Japanese Literature discussion

Hi Yoko Ogawa is a big hit with me especially Hotel Iris .Has anyone else read this? If so I'd be interested to read your 'take' on it.....

I gave it three stars. I liked the spartan prose but I felt that the ending was a bit limp.

My favourite Ogawa thus far is the housekeeper and the professor

I haven't read Hotel Iris yet, but I've loved The Housekeeper and the Professor and her short story collection, Revenge.

Akylina wrote: "I haven't read Hotel Iris yet, but I've loved The Housekeeper and the Professor and her short story collection, Revenge."

Revenge I thought was a bit patchy, however there are definitely some real gems in there

I've not tried Hotel Iris but I'll add it to my list. I did read Revenge and found it quite poor, although I picked up a copy of The Housekeeper and the Professor the other day, so I'll try that before Hotel Iris I would imagine.

I've read Revenge and The Housekeeper and the Professor and I loved them both. I'm really looking forward to The Memory Police releasing this year too.

I've read "Hotel Iris", "Revenge" and "The Diving Pool: Three Novellas". Out of the three, my favourite is The Diving Pool. There is a low-grade kind of uneasiness that permeates the book as you read it.

Zak wrote: "I've read "Hotel Iris", "Revenge" and "The Diving Pool: Three Novellas". Out of the three, my favourite is The Diving Pool. There is a low-grade kind of uneasiness that permeates the book as you re..."
That sounds really good. I think I'll try and make The Diving Pool my next Ogawa.

I've read Hotel Iris and loved. Wasn't hooked initially but I love how it ended

Meena's march is one of my favourite books. I really recommend Ogawa!

I’ve read Hotel Iris — one of the most original novels I’ve read, and appreciated how superbly Ogawa confronts themed that discomfit her readers. I enjoyed Revenge, as well, but agree it is uneven, which is typical of short story collections in my experience. I loved the manner in which she connected the tales. I’ll gave to check out Diving Pool.

I am just now reading The housekeeper and the professor, and it is beautiful. Typical japanese litterature as for the pace, the kind of details the autor includes in the description, how the characters get introduced, in my opinion. All very delicately done, very thoughtful, like a beautiful painting. Am enjoying it very much!

i have read Hotel Iris as sort of a japanese version of ‘story of o’ by reage, though i do not know if she has read it. i gave it 3. for me, even not in practice much inclined there is something wistful tragic inevitably failing and very romantic when emotions can only be fully shared by bdsm games....

Just started on Revenge. Three chapters/stories in and loving it so far. It's already getting darker and a bit more macabre, can't wait to see how much more darker it gets.... :)

I’m giving Housekeeper a shot, wish me luck.

To anyone who enjoys Yoko Ogawa, seems The Memory Police is being released in hardback English translation this august! It's already out in Kindle form from what I can see.

I recently bought myself Hotel Iris so this'll be my next Ogawa. Hopefully soon!

Jeshika wrote: "I recently bought myself Hotel Iris so this'll be my next Ogawa. Hopefully soon!"

I’m really interested in your reaction to it, when you get to it. I can’t think of anyone else writing about young women whose life options are limited for whatever reason; the subject matter is so uncomfortable initially which leads a reader to examine why...

Carol wrote:
I’m really interested in your reaction to it, when you get to it. I can’t think of anyone else wri..."

I really enjoyed it and gave it 5 stars, although part of me wondered if it's okay to give 5 stars to a book like that. It was definitely shocking in parts but Ogawa has a way of making everything seem acceptable and meaningful. If that even makes sense.

Jeshika wrote: "Carol wrote:
I’m really interested in your reaction to it, when you get to it. I can’t think of anyone else wri..."

I really enjoyed it and gave it 5 stars, although part of me wondered if it's o..."

It does and I totally understand your wonderment, too. She’s of age, but the age difference and the nature of their shared proclivity provoke this skin-crawling reaction, at least in me. Then I kept trying to talk myself out of being uncomfortable. More than anything, I liked and wanted good things for our MC and didn’t think her time spent with her chosen partner was going to drive her toward a good outcome.

Ogawa is the Queen.

FYI: The Memory Police, release date August 13, is available to request at Edelweiss+.

Here's a link to an August NYTimes profile of Ogawa:

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/12/bo...

also here's a link to this group's October 2019 discussion of The Memory Police. The thread will remain open. Feel free to add your thoughts, questions and comments whenever you read it.

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

I am listening to the audiobook of The Housekeeper and the Professor. Tantor Audio produced the audiobook. Narrated by Cassandra Campbell. Publication date was Apr 15, 2013.
(Completed 13 Nov, 2024)
I listened to the audiobook of The Housekeeper and the Professor. It is so stunning that in places I had to stop to breath and reflect on what I just heard. I think it would have been less intense to read the printed book. It is a great story and a gripping narrative. I needed to limit how much I listened to it at one time because of how much it impacts me.
This is probably the best book I listened to this year (2024).

Revenge: Eleven Dark Tales became better and better as I listened to the audiobook version of the text. I was to read the print version in the future because I think it will be just as good on a reread.

There are three shorts/novellas in The Diving Board. The first two didn't appeal to me, but Dormitory, the third story, was definitely in my reading lane and seems to be an example of the Ogawa writing I really like. There was also a little linkage to a story in Revenge that I noted.

A review of The Tale of the House of Physics by Yoko Ogawa and translated by Ted Goossen at “A Bookish Way of Life”. This is a short story in The Penguin Book of Japanese Short Stories, edited by Jay Rubin.

https://abookishwayoflife.blogspot.co...