Tokyo Decadence

by Ryu Murakami | Literature & Fiction |
ISBN: 9784902065786 Global Overview for this book
Registered by kittiwake on 2/10/2016
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2 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by kittiwake on Wednesday, February 10, 2016
I received a free copy of this book in return for a review, via the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program.

I felt I was begining to understand what happiness is about. It isn't about guzzling ten or twenty energy drinks a day, barreling down the highway for hours at a time, turning over your paycheck to your wife without even opening the envelope, and trying to force your family to respect you. Happiness is based on secrets and lies.

This book contains translations of stories from five short story collections, dating from 1986 to 2003.

My favourite story was "Whenever I sit at a bar drinking like this, I'm reminded what a sacred profession bartending is"", which involves a long chain of favours. I liked the titles of this and the other stories from "Run, Takahashi!", which were all named after the first sentence of the story. I guess that's the way to go when you can't think what to call your stories!

A lot of the stories seem to be autobiographical, about a young man who comes to Tokyo, bums around for a while before attending art school, developing a love of Cuban music and becoming a film maker. These characters have messed up personal lives although they become well-respected professionally later in life. There also are several stories about call girls and women who fall in love with Cuban dancers. It's all a bit seedy and down-beat, although well-written.

Due to the repetitive themes and the seediness of the stories, I think this is a book best read one story at a time not all at once.

Released 7 yrs ago (7/9/2016 UTC) at Purple Pumpkin Patch OBCZ in Loughborough, Leicestershire United Kingdom

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

Taken to the Loughborough BookCrossing meet.

Journal Entry 3 by LittleMoo at Loughborough, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Monday, March 13, 2017
Picked up at the OBCZ

Journal Entry 4 by LittleMoo at Co-op in Quorn, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Sunday, April 16, 2017

Released 6 yrs ago (4/16/2017 UTC) at Co-op in Quorn, Leicestershire United Kingdom

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

Left near the Co-op in Quorn

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