This is an old-fashioned travel book of the kind that I used to read and love so much when I was younger. Just a young man out in the world processingThis is an old-fashioned travel book of the kind that I used to read and love so much when I was younger. Just a young man out in the world processing what he sees and really self deprecating and wonderful prose. You don鈥檛 see a lot of these kinds of books being written anymore, which is a shame. Some of scenes made me laugh out loud!...more
#One of best books about Japan--ever! Beautiful sentences and wonderful story. Inspiring!!
Writer and photographer Craig Mod arrived in Tokyo when he w#One of best books about Japan--ever! Beautiful sentences and wonderful story. Inspiring!!
Writer and photographer Craig Mod arrived in Tokyo when he was only nineteen. In many ways, he was already running. Running from a challenging childhood, running from bullies. And running from that feeling like he was always just one step away from disaster because of violence and lack of opportunity in his hometown.
It鈥檚 a story we know: of people leading middle class lives in a factory town鈥攎aybe in the mid-west? 鈥攐nly to watch when the factory closes and the whole town becomes suddenly out of work. This leads to hardship and poverty, which can, and often does, lead to drugs and violence. And in Mod鈥檚 case, it led to trauma when his best friend, who鈥檚 like a brother to him, is murdered鈥� another casualty of economic injustice.
But even before Bryan dies, Mod already knew he wanted to get as far away as possible from the place where he was born. He longed to see the world and maybe be able to grow as an artist and as a human being. But in a world of constant struggle, that is easier said than done.
Almost on a whim, he lands in Japan, where he begins to take long walks. Crisscrossing the country on ancient pilgrimage routes, like the Kumano Kod艒, Mod starts opening up to people. And he is astonished by this new land in which he鈥檚 found himself, where so many of the problems back home had simply been solved.
Not to say it鈥檚 perfect and definitely not to say that Japanese people don鈥檛 have their own problems, but as he explains, in Japan, the safety net is stronger. And so, even the least fortunate citizen cannot fall that far. Part of it is simply having universal healthcare, outstanding public transportation, and a solid public education infrastructure鈥攐ne that is not based on wealth and zip codes like back home. That alone makes life less fraught, he says, and work becomes less perilous since your job no longer determines life and death healthcare outcomes nor the quality of your children鈥檚 education.
And so, arriving in Japan was a revelation. And feeling less vulnerable, he slowly begins to open himself to the world.
Scarcity is in important word in Mod鈥檚 book. By scarcity he is not just talking about financial scarcity but rather is referring to a state of affairs where people are in many ways pitted against each other in the rat race, something that is hard to opt out of if you have kids who need to be educated and have health care.
And Mod brings up an interesting point, one that has haunted me since returning to America. How can human flourishing exist in a place of scarcity, when character cultivation and compassion requires the time and space to notice and listen to the world around us?
Scarcity is in important word in Mod鈥檚 book. By scarcity he is not just talking about financial scarcity but rather is referring to a state of affairs where people are in many ways pitted against each other in the rat race, something that is hard to opt out of if you have kids who need to be educated and have health care.
And Mod brings up an interesting point, one that has haunted me since returning to America. How can human flourishing exist in a place of scarcity, when character cultivation and compassion requires the time and space to notice and listen to the world around us?
Reading his wonderful travel memoir, imagining his long walks crisscrossing the country on ancient pilgrimage routes, I felt myself falling in love with Japan all over again. My time there rewired my brain, making me less selfish and more giving, which is something he also talks about in his book. It gave me the ability to listen rather than talk about what I wanted or needed all the time. In America, I think it is true that we are taught to value and stick up for ourselves from an early age. And yet Mod says he felt abandoned by the whole and found it hard to love and value himself. Reading this beautiful memoir, following along step by step as he crisscrosses the mountains and narrow paths that cling to the sea, I realized how much this story was a pilgrimage within. And how much I love Japan....more
Based on an actual event, this book is centered on a shocking story about a group of migrants who took an inflatable dinghy from France to the UK, capBased on an actual event, this book is centered on a shocking story about a group of migrants who took an inflatable dinghy from France to the UK, capsizing in the channel when their boat stalls. They make repeated calls to the UK authorities for help, to be told that help was on the way, but then told "but you really should call France because you鈥檙e in French waters." Despite the fact that their are floundering in freezing water, they are made to call repeatedly and eventually all aboard die. The calls are recorded and when they are leaked the public is stunned to heard the coast guard authority becoming increasingly callous and irritated, and finally says something to the effect that, 鈥測ou know you鈥檙e not going to be saved, right?"
It鈥檚 a shocking story based on a shocking real life event, but because the author is a philosopher, who is a Kierkegaard specialist, it鈥檚 a nuanced exploration of the banality of evil. The authority is accused of negligence in her duty but she refuses point-blank to be held more responsible than the rest of us. I was really hoping for the book to win the booker prize. I was pleased it was on the shortlist because it鈥檚 absolutely fantastic.
Apparently the author wrote it in three weeks and it鈥檚 only based on the recorded calls other than the moving section in the middle from the perspective of the people on the boat.
Fantastic writing. I cannot recommend enough her latest novel, which is a retelling of Moby Dick. The wonders of that novel led me to her memoir. I caFantastic writing. I cannot recommend enough her latest novel, which is a retelling of Moby Dick. The wonders of that novel led me to her memoir. I can鈥檛 recommend her writing enough. She鈥檚 extraordinarily talented. ...more
Wonderful cover and great setup. For me the problem was putting an unconvincing heist plot together with flat characters and cringy romance writing...Wonderful cover and great setup. For me the problem was putting an unconvincing heist plot together with flat characters and cringy romance writing... I rarely leave negative reviews and I almost never don't finish a book. But I was pretty disappointed as I had looked forward to someone tackling the art looted from the summer palace and how that rightfully grates in China. The material was not tackled in a serious way, but the heist did not have a playful or light touch. Okay, this is my once every three or four years negative review and I already feel guilty about it. ...more
The reviewers are uniformly calling this novel ambitious. And that is very true. With three POV characters, the novel spans nearly a centBookclub Read
The reviewers are uniformly calling this novel ambitious. And that is very true. With three POV characters, the novel spans nearly a century. The ambition is not just in the structure of the book, but rather, the story itself is very successful at evoking what could be called the collapse of the American dream.
I think a lot of readers will be grabbed by the first POV character Tobey. His story is set in 2024 and he is struggling in the gig economy and suffering from a natural disaster--a fire wipes out his town. Compared to his cousin's grandfather's day, when a man from a humble background could show up in Hollywood, claiming an ancestry that was false and rise to stardom as a director, for Tobey things are tougher.
The grandfather is the alpha character. His story spans the longest and is the most detailed. The grandfather's granddaughter is Diane, who is a famous contemporary artist in the 1980s. This part of the novel is very beautifully written. The 80s art scene in NYC comes to life big time--with drugs and artists who come out of nowhere like Basquiet or Cindy Sherman.
At its heart, the book is about the commodification of art--who can make it these days? Who owns art? For me, one big mystery was why Tobey's father never sold the valuable paintings he owned--these paintings which Tobey plans to steal.
Contemporary art has become the place where the wealthy park their money. The rich have always collected art, of course, but now it is often seen as an investment in a way that perhaps is new...
This book is ambitious in that it is doing a lot. I will also say the writing is beautiful. Looking forward to tonight's bookclub....more
I loved the first book so much and pre-ordered this one the nanosecond I heard it was coming out--and it didn't disappoint!!!! It arrived on what was I loved the first book so much and pre-ordered this one the nanosecond I heard it was coming out--and it didn't disappoint!!!! It arrived on what was a pretty bad day (I had some disappointing news and stress) but isn't it amazing what a good book can do to lift your mood?
I sent both volumes to my son who by the end of page 3 realized how much his mother resembles Vera!! I do relate and love Vera so much. I adore these books... I still haven't read Dial A for Aunties which I heard the Caltech book club was reading a few years back. I am with an older group a Caltech but always follow both clubs.
I don鈥檛 say this often. This was one of the best books I have ever read. It was so incredibly intelligent and also deeply moving about the power of arI don鈥檛 say this often. This was one of the best books I have ever read. It was so incredibly intelligent and also deeply moving about the power of art in times of personal and social turmoil and war. I was in tears at the end. It was so well done. A masterpiece. Completely original writing I couldn鈥檛 put it down! I鈥檓 already looking forward to the author鈥檚 next book! ...more
Fantastic art memoir by Pulitzer Prize winning writer Benjamin Moser. Exquisite writing and also a deeply moving story about his life overseas and howFantastic art memoir by Pulitzer Prize winning writer Benjamin Moser. Exquisite writing and also a deeply moving story about his life overseas and how these paintings became a point of entry into the new culture.
The book itself is also a gem. Beautifully published with many reproductions-- a pleasure to hold and read.
2023 Akutagawa prize, translated by the fabulousPolly Barton! This one is on the long list for the book prize and I am really hoping it makes the shor2023 Akutagawa prize, translated by the fabulousPolly Barton! This one is on the long list for the book prize and I am really hoping it makes the shortlist! Very thought-provoking and fantastic translation! I never once had the urge to look anything up in the Japanese version. It just carried me along鈥� it鈥檚 amazing how much of our lives are lived in our minds, even in our imaginations, and I love the depiction of her incredibly rich in her life. I also don鈥檛 think I鈥檝e ever read such a depiction of a degenerative disease like this. Unforgettable book!...more
I had wanted to read this many years ago, when it first came out, so was happy when it became our book club March read! Patchett is such a masterful wI had wanted to read this many years ago, when it first came out, so was happy when it became our book club March read! Patchett is such a masterful writer. It took me a while to get into this book because it begins in the young boy's POV and I am not a huge fan of child POV novels. But it is really told from his adult memory, so I realized that I was drawn in almost from the beginning. Speaking of which, there is something so beautiful reading about a brother sister relationship, which is so rarely depicted in books these days. We have a lot of sister books. I really enjoyed watching Asura recently with the four sisters, but this was rare for me to read about this warm brother and sister relationship.
I loved the focus on the house --which was a character in its own right! I do think houses can exert a real power over our human imagination--this is something I love reading about in British literature. Also speaking of British literature, I found the mother to be especially compelling--like a character from a Dickens novel so works so hard to help the poor but is completely un-devoted to her children... A strange moral problem, when there is such a far-sightedness (but awful close up vision!)
I was struck by how beautifully crafted this novel was. I have read that Patchett does not watch TV or own a mobile phone... you feel she really has time to craft her books--she is so attentive to her characters.
This is my second Ann Patchett read, after her wonderful State of Wonder. I am hoping to read Bel Canto soon.
Exploring the role of fakes within art history, Jonathan Keats, who鈥檚 also an artist, as well as an art critic and journalist, posits that forgers areExploring the role of fakes within art history, Jonathan Keats, who鈥檚 also an artist, as well as an art critic and journalist, posits that forgers are the foremost artists of our age. Why? because in challenging the concept of legitimate art they provoke and explore our anxieties, which is what art should always do.
I would say, this should be qualified. It鈥檚 what contemporary European art does and as usual people do not have a critical distance from their pre-conceived notions and so they think things are universal when they鈥檙e not.
I thought this book was a really wonderful read. I actually read it a couple times because it was so enjoyable. I agree that compared to Chinese art history, for example, Europeans are terrified of being sold Fakes and art is judged from within the framework of the cult of the individual or the history of great men instead of by the craft or the craftsmanship of the piece.
Absolutely fakes can rise up to the level of art. I鈥檓 thinking of the Mona Lisa in the Prado. It was painted by someone in the school of Leonardo and yet people flock to see it and you should see all the museum goers taking selfies in front of it as it has something of the charisma of the real Lisa, and it really shows the way that art Goes beyond the object itself. Like the ship of Theseus 鈥攊f there鈥檚 no physical object left, what is the art then what is the thing?
I love the case studies of the famous forgers. I loved the beginning where he lays out how our concept of art can be tracked onto our concept of fakes throughout western art history. Absolutely brilliant book and I highly recommend it!...more
Chang Dai-Cheng (Zhang Daqian), who was arguably the greatest Chinese painter to come along in centuries. Before his death in the early 1980鈥檚, Chang Chang Dai-Cheng (Zhang Daqian), who was arguably the greatest Chinese painter to come along in centuries. Before his death in the early 1980鈥檚, Chang had painted countless masterpieces, was known as the Chinese Picasso, was a renown seal carver and poet鈥攏ot to mention one of the most successful art forgers in modern history! About twenty-five years ago, there was a symposium at the MET devoted to a possible Chang-forgery that had infiltrated their own collection! The famous Riverbank 鈥攁ttributed to Dong Yuan.
In China, to copy the work of the Old Masters is not considered a strictly criminal activity as it would be by the curators at the MET. In an article from 1999 in the NYTimes, Holland Cutter writes that,
Authenticity means different things in different cultures. In Western art, the original -- the unique object, the genius creator -- is everything. And a conceptual, even legal understanding of the distinctions between the original and a copy, and a copy and a forgery, is clear cut. In Chinese painting, by contrast, tradition predominates over individuality (though that is also prized). And the concept of authenticity, of what constitutes the genuine article, is more nuanced.
And:
As a medium, ink-and-brush painting on silk or paper is evanescent, and relatively few early examples survive. As a result, Chinese artists, in what amounts to a kind of centuries-long collective archiving process, have copied and recopied revered works, and many of these copies have come to be regarded as masterpieces in themselves.
This reminds me of the Shrine at Ise, a kind of Ship of Theseus, where identity remains even if the original object is lost.
++ This book is a masterclass in connoisseurship and Chinese art history. Highly recommend it! I especially loved the way the academics referenced the others in their essays, tackling their assertions head-on--like a trial. If only I could have been a fly on the wall during the symposium....more
The book, which won the 2024 Waterstones Book of the Year Award, concerns a journalist who is interviewing a woman on dFantastic book...
The book, which won the 2024 Waterstones Book of the Year Award, concerns a journalist who is interviewing a woman on death row in Japan for the murder of multiple men.
The story is based on the real-life case of the 鈥淜onkatsu Killer.鈥� Supposedly enticing men into her life between 2007-2009, only to bilk them out of money before murdering them, the case got a lot of attention in Japan 鈥擝ecause, well, people wondered how could such 鈥渁 fat and unattractive woman have gotten these men to fall in love with her?鈥� That was the general consensus.
Yuzuki takes up this story in her novel and adds the wonderful detail of having the killer attract these men in part by using her glorious gourmet cooking skills! In this way, Yuzuki says she is interrogating the impossible beauty standards to which Japanese women are held.
And I think it鈥檚 not just Japanese women either!
I remembered that I had never read Haruki Murakami鈥檚 Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World. Opening the first few pages of the novel, I quickly came to this:
Your plain fat woman is fine. Fat women are like clouds in the sky. They're just floating there, nothing to do with me. But your young, beautiful, fat woman is another story. I am demanded to assume a posture toward her. I could end up sleeping with her. That is probably where all the confusion comes in.
Which is not to say that I have anything against fat women.
A few years ago in Lithub, Mieko Kawakami (One of the authors longlisted this year) interviewed Murakami about his portrayal of women, specifically saying It comes down to the fact that making a woman feel guilty for having a woman's body is equivalent to negating her existence.
Yuzuki in her novel picks up where Kawakami left off in looking at how standards of beauty effect women鈥攐ften in non-trivial ways.
In the opening pages of Butter, the protagonist mentions that Japanese women today eat fewer calories than they did during the war鈥� when they were presumably starving.She also laments what is is like to be shorter than her best friend, how her stature demands endless dieting. She鈥檚 always hungry. This is the same for women everywhere. Yesterday, my Mandarin teacher was talking about the way her mother complains about her weight (鈥渢oo much American food鈥�) and I told her that even at my age, when you would think I could just let things go and love myself as is鈥� but NO!! It is an endless battle!
From Buttercream cakes to Beef Bourguignon, the murderess delights in all things rich and buttery! At her trial she is incensed having her painstakingly created Beef Bourguignon described as beef stew!! Horrors!
I loved the descriptions of Christmas cakes. Even now, every year, I crave those sponge cakes, covered in whipped cream and decorated with ripe strawberries. Or my beloved Buche de Noel cakes, which I only ever had in Japan. Oh my God, I am getting so hungry writing this!
The first food description in the novel is so simple, though: butter rice. And yet in two decades in Japan, I never once knew or heard of anyone eating this dish鈥� I first heard about it after I was back in California and saw Episode 5 of Midnight Diner, when 鈥渁n arrogant food critic is invited for a meal at the diner prompting resentment from the regular patrons. A visit by an elderly guitarist and his performance payment of a simple bowl of butter rice resurrects memories for the food critic.鈥�
Just three simple ingredients, white rice, butter and soy sauce.
Here is the serial killer in the novel:
鈥榊ou must make yourself rice with butter and soy sauce.鈥� For a moment, Rika failed to process Kajii鈥檚 words, and she let out a quiet, 鈥楬m?鈥� 鈥楢dd butter and soy sauce to freshly cooked rice. Even someone who doesn鈥檛 cook can manage that much, I鈥檓 sure. It鈥檚 the best meal to truly understand the glory of butter.鈥� Her manner of delivery was so grave that it made it impossible to even think of ridiculing her. 鈥業 want you to use salted 脡chir茅 butter. There鈥檚 an 脡chir茅 shop in Marunouchi Station. Go there and look at it, properly, before you buy it. The current shortage is a perfect opportunity to sample first-class butter from overseas. When I鈥檓 eating good butter I feel somehow as though I were falling.鈥� 鈥楩alling?鈥�
After I watched that I texted my ex and asked him why we never ate butter rice and he said, 鈥淚 knew you鈥檇 hate it!鈥�
Anyway, do you have a favorite Japanese butter recipe?
The novel is brilliant! And for those who don鈥檛 know, the Tora-san movies are the longest running series of movies in movie history.
Fantastic piece of immersive journalism. Thornton tracks Murakami, goes to the Bienale and Basel, spends time with the Turner Prize committee and bestFantastic piece of immersive journalism. Thornton tracks Murakami, goes to the Bienale and Basel, spends time with the Turner Prize committee and best of all sits in on a "crit" at Calarts... Contemporary art as the new religion.... each chapter is more fascinating and I was really kind of surprised how much it reminded me of the MFA-publishing pipeline--the necessary creds (elite MFA, selective residencies and workshops) the crits are so much like writers workshops.... and the idea of brand. Highly recommend... I was surprised how this older book has stood the test of time. ...more
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