I’m back with a lengthy post to prove I’m still around! It’s been two weeks since my last post as I’ve been dealing with RA symptoms and fatigue. I started January reading at a decent pace, but that has slowed down due to my sleeping and watching a lot of TV. I wanted to join several reading challenges this month, and I began with Heaven for the Japanese reading challenge. Then I read The Old Boys by William Trevor for Cathy and Kim’s year of William Trevor. It was full of excellent characterisation and sharp observation. I was hoping to read Cheating at Canasta, the short stories selected for this month, but I haven’t even bought a copy yet. After that, I moved back to Japan with Yūko Tsushima’s Woman Running in the Mountains. It was a pricey NYRB edition I bought with book tokens just after Christmas. I loved it just as much as Territory of Light.
Forgive me for these mini reviews of two novels that deserve proper full-length pieces. The Old Boys is about a bunch of septuagenarians who were once public schoolboys together. Jaraby is the main character, one of Trevor’s brilliantly drawn, though not very likeable creations. His wife is no doubt long suffering with this fussy, pompous old bully. Woman Running in the Mountains is beautifully written full of atmosphere. It follows Takiko’s first year of being a mother and her longing for independence and to be able to direct her own life fully.
I had intended to read another Japanese book, but I seem to be running out of time. However, I watched Tokyo Vice on BBC iplayer which seemed appropriate this month. So, two challenges ticked off and thoroughly enjoyed!
