1Q84 Book One

 

Unexpectedly an uncorrected proof of books I and II of 1Q84 came my way recently, I must have been standing in the right time and place, 1Q84 is undoubtedly one of the most anticipated translations to arrive this year, these first two books are translated by Jay Rubin and the third is translated by Philip Gabriel. The last of Murakami's fiction that I've read was Hear the Wind Sing, and then more recently I read the non-fiction, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, amongst his longer fiction I've still yet to read is Kafka On The Shore and Dance Dance Dance, 1Q84 has been described as Murakami's magnum opus, the narrative behaves in the way we have come to associate with Murakami, pulling the reader in with a magnetic like force. It might be difficult to write anything on this first book without letting slip some of the elements of the plot, but I'll try not to give away too much, although there's already many places on the net that have given a spoilers and all account of the novel in it's entirety.

The narrative of Book 1, (and I think it continues on into Book 2), is divided, chapter by chapter, between the two main characters; Aomame and Tengo, although as the narratives continue in Tengo's side it could be said that the focus turns to Fuka- Eri, although the perspective is always from Tengo. As usual being a Murakami novel there's reference to quite a few pieces of music most prominently to begin with is Janacek's Sinfonietta, which is playing in the taxi which Aomame is sat in at the start of the novel, which then floats in again a little later, another element familiar in Murakami's novels is the mention of other books, as might be expected Orwell's 1984 is referred to, as is the The Tale of Heike and Chekhov's book on his trip to Sakhalin Island, Tengo reads to Fuka-Eri of the Gilyaks, also another familiar aspect is that both the narratives are permeated with moments from history. Tengo when introduced is coming around from having a kind of seizure, during which a reoccurring memory comes to him from when he was one and a half years old, of his mother with a man, (who Tengo is certain was not his father), who is suckling at her breast. This scene hovers around Tengo throughout the novel and the question of his father's true identity seems to hang in some speculation, his father as Tengo remembers him collected subscription fees for NHK, which on Sundays Tengo had to accompany him with. Another prominent character in Tengo's side of the narrative is Komatsu who is an editor of a literary magazine, and has a history in the student riots of the 1960's, Komatsu wants Tengo to rewrite a manuscript of a novel he's received called Air Chrysalis, whose author Fuka-Eri appears very enigmatic, who asks questions without using question marks. Tengo is reluctant at first but Komatsu persuades him into meeting Fuka-Eri and her guardian; Professor Ebisuno to obtain their permission for the rewrite. The details of what Air Chrysalis is actually about are slowly revealed, set in a mountain commune and populated by Little People who enter this world through a blind goat, Komatsu sets his sights on winning the Akutagwa with it and making a lot of money, you get the impression that Murakami is having a little dig at the business side of the literary establishment.  When meeting Professor Ebisuno, Tengo learns that he was part of the student riots at the Univesity of Tokyo and that he was a friend of Fuka-Eri's parents, who after fleeing the city had created a religious retreat called Sakigake, which began farming and selling organic vegetables, the group split though and the more militant Akebono group was formed, this group was involved in a shoot out with police, in which the members were killed or arrested, one though managed to escape, as Book 1 ends who this person could be is not answered, Professor Ebisuno, or even Komatsu perhaps?.

A major character in Aomame's narrative is her high school friend; Tamaki Otsuka, when the pair were young they had a fleeting lesbian experience, although this encounter doesn't define their relationship, the two are close and they learn that they can confide in each other. Tamaki marries and appears to settle down with her husband, all the time though she had been suffering physical abuse from her husband and eventually commits suicide, this acts as a catalyst for Aomame into shaping what she will be in the novel. Another character known as the Dowager of Azabu whose daughter suffered abuse from a violent husband provides the means in which Aomame can carry out punishments to abusive men, the Dowager has set up a safe house giving sanctuary for abused women. Aomame's history too has a connection to a religious sect, her parents were members of a Christian group but Aomame broke away, as the novel progresses Aomame's consciousness begins to show strange signs, she notices a difference in police uniform and the model of gun they carry which makes her begin to question whether she has slipped out of the year 1984 which she is in and has moved into 1Q84 a parallel year, things begin to get stranger with the appearance of a second moon that hovers in the sky next to the usual one, Aomame is too anxious of the answer she'll get if she asks if anyone else can see it, whether this is symptomatic of Aomame's projected sense of self or a genuine change in something much larger I'm guessing is clarified in Book 2, as the two moons feature again at the closing of Book 1, appearing in the last scene with the Dowager, this sense or depiction of a duality to Aomame's state of mind I remember being something that also occurs to Sumire in Sputnik Sweetheart . Book 1 is a little over three hundred pages and the majority of it is taken up with exploring the character's history and the reader gets a sense that Murakami is putting things in place for Book 2, there are plenty of leads that are left open here that could go anywhere, it's not until two thirds of the way through Book 1 that Tengo and Aomame's narratives show any signs of merging. Aomame forms an unusual friendship and alliance in a policewoman called Ayumi, the Dowager introduces Tsubasa, a ten year old girl staying at the safe house to Aomame which in turn leads Aomame to begin investigating the activities at Sakigake, Tsubasa talks too of the presence of the Little People. There's obviously much more to Book 1 which I've not touched upon, but like with Murakami's other novels there's much here that is in full view and always a lot more to be explored that is obscured to a first reading.

1Q84 at Harvill Secker

1Q84 at Knopf

Three Works by Nakano Shigeharu

Recently I unexpectedly received an advance copy of Jay Rubin's translation of books I and II of 1Q84 by Murakami, (which I'm nearly 200 pages or so into), which is really great although it has turned my reading plans onto a slightly different tangent. But a book I've been meaning to post on, although I've not yet completely read in it's entirety, is Three Stories by Nakano Shigeharu, translated by Brett de Bary and part of the Cornell East Asia series, and through the Cornell University's East Asia Series the book is available to read online, (click on the image above or the link below to read the collection). Nakano Shigeharu's life and writing was witness to a large portion of twentieth century Japan, from early Showa to well into the post war years. In Brett de Bary's introduction we learn that Shigeharu was a member of the Communist Party, and that he was imprisoned in the early 1930's, as nationalist fervour mounted Shigeharu was arrested for thought crimes, he was released after complying with the minimum requirements for tenko or ideological conversion. The three stories here found their bases from autobiography,  Nakano was raised in a farming community and the story included here A House in the Village/Mura no Ie, (1935), tells of a fictionalized retelling of Nakano's, (envisioned through the character Benji), return to his family home after being imprisoned as a Communist, and examines his relationship with his father and in turn their differing political views, the new of Benji with that of the traditional of his father. Nakano  initially began his writing life as a poet, he met Akutagawa who encouraged him to continue to write and later won the Yomiuri Prize in 1960 in light of two of his novels, Muragimo/Gut Feelings of 1954 and Nashi no Hana/Pear Blossoms, published in 1960. Brett de Bary notes in her introduction of how his prose was  touched with a poetical sensibility, especailly seen here in The Crest Painter of Hagi, where Nakano would include scenes that contained word associations, (engo in classical poetry), which thematical link to memories of the narrator.

In The Crest Painter of Hagi, set some years after the war, the narrator is sent to the remote town of Hagi to mediate between a married couple, noting that the most notable building in the town is that of the Academy of Yoshida Shoin, the narrator walks around the town and comes across a large Edo styled house, after reading the name plate the narrator realizes that it belongs to a leading Conservative Party member active in the Diet, this conjures up in the narrator's mind memories of a wealthy family of his own village and the festivals performed at their home, the narrator recalls the small portions of rice the performers received as a payment. Entering a sweet store, the abundance of sweets provoke memories of austerity of Tokyo in the early war years, a scene returns to him when he was carrying a box of eggs on a crowded  train, amongst the crowds the eggs crack and he sucks at the broken shells to prevent the waste, he also recalls his move to Sumoto at the invitation of a friend. Behind these recollections he is searching out a present for his daughter, the times before when he has travelled he's forgotton to buy a souvenir for her, and this makes him begin to doubt his worth as a father. Wandering again after finding a present and a stop at the town's post office he comes across a young woman working at something which at first he can't ascertain, at first he thinks maybe she could be a watch repairer or perhaps a seal engraver, he reads a sign on her wall proclaiming - Home of War Dead. Realizing that the woman is a war widow he also discovers that the woman's work is painting the crest patterns onto haori, the story ends with the narrator contemplating the contours of the woman's face as she works.  

 

Three Works by Nakano Shigeharu

And Then by Natsume Soseki

Two writers whose works I want to read more of are Natsume Soseki and Abe Kobo, I thought I'd try to make up my reading of their novels this year but as we head into the second half of it I'm beginning to think that maybe my aim won't be fulfilled. It's good to learn though that Tuttle are reissuing And Then/Sorekara next month, the translation I think is the same one published here by Louisiana State University Press by Norma Moore Field, I remember reading Oe's essay in Japan the Ambigious and Myself , (Kodansha 1995),where he discusses the novel and have been meaning to read it ever since, Oe talks about the novel in his essay about the modern Japanese novel in relation to the modernization of Japan. Reading Natsume made me think about his time spent in London, (1901-1903), which led me to think of another English novel which in some ways shares some of it's themes, The Whirlpool, by George Gissing which was published  in 1897 has at it's centre a character unable to cope with the machinations of a society facing rapid modernisation, the character unable to keep pace and adapt to these changes has a tragic ending.

 

In And Then it's focus is the rapid modernization of Japan after the Meiji Restoration, the central character, Daisuke, in some ways is in a similar predicament to the character in The Whirlpool, unable to commit himself to the social mores occurring around him. Daisuke is from a family whose father has done well in the newly expanding economy, Daisuke's brothers all appear to be following productive industrial lives, Daisuke is not so committed in pursuing this path. He leads a  comfortable life, his father is happy to continue paying his allowance, although aged thirty Daisuke is still unmarried,  many potential brides have been suggested for him, but he has managed to fend off these arranged marriages. When his father, was young, he and his brother, (Daisuke's uncle), got involved with a brawl that turned nasty, it was still in the era of the samurai code, this world to Daisuke appears very distant from his, when he hears these stories from his father's and grandfather's past instead of having feelings of admiration, feelings of terror threaten to overwhelm him whenever he hears of the spilling of blood, through the implications of this brawl another potential bride is lined up for him. He reads Leonid Andreyev and contemplates how he might feel if faced with his own end. Daisuke at first appears far from being a victim, his perspective is one that sees through the veneer of the actions of those around him, seeing that the pursuit of financial gain or social advancement is not the be all and end all of his existence. An antithetical character to Daisuke's is introduced at the start of the novel, his friend Hiraoka who had moved to Kansai because of his work, only having to resign and return to Tokyo due to a subordinate embezzling company money, seems to cajole Daisuke about his lack of application to the outside world. It could be said though that Hiraoka's failure at succeeding in this new world reconfirms Daisuke's assertions about the new way of things.

As the novel progresses Daisuke's disliking of the modern world becomes more prevalent, and the pressure from his family to marry increases, almost to the point of entrapment in one scene, the only woman that Daisuke seems to have emerging feelings for is Hiraoka's wife Michiyo who he had known before she and Hiraoka had married, at times she appears unhappy being with Hiraoka. Daisuke feeling duty bound to his friend arranges to help Hiraoka pay off a pressing debt, and this brings him into closer contact with Michiyo. Throughout  the novel little instances appear that remind Daisuke of the dangers of actively participating in society, a letter from a friend who he had gone to university with arrives telling him of his married life and the child he has, Daisuke had used to send him books which the friend would discuss at length in his letters, as the correspondence continues the friend no longer mentions even the fact that he receives the books, this acts as a stark reminder to Daisuke. Daisuke is caught between following his duty to his family with that of following his heart, but he finds that in choosing this option he will begin to pull at the building blocks of society, Daisuke's predicament seems to see Natsume questioning just how much people were prepared to let go of the old order of things and examines how much of the new they were willing to embrace. I'm not sure which of Natsume's novels to turn to next, I feel as though I should continue with another from the trilogy, although The Miner/Kofu looks like an interesting novel, as does the unfinished novel; Light and Darkness/Meian. And Now/Sorekara comes with an excellent afterword from translator Norma Moore Field placing the novel in bibliographical and biographical context. The narrative of And Then has probably one of the most rational tones that I've found in a novel in a long while, and has a Janus like quality to it, this pivotal moment in history is represented well in the novel's opening scene when Daisuke half asleep notices the flower head of a Camellia has fallen off during the night, the sound of it hitting the floor reverberates around his waking consciousness, as a calmative he places his hand on his chest over his heart to reassuringly check his pulse is beating steadily.

Sombrero Fallout - A Japanese Novel

 

A novelist/writer that I've been meaning to read for quite a while is Richard Brautigan, especially the three of his books that have links with Japan, Sombrero Fallout was published in 1976, (the edition I read was published by Jonathan Cape), the poetry collection June 30th,June 30th appeared in 1978, and in 1979 Brautigan published The Tokyo-Montana Express, a book made up of memories of stations in Japan and Montana, Brautigan was well received in Japan and partly lived there in the late 1970's. Sombrero Fallout has a dedication at the front which reads; This novel is for Junichiro Tanizaki who wrote The Key and Diary of a Mad Old Man, I've not yet read any other books by Brautigan yet but am intrigued by these three. The cover of the novel shows a photograph by Erik Weber of Mia Hara, Weber's photographs were also used for many other of Brautigan's books. Sombrero Fallout is built up around two main narratives, one is that of a famous American humourist who is separating from his Japanese girlfriend, Yukiko, of two years, she's leaving him as she has begin to feel that the dimensions of her life are beginning to become unstable due to his erratic temperament. The novel begins with the humourist typing out the beginning of a story about a sombrero falling from the sky, it lands on the ground at the feet of the mayor, the mayor's cousin and a man who is mostly described as 'the man who does not have a job', but as the humourist's line of thinking begins to be consumed with thoughts about the separation he rips the story to shreds and drops the pieces into the bin.

 

As one narrative follows the humourist reflecting about when he and Yukiko first met the second narrative continues with the fallen sombrero story and the three man that have found it, this narrative continues on with the humourist unaware of it's continuation. The narrative of the humourist is full of self deprecating observations about himself which are tinged with a wry sense of humour, although to the author it could be said that these observations aren't intended as jokes, when he and Yukiko first make love he observes - She took her clothes off like a kite takes gently to a warm April wind. He fumbled his clothes off like a football game being played in November mud. Before this he goes into the kitchen to find something for them to drink and an observation about himself suddenly comes to him that; He wasted a lot of time thinking about things that never came to anything. The humourist, grief stricken, imagines Yukiko sleeping with someone else, he contemplates calling her, noting the only thing separating them is the digits of her phone number, the distance between the two seems vast, but in reality she is sound asleep with her pet cat a few blocks away. The narrative also dips into Yukiko's dreams and frequently features moments of poetical free association, near the beginning of the novel the humourist is contemplating Yukiko sleeping, and in his lovelorn state he fixates on her hair, he imagines her hair sleeping and dreaming, it dreams of waking and of being combed in the morning. 
 

The book's narrative skips between the grieving humourist and the fallen sombrero through many brief chapters, all with simple titles: Sombrero, Breathing, Clothes, Mayor, etc, the cousin of the mayor begins to realize that if he were to pick up the sombrero for the mayor he might be in for a promotion, and he is seized with visions of himself running for the presidency, the man without a job envisions that if he were to pick it up it might enable him to get a job, he is tired of eating berries and dreams of eating hamburgers, the scene changes to an antagonistic stand off, in the meanwhile the mayor has been thinking - pick it up it's only a sombrero. A crowd begins to gather when people begin to recognise the mayor, a fight breaks out when two of them start arguing which soon escalates out of control. The humourist meanwhile is caught between whether to go out for a burger or to have a tuna sandwich, before another pang of grief hits him,  slowly more  background  details of Yukiko are explained, and he discovers a single strand of her hair. The sombrero story turns into a full blown riot, Norman Mailer comes to report on the scene and the national guard are eventually  called in to break things up. The book is an interesting and largely humorous  mixture of meta fiction and poetical invention, there's not a great deal of Japan here and how much of it's contents go towards it making it's subtitle of A Japanese Novel is debatable, although at it's heart is an absent Japanese woman which forms a link of sorts, an interesting book to have visited nonetheless. 

 

Sombrero Fallout has recently been re-issued in the U.K by Canongate