tarrant's review against another edition
4.0
Long read but truly fascinating. Excellent feminist historical fiction.
mbondlamberty's review against another edition
4.0
I liked the book and the subject matter was compelling but it didn't grab me by the throat and never let me go the way other books do. Not terribly likeable characters but very interesting for those who like ukiyoe
lauraazzz's review against another edition
5.0
Once again, I've read one of those books which depict the true strenght of women, the unknown side of a japanese woman, the power of loyalty, love and freedom.
Oei's stubborness is almost unbelievable.
I gave this book 5 stars because as it places some light upon this story it also leaves the reader the freedom to imagine, to feel more than the author offers in the book.
Oei's stubborness is almost unbelievable.
I gave this book 5 stars because as it places some light upon this story it also leaves the reader the freedom to imagine, to feel more than the author offers in the book.
northernfleabag's review against another edition
2.0
I didn't know what I was going into with The Printmaker's Daughter but I wish I hadn't read it straight after The Teahouse Fire, I feel if I'd left a gap between Japanese set novels I might've enjoyed Printmaker's Daughter more. But while it's fascinating that Oei was a real person the novel just didn't grip me like I'd hoped.
morethanmylupus's review against another edition
3.0
I had mixed feelings about this book. I picked it up because it was supposed to be like [b:The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet|7141642|The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet|David Mitchell|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1320540908s/7141642.jpg|7405757] [bc:The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet|7141642|The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet|David Mitchell|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1320540908s/7141642.jpg|7405757], which I also enjoyed.
The sections about the art were basically the saving grace for me in this book. The pictures are beautifully described - and the discussion of how she draws the lines is lovely. Oei is a strong woman who, perhaps through bad luck of inopportune circumstances or perhaps through bad decisions or some mixture thereof, falls in with bad men who can't or won't love her. I guess what I really liked about this book was the contrast between how Oei seems to think her father thinks of her and the reality of her life that is shown as she grows up. I didn't know anything about Hokusai Katsushika, who was a real-life famous Japanese artist whose life was shrouded in mystery as much as it was riddled by controversy. I liked learning about him a litle more.
I would have given it 4 stars, but I just couldn't get into the writing style.
The sections about the art were basically the saving grace for me in this book. The pictures are beautifully described - and the discussion of how she draws the lines is lovely. Oei is a strong woman who, perhaps through bad luck of inopportune circumstances or perhaps through bad decisions or some mixture thereof, falls in with bad men who can't or won't love her. I guess what I really liked about this book was the contrast between how Oei seems to think her father thinks of her and the reality of her life that is shown as she grows up. I didn't know anything about Hokusai Katsushika, who was a real-life famous Japanese artist whose life was shrouded in mystery as much as it was riddled by controversy. I liked learning about him a litle more.
I would have given it 4 stars, but I just couldn't get into the writing style.
beth_dawkins's review against another edition
4.0
Oei is the daughter of the famous artist, Hokusai. It is about their life and art in the Edo period of Japan.
This is a historical fiction on the events of Oei’s life. From the time of her birth she has a kinship with her father who is eccentric, and often times called mad. The start of the story has Oei growing up around the entertainment part of town. They meet Shino, a daughter of a noble, who treated her husband badly and was sent to live as a prostitute. Women didn’t have much of a say in their lives at the time. They were owned by their husbands or fathers. Oei has a mother/sister relationship with Shino, and her father has a relationship with Shino that might have been lovers. It is a very interesting look into the world. Her father spends his time sketching, and dodging the censors.
By the time Oei has her first lover she is helping her father mix colors, and developing her skill as an artist. Instead of the company of her mother and sisters, she is around her father and his artistic friends. She is not a proper woman of the time, and is described as manly to others, but she gives me the impression of a strong woman. She quickly goes from mixing paints to finishing full works for her father. He is a long lived man, who develops problems that keep him from finishing work. He is also obsessed with his own immortality. The same subject becomes a question in Oei’s life. Does she want the same for herself? Is she a better artist than her father? A bigger problem is society, which might be why the truth about her has faded.
I didn’t know a thing about Oei’s father before reading this, but since looked up his works. This book is based on the belief that some of Hokusai’s work (especially in his later years) is actually Oei’s. At the end of the book it gives historical facts, and seems like a very strong debate that not all Hokusai’s works are his.
The story itself is a story of Oei’s life. She changes, and grows throughout the story. Her voice is very strong once she gets into her twenties, and towards the rest of her life. The prose becomes very beautiful as the story goes on. Is it odd to think that in a time when women were extremely subservient that one might not be? I don’t think so, depending on her family life, and what she was allowed.
Despite the nice historical notes at the end, the story by itself is nice. It makes me want to see the images described. Oei was a character I grew to admire, and will stay with me. The prose at first felt broken, but later started to even out. It changes between very beautiful and thought provoking, to simplistic. It is a nice view into what Japan might have been like (Please note, I am not a historian, and I know almost nothing about Edo Japan.). I was attracted to it because it involved art, and like books I believe a piece of art can take the viewer somewhere else. If you are a fan of art, historical fiction, or want a strong female lead, you might really enjoy this one.
This is a historical fiction on the events of Oei’s life. From the time of her birth she has a kinship with her father who is eccentric, and often times called mad. The start of the story has Oei growing up around the entertainment part of town. They meet Shino, a daughter of a noble, who treated her husband badly and was sent to live as a prostitute. Women didn’t have much of a say in their lives at the time. They were owned by their husbands or fathers. Oei has a mother/sister relationship with Shino, and her father has a relationship with Shino that might have been lovers. It is a very interesting look into the world. Her father spends his time sketching, and dodging the censors.
By the time Oei has her first lover she is helping her father mix colors, and developing her skill as an artist. Instead of the company of her mother and sisters, she is around her father and his artistic friends. She is not a proper woman of the time, and is described as manly to others, but she gives me the impression of a strong woman. She quickly goes from mixing paints to finishing full works for her father. He is a long lived man, who develops problems that keep him from finishing work. He is also obsessed with his own immortality. The same subject becomes a question in Oei’s life. Does she want the same for herself? Is she a better artist than her father? A bigger problem is society, which might be why the truth about her has faded.
I didn’t know a thing about Oei’s father before reading this, but since looked up his works. This book is based on the belief that some of Hokusai’s work (especially in his later years) is actually Oei’s. At the end of the book it gives historical facts, and seems like a very strong debate that not all Hokusai’s works are his.
The story itself is a story of Oei’s life. She changes, and grows throughout the story. Her voice is very strong once she gets into her twenties, and towards the rest of her life. The prose becomes very beautiful as the story goes on. Is it odd to think that in a time when women were extremely subservient that one might not be? I don’t think so, depending on her family life, and what she was allowed.
Despite the nice historical notes at the end, the story by itself is nice. It makes me want to see the images described. Oei was a character I grew to admire, and will stay with me. The prose at first felt broken, but later started to even out. It changes between very beautiful and thought provoking, to simplistic. It is a nice view into what Japan might have been like (Please note, I am not a historian, and I know almost nothing about Edo Japan.). I was attracted to it because it involved art, and like books I believe a piece of art can take the viewer somewhere else. If you are a fan of art, historical fiction, or want a strong female lead, you might really enjoy this one.
bee_cee's review against another edition
1.0
I made it about halfway, and I'm just bored out of my mind. I'm not planning on finishing.
lasamviela's review against another edition
4.0
This book edition has an afterword about the real person behind the main character. About the mistery of her role in Hokusais career and her death. There is so little known about Oi Eijo. And how Katherine Govier created such an amazing book to tell Oi Eijo's story.
At first I was hesitant about how many stars I would give. Story itself is written as a diary like chronicle. Which I had to use to. But the story in its entirety is so impressive and beautiful. I definitely recommend this book to every Japanese history lover.
At first I was hesitant about how many stars I would give. Story itself is written as a diary like chronicle. Which I had to use to. But the story in its entirety is so impressive and beautiful. I definitely recommend this book to every Japanese history lover.
unabridgedchick's review against another edition
2.0
I couldn't be more unfamiliar with 19th century Japan, but from the first page, Govier plunks the reader in the rich, seedy, struggling world of Edo, where the common people are forbidden to own pictures, maps, or books, and artists make catalogs of courtesans and paint Westerners in secret. Our narrator is Oei; her father is Katsushika Hokusai, creator of the iconic print 'The Great Wave at Kanagawa'. A complicated, tempestuous figure, Hokusai was a prolific artist as well, living well into his 90s. He's renown for his output, his focus on the commoners, and his myriad of artistic styles.
But the novel isn't about Hokusai, not exactly; the story is about Oei, her relationship with her father, her artistic talents, and her loyalty. It's also a novel about Edo in the early 1800s -- talk about place as character! -- and the connection between inspiration, loyalty, and love. Govier's central thesis is that Oei was the 'ghost brush', completing many of the works her father got credit for, and her novel follows Oei's life from childhood to adulthood.
I found the writing a little uneven and book a smidge too long (at 494 pages, it includes a 24-page Afterward that is marvelous -- probably my favorite part of the whole book -- but some of the sections went on and on...). Grovier's writing overall is nice: easy, flowing, descriptive but not ornate, chock full of detail without feeling like a lecture. As sex workers are a major part of the story, I found her portrayal of them and their work very human and realistic, earthy without being salacious. Even better, I thought she conveyed accurately the mores of a society that accepted paid courtesans and created characters that seemed authentic, real, and people to whom I could relate.
However, I hated the way Govier used accents in the story; I found the rural courtesans nearly incomprehensible, and while that's what she was trying to convey, it really pulled me from the story as I found it super clunky and awkward.
"Your old man'z an artist? We usta have one here watchin' our every move," said Fumi. "We were, like, pozen all the time. He watched how we dressed and when we played our music and when we looked at the moon -- evrythin'. But he duzn come here anymore. Maybe he'z, like, scared he'll get fined or go to jail"--here her face became tragic--"or end up on the White Sands or even, like, banished. Can you 'magine? Jus' for painting us. It'z 'cause we're so evil." (page 51-52)
That quibble aside, this is a chunky historical fiction that stands out for the unusual setting and non-royalty characters. For those who like fiction about the making of art, I highly recommend this -- and for anyone who enjoys the process of crafting a novel, you must check out Govier's marvelous Afterward. It makes me want her to write a book about writing this book!
But the novel isn't about Hokusai, not exactly; the story is about Oei, her relationship with her father, her artistic talents, and her loyalty. It's also a novel about Edo in the early 1800s -- talk about place as character! -- and the connection between inspiration, loyalty, and love. Govier's central thesis is that Oei was the 'ghost brush', completing many of the works her father got credit for, and her novel follows Oei's life from childhood to adulthood.
I found the writing a little uneven and book a smidge too long (at 494 pages, it includes a 24-page Afterward that is marvelous -- probably my favorite part of the whole book -- but some of the sections went on and on...). Grovier's writing overall is nice: easy, flowing, descriptive but not ornate, chock full of detail without feeling like a lecture. As sex workers are a major part of the story, I found her portrayal of them and their work very human and realistic, earthy without being salacious. Even better, I thought she conveyed accurately the mores of a society that accepted paid courtesans and created characters that seemed authentic, real, and people to whom I could relate.
However, I hated the way Govier used accents in the story; I found the rural courtesans nearly incomprehensible, and while that's what she was trying to convey, it really pulled me from the story as I found it super clunky and awkward.
"Your old man'z an artist? We usta have one here watchin' our every move," said Fumi. "We were, like, pozen all the time. He watched how we dressed and when we played our music and when we looked at the moon -- evrythin'. But he duzn come here anymore. Maybe he'z, like, scared he'll get fined or go to jail"--here her face became tragic--"or end up on the White Sands or even, like, banished. Can you 'magine? Jus' for painting us. It'z 'cause we're so evil." (page 51-52)
That quibble aside, this is a chunky historical fiction that stands out for the unusual setting and non-royalty characters. For those who like fiction about the making of art, I highly recommend this -- and for anyone who enjoys the process of crafting a novel, you must check out Govier's marvelous Afterward. It makes me want her to write a book about writing this book!
bunny_watson's review against another edition
4.0
Fans of art history and, especially, art mystery, will enjoy this novel based on life of the 19th century Japanese printmaker Hokusai's daughter Oei. Hokusai has been called "the Dickens of Japan" for his portrayal of the common people on Shogun era Japan, but he was a troubled artist, cared for in his later years by his immensely talented but deemed unattractive daughter. How much of the work of his later years was created by him, how much by her? A fascinating look into a family, and more importantly a time period, in the midst of turmoil and strife.