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Tama
This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts - the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. This text refers to the Bibliobazaar edition.
262 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2007
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May 27, 2014
Rating this book at two stars is a bit of a compromise, as the most interesting parts of it are not in the novel itself. Tama is, taken at face value, an example of the early 20th century romantic novel, done up in the lurid Asian trappings popular in some quarters in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It has aged poorly, and I now find it of far more interest as a historical example.
Over the course of reading the book (over a long weekend without access to the internet) I found myself wondering exactly who wrote this book. It's form was wholly western, and the story was clearly written for a Western (likely American, like it's protagonist) audience. However, the author spoke of internal Japanese politics of the 19th century in such detail that it was clear that whoever the author was, they had either lived their or done their research well. I found myself placing mental bets over whether Tama was the product of an American sensationalist, a Meiji-era propagandist, or someone else entirely. The true story is far more interesting than anything I thought up.
Onoto Watanna was the pen name of a Canadian woman named Winnifred Eaton, the daughter of an English businessman and the adopted Chinese daughter of missionaries. She apparently had a rather successful career as an author, writing for periodicals, the stage, and the screen in addition to her successful romances and short stories. I had heard nothing about this woman before, and I consider myself enriched by knowing she existed.
In short, a one-star book and a three-star bit of edification. I'll call it two.
Over the course of reading the book (over a long weekend without access to the internet) I found myself wondering exactly who wrote this book. It's form was wholly western, and the story was clearly written for a Western (likely American, like it's protagonist) audience. However, the author spoke of internal Japanese politics of the 19th century in such detail that it was clear that whoever the author was, they had either lived their or done their research well. I found myself placing mental bets over whether Tama was the product of an American sensationalist, a Meiji-era propagandist, or someone else entirely. The true story is far more interesting than anything I thought up.
Onoto Watanna was the pen name of a Canadian woman named Winnifred Eaton, the daughter of an English businessman and the adopted Chinese daughter of missionaries. She apparently had a rather successful career as an author, writing for periodicals, the stage, and the screen in addition to her successful romances and short stories. I had heard nothing about this woman before, and I consider myself enriched by knowing she existed.
In short, a one-star book and a three-star bit of edification. I'll call it two.
Displaying 1 of 1 review