tempat kerjanya yang misterius harusnya memberikan rasa penasaran, tapi sepanjang cerita rasa penasaran itu tak kunjung hadir. Jadi aku setuju kalau membaca buku ini harus ngalir aja, gak perlu terlalu serius menganalisis ini itu tapi juga jangan terlalu santai karena banyak bagian-bagian "halus" yang bisa keskip kalau gak jeli bacanya.
Aku cukup kaget dengan plot twist di bagian akhir. Gak pernah kepikiran kalau tokoh itu ternyata begitu 🤯🤯 Dan kata-kata peramal yang ku anggap sebagai angin lalu pun berubah menjadi sebuah kebenaran. Tapi, aku merasa kurang puas dengan cara masa lalu Shouji ditampilkan di bagian epilog. Di bagian ending pun ditampilkan sekilas bahwa trauma yang tidak diproses dengan baik akan menjadi bom waktu yang siap meledak kapan pun ketika kita dewasa.
Saat membaca The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida, aku bisa merasakan nuansa sedih, gloomy, dan rasa sepi yang menguar dari para tokohnya tapi saat membaca buku ini aku tidak merasakan apa pun 😅😅 Tapi, aku baca The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida versi bahasa inggris yang membuatku bertanya-tanya apakah di versi bahasa inggris nuansanya lebih terasa? 🤔🤔
Awal bulan lalu, aku sempat mengikuti diskusi buku ini bersama baca.rasa.dengar yang mendatangkan Clarissa Goenawan langsung sebagai narasumber. Clarissa berkata bahwa premis buku ini berawal dari dirinya yang merasa bahwa semua orang pasti butuh curhat tapi tidak semua orang butuh solusi saat curhat. Banyak dari kita yang curhat hanya untuk mengeluarkan uneg-uneg saja, seolah "membuang sampah" yang menjadi beban di hati. Jadi meski gak menghasilkan solusi, beban kita sedikit terangkat. Dulu aku sempat tidak paham dengan konsep itu karena ku pikir kalau mau curhat aja tanpa solusi ya curhat ke tembok aja 😂😂 Tapi, lambat laun aku menyadari bahwa curhat ke tembok jelas berbeda ya dengan curhat ke orang. Dan lama-lama pun aku merasakan sendiri bahwa curhat tanpa solusi itu cukup memberi efek kepadaku, dengan catatan orang yang ku curhati benar-benar mendengarkan dan memberi respon kalau mereka mendengarkan bukan malah main hp atau motong omonganku dan malah dia yang jadi curhat 😑😑
Secara keseluruhan buku ini bisa banget buat jadi bacaan santai (kayaknya aku udah keseringan baca psychological triller yang intens ya jadi dikasih yang "ringan" gak berasa 😂😂) tambahan lagi covernya cantik 😍😍
Apa yang kalian lakukan jika bertemu dengan peramal yang menceritakan takdir kalian di masa depan? Saat kecil, Shouji Arai pernah diramal bahwa ia akan bertemu dengan 3 wanita dengan unsur air pada nama mereka dan salah satu dari mereka akan membawa Shouji menemui ajal. Awalnya ku pikir kata-kata peramal itu hanyalah angin lalu karena hidup Shouji setelah dewasa nampak baik-baik saja. Setelah lulus kuliah di Tokyo, Shouji mengikuti Youko, pacarnya, yang dipindahtugaskan ke Akakawa. Shouji pun ikut bekerja di tempat kerja Youko yang merupakan kedai teh eksklusif. Di sana ia bekerja sebagai pendengar alias pelacur telinga alias orang yang mendengarkan orang lain curhat. Premis ceritanya nampak menarik dan aku cukup penasaran dengan pekerjaan sebagai pendengar ini tapi ternyata pekerjaan itu hanya muncul sebagai pembuka kejadian-kejadian yang menimpa Shouji selanjutnya.
Sebagai pendengar, job desc nya Shouji hanyalah mendengarkan sambil menanggapi kliennya sesekali. Ia tidak boleh membocorkan rahasia klien ataupun mencoba menyelesaikan masalah kliennya karena pendengar bukanlah terapis. Tapi, Shouji melanggar peraturan di tempat kerjanya saat ia sedang menangani klien paling berpengaruh. Sejak saat itu dunia Shouji mulai porak poranda karena ia harus lari dari kejaran orang-orang yang dikirim perusahaan, ditambah lagi Youko menghilang.
Menurutku alur cerita dalam buku ini lambat, tapi karena ditulis dengan apik, awalnya aku tidak merasa bosan. Tapi lambat laun, semakin banyak masalah dan tanda tanya yang membuatku kehilangan fokus ceritanya. Aku merasa seperti disuguhkan banyak sekali potongan puzzle yang tidak pas jika disatukan. Belum lagi banyak kejadian yang "tahu-tahu begitu" tanpa ada penjelasan lebih lanjut dan juga timeline cerita yang bikin aku bingung (tapi mungkin ini karena aku bacanya malam-malam pas udah ngantuk kali, ya 😂😂. Cerita masa lalu Shouji dan tempat kerjanya yang misterius harusnya memberikan rasa penasaran, tapi sepanjang cerita rasa penasaran itu tak kunjung hadir. Jadi aku setuju kalau membaca buku ini harus ngalir aja, gak perlu terlalu serius menganalisis ini itu tapi juga jangan terlalu santai karena banyak bagian-bagian "halus" yang bisa keskip kalau gak jeli bacanya.
Aku cukup kaget dengan plot twist di bagian akhir. Gak pernah kepikiran kalau tokoh itu ternyata begitu 🤯🤯 Dan kata-kata peramal yang ku anggap sebagai angin lalu pun berubah menjadi sebuah kebenaran. Tapi, aku merasa kurang puas dengan cara masa lalu Shouji ditampilkan di bagian epilog. Di bagian ending pun ditampilkan sekilas bahwa trauma yang tidak diproses dengan baik akan menjadi bom waktu yang siap meledak kapan pun ketika kita dewasa.
Saat membaca The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida, aku bisa merasakan nuansa sedih, gloomy, dan rasa sepi yang menguar dari para tokohnya tapi saat membaca buku ini aku tidak merasakan apa pun 😅😅 Tapi, aku baca The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida versi bahasa inggris yang membuatku bertanya-tanya apakah di versi bahasa inggris nuansanya lebih terasa? 🤔🤔
Awal bulan lalu, aku sempat mengikuti diskusi buku ini bersama baca.rasa.dengar yang mendatangkan Clarissa Goenawan langsung sebagai narasumber. Clarissa berkata bahwa premis buku ini berawal dari dirinya yang merasa bahwa semua orang pasti butuh curhat tapi tidak semua orang butuh solusi saat curhat. Banyak dari kita yang curhat hanya untuk mengeluarkan uneg-uneg saja, seolah "membuang sampah" yang menjadi beban di hati. Jadi meski gak menghasilkan solusi, beban kita sedikit terangkat. Dulu aku sempat tidak paham dengan konsep itu karena ku pikir kalau mau curhat aja tanpa solusi ya curhat ke tembok aja 😂😂 Tapi, lambat laun aku menyadari bahwa curhat ke tembok jelas berbeda ya dengan curhat ke orang. Dan lama-lama pun aku merasakan sendiri bahwa curhat tanpa solusi itu cukup memberi efek kepadaku, dengan catatan orang yang ku curhati benar-benar mendengarkan dan memberi respon kalau mereka mendengarkan bukan malah main hp atau motong omonganku dan malah dia yang jadi curhat 😑😑
Secara keseluruhan buku ini bisa banget buat jadi bacaan santai (kayaknya aku udah keseringan baca psychological triller yang intens ya jadi dikasih yang "ringan" gak berasa 😂😂) tambahan lagi covernya cantik 😍😍
September 20, 2022
--ARC provided by LibraryThing and Scribe Publications in exchange for an honest review.--
Watersong by Clarissa Goenawan has left me with mixed impressions, but primarily of dissatisfaction. I could cheapen the whole affair and call the book "Dark Japanese Tintin with Mysterious Women" but that would be disingenuous, if accurate.
The narrative voice, pacing, and structure are delightful and very appropriate in keeping with the unreliable-memory and dream-oriented nature of the tale itself. There is as much a Japanese mentality to W as setting and characters; this as a whole serves to make the book quite engrossing. There are some outstanding obstacles, however, that time and again pulled me out of the groove until the final few pages and the utter ejection from the story I experienced. In sum, the problems are twofold. First, the main character comes across as an incomplete person; Shouji can't seem to grow up and live in his own life. He's never portrayed as fully engaged in the world around him, nor really conscious of other people's needs and motivations; he can barely look out for himself let alone consider taking care of another. Throughout, there were times when I just wanted to smack him back into his own story. It's a pity because the main female characters are pretty rich and well-differentiated if painted in watercolor details.
The greater problem lies in the antagonist(s). The shady boogeymen don't even have a clear focus until the very end, nor a clear motive. 'They' are overpowered, near-omniscient, and effectively omnipresent. If this is supposed to be a metaphor for karma, fate, guilt, or something else, it just seems forced, rendering the whole course of the book meaningless. I really wanted to end up liking this book, but it let me down.
Watersong by Clarissa Goenawan has left me with mixed impressions, but primarily of dissatisfaction. I could cheapen the whole affair and call the book "Dark Japanese Tintin with Mysterious Women" but that would be disingenuous, if accurate.
The narrative voice, pacing, and structure are delightful and very appropriate in keeping with the unreliable-memory and dream-oriented nature of the tale itself. There is as much a Japanese mentality to W as setting and characters; this as a whole serves to make the book quite engrossing. There are some outstanding obstacles, however, that time and again pulled me out of the groove until the final few pages and the utter ejection from the story I experienced. In sum, the problems are twofold. First, the main character comes across as an incomplete person; Shouji can't seem to grow up and live in his own life. He's never portrayed as fully engaged in the world around him, nor really conscious of other people's needs and motivations; he can barely look out for himself let alone consider taking care of another. Throughout, there were times when I just wanted to smack him back into his own story. It's a pity because the main female characters are pretty rich and well-differentiated if painted in watercolor details.
The greater problem lies in the antagonist(s). The shady boogeymen don't even have a clear focus until the very end, nor a clear motive. 'They' are overpowered, near-omniscient, and effectively omnipresent. If this is supposed to be a metaphor for karma, fate, guilt, or something else, it just seems forced, rendering the whole course of the book meaningless. I really wanted to end up liking this book, but it let me down.
October 4, 2023
"Suo figlio incontrerà tre donne con un nome che contiene l'elemento dell'acqua. Una di loro potrebbe essere la sua anima gemella.[...] Ma se non starà attento, l'acqua esonderà. Lui, o qualcuno a lui vicino, potrebbe annegare."
⠀
Shoji segue la fidanzata, Yoko, ad Akakawa, dove fa un lavoro molto insolito: la "pr0stituta di orecchie", ovvero in una sala da tè ascolta segreti e confidenze di persone ricche e influenti, ovviamente con la condizione di non rivelare mai nulla a nessuno.
⠀
Shōji in cerca di lavoro, inizia anche lui nella stessa sala da té della fidanzata, dove conosce una donna con il kanji di acqua nel nome. Di lì a poco, per Shoji, la vita cambierà drasticamente, perché sta per avverarsi una profezia che aveva ricevuto da una veggente da piccolo.
⠀
Watersong è un thriller psicologico diviso in tre macro capitoli, in base alle donne che faranno parte della vita di Shōji. Le storie dei personaggi si intrecciano tra loro e scopriremo che tutti, chi più chi meno, hanno un vissuto pesante, con segreti e ombre che incombono su di loro.
⠀
Un libro molto scorrevole e coinvolgente, fatto di rimpianti, sofferenze, perdite e amore; per tutta la durata della lettura non ho fatto altro che chiedermi quale sarebbe stata la donna che avrebbe portato scompiglio nella vita di Shōij, unico personaggio che sembra essersi fossilizzato nel passato, non riuscendo a lasciarselo alle spalle.
⠀
Erano anni che non leggevo un libro di autore non giapponese, la Goenawan è stata, per me, una deliziosa scoperta, mi ha appassionata dall'inizio alla fine e sono contenta di essere uscita dalla mia "comfort zone giapponese" con questa sua opera.
⠀
Shoji segue la fidanzata, Yoko, ad Akakawa, dove fa un lavoro molto insolito: la "pr0stituta di orecchie", ovvero in una sala da tè ascolta segreti e confidenze di persone ricche e influenti, ovviamente con la condizione di non rivelare mai nulla a nessuno.
⠀
Shōji in cerca di lavoro, inizia anche lui nella stessa sala da té della fidanzata, dove conosce una donna con il kanji di acqua nel nome. Di lì a poco, per Shoji, la vita cambierà drasticamente, perché sta per avverarsi una profezia che aveva ricevuto da una veggente da piccolo.
⠀
Watersong è un thriller psicologico diviso in tre macro capitoli, in base alle donne che faranno parte della vita di Shōji. Le storie dei personaggi si intrecciano tra loro e scopriremo che tutti, chi più chi meno, hanno un vissuto pesante, con segreti e ombre che incombono su di loro.
⠀
Un libro molto scorrevole e coinvolgente, fatto di rimpianti, sofferenze, perdite e amore; per tutta la durata della lettura non ho fatto altro che chiedermi quale sarebbe stata la donna che avrebbe portato scompiglio nella vita di Shōij, unico personaggio che sembra essersi fossilizzato nel passato, non riuscendo a lasciarselo alle spalle.
⠀
Erano anni che non leggevo un libro di autore non giapponese, la Goenawan è stata, per me, una deliziosa scoperta, mi ha appassionata dall'inizio alla fine e sono contenta di essere uscita dalla mia "comfort zone giapponese" con questa sua opera.
February 17, 2023
Kesanku setelah membaca buku Watersong:
Aku suka dengan cara penulis membangun misteri dalam cerita ini. Sedari awal cerita sudah diberikan potongan misteri yang membuat penasaran dan bertanya "siapa saja perempuan yang dimaksud? Bagaimana nanti mereka bertemu?"
Kemudian, ketika mengikuti perjalanan hidup Shouji dan pertemuannya dengan wanita-wanita berunsur air, aku merasakan setiap tokoh mempunyai penokohan yang kuat. Meski banyak rahasia, tapi emosi mereka terasa.
Emosi yang penuh dengan amarah dan luka. Kedua emosi yang sangat dominan yang dapat aku rasakan dari semua karakter yang ada dalam buku ini.
Perjalanan hidup MC ternyata bertemu dengan para perempuan yang juga menyimpan luka. Bukankah ini semacam tanda bahwa semua orang menyimpan lukanya masing-masing?
Ditutup dengan ending yang bikin menegangkan dan meski aku udah merasa bahwa endingnya akan demikian, tapi tetap tidak mengubah aura menegangkannya.
Dan ketika plot twist disampaikan, seolah-olah kabel yang tadinya terputus menjadi tersambung 👏🏻.
Watersong adalah sebuah perjalanan mengungkap rahasia dan luka dari semua karakter. Paced yang dibangun perlahan malah membuat semakin penasaran dengan ceritanya.
Is it worth to read? Kalau kamu suka dengan buku-buku Kak Claire sebelumnya, kamu pasti akan suka dengan buku ini.
Anyway, shout-out untuk penerjemahnya karena hasil terjemahannya enak sekali untuk dibaca 👏🏻. Terima kasih, Kak Lulu!
Aku suka dengan cara penulis membangun misteri dalam cerita ini. Sedari awal cerita sudah diberikan potongan misteri yang membuat penasaran dan bertanya "siapa saja perempuan yang dimaksud? Bagaimana nanti mereka bertemu?"
Kemudian, ketika mengikuti perjalanan hidup Shouji dan pertemuannya dengan wanita-wanita berunsur air, aku merasakan setiap tokoh mempunyai penokohan yang kuat. Meski banyak rahasia, tapi emosi mereka terasa.
Emosi yang penuh dengan amarah dan luka. Kedua emosi yang sangat dominan yang dapat aku rasakan dari semua karakter yang ada dalam buku ini.
Perjalanan hidup MC ternyata bertemu dengan para perempuan yang juga menyimpan luka. Bukankah ini semacam tanda bahwa semua orang menyimpan lukanya masing-masing?
Ditutup dengan ending yang bikin menegangkan dan meski aku udah merasa bahwa endingnya akan demikian, tapi tetap tidak mengubah aura menegangkannya.
Dan ketika plot twist disampaikan, seolah-olah kabel yang tadinya terputus menjadi tersambung 👏🏻.
Watersong adalah sebuah perjalanan mengungkap rahasia dan luka dari semua karakter. Paced yang dibangun perlahan malah membuat semakin penasaran dengan ceritanya.
Is it worth to read? Kalau kamu suka dengan buku-buku Kak Claire sebelumnya, kamu pasti akan suka dengan buku ini.
Anyway, shout-out untuk penerjemahnya karena hasil terjemahannya enak sekali untuk dibaca 👏🏻. Terima kasih, Kak Lulu!
May 30, 2023
3,5 rounded up.
As someone who has enjoyed Clarissa Goenawan since her debut, I would say that I am so proud of her for this one. I couldn’t help but notice what an improvement of Watersong in terms of writing, structure of the story, and the characters. It is a page-turner, yet it still leaves you a room to think and mourn the feelings the story offers to you. And I love how there are some references to the previous book, a nod that these three belong in the same universe. When I saw the name Jin Fujiwara, I went immediately “Dude why are you always at the crime scene…” Lmao. Now I am wondering if Clarissa would write a full story with Jin as the main character. I would love to know more of what that guy is up to.
.
.
However, what kinda lets me down is the ending. The ending feels rushed as it reintroduces a minor character as a twist. This kind of plot decision is not uncommon, but I think it could’ve been executed better in Watersong. The character lacks presence throughout the story that the reveal in the end fails to convince me that this is all more than just “kebetulan aja” or baseless coincidences.
As someone who has enjoyed Clarissa Goenawan since her debut, I would say that I am so proud of her for this one. I couldn’t help but notice what an improvement of Watersong in terms of writing, structure of the story, and the characters. It is a page-turner, yet it still leaves you a room to think and mourn the feelings the story offers to you. And I love how there are some references to the previous book, a nod that these three belong in the same universe. When I saw the name Jin Fujiwara, I went immediately “Dude why are you always at the crime scene…” Lmao. Now I am wondering if Clarissa would write a full story with Jin as the main character. I would love to know more of what that guy is up to.
.
.
However, what kinda lets me down is the ending. The ending feels rushed as it reintroduces a minor character as a twist. This kind of plot decision is not uncommon, but I think it could’ve been executed better in Watersong. The character lacks presence throughout the story that the reveal in the end fails to convince me that this is all more than just “kebetulan aja” or baseless coincidences.
October 11, 2022
Clarissa, an Indonesian-born Singaporean shows her love for anime and Japanese culture in this mesmerising mystery set in Tokyo and a fictional Japanese town in the 1990s.
With a water theme woven throughout this is the story of a university graduate as he makes his way through his late twenties trying to put his past behind him. Haunted by dreams of drowning as a child a famous fortune teller warned him about three women he would meet with water in their names, but that perhaps he could avoid his destiny.
Like a leaf on the surface of water he flows without purpose through life until he crosses his powerful client causing him to flee for his life.
For those who watch the best of Japanese anime you will recognise stylistic choices and stories within stories, be taken with the flow and rhythm of the writing as the mystery unfolds in waves.
Clarissa's other two novels are set in the same period and fictional town. While not sequels to one another in any way there are characters that feature across the books - like Emily St John Mandel's approach. I look forward to reading her other novels now.
I will be in conversation with Clarissa at the Ubud Writers Festival Perth in October 2022 and I can't wait to hear more about this mesmerising novel, which was gifted to me by the festival organisers and local bookseller, Crow books.
With a water theme woven throughout this is the story of a university graduate as he makes his way through his late twenties trying to put his past behind him. Haunted by dreams of drowning as a child a famous fortune teller warned him about three women he would meet with water in their names, but that perhaps he could avoid his destiny.
Like a leaf on the surface of water he flows without purpose through life until he crosses his powerful client causing him to flee for his life.
For those who watch the best of Japanese anime you will recognise stylistic choices and stories within stories, be taken with the flow and rhythm of the writing as the mystery unfolds in waves.
Clarissa's other two novels are set in the same period and fictional town. While not sequels to one another in any way there are characters that feature across the books - like Emily St John Mandel's approach. I look forward to reading her other novels now.
I will be in conversation with Clarissa at the Ubud Writers Festival Perth in October 2022 and I can't wait to hear more about this mesmerising novel, which was gifted to me by the festival organisers and local bookseller, Crow books.
October 8, 2022
2.5 stars... but it breaks my heart to rate it this!
I remember loving Rainbirds so much and being so pleasantly surprised by it, so was excited to start this. Unfortunately, Watersong fell kind of flat for me.
I remember loving Rainbirds so much and being so pleasantly surprised by it, so was excited to start this. Unfortunately, Watersong fell kind of flat for me.
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