Reviews

Leise und unaufgeregt, aber dennoch bildgewaltig, erzählt Marion Poschmann von der Japanreise des Privatdozenten Gilbert Silvester, die zugleich eine Suche nach dem eigenen Platz in der Welt ist. Vielleicht ist vieles etwas skurril, aber doch äußerst unterhaltsam und ein netter Einblick in die japanische Kultur. Der Roman überzeugt durch seine wirklich tolle, fast poetische, Sprache und ist in der von Frank Stieren eingelesenen Hörbuchfassung ein Genuss.

andrew61's review against another edition

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4.0

I picked this short novel up as one of the long listed books from the Man Booker International prize long list for 2019 and note it has made it to the shortlist and what a curious read it turned out to be,
The main character is a german professor who at the beginning has a dream that his wife has been unfaithful to him and rather than believe his wife's reassurance he hops onto a long haul flight to Japan where he sets out on a journey following in the footsteps of Japanese poet Basho which should take him to the Pine Islands at the North of the Island. Bizarrely Gilbert is researching the beard in history so the book is suffused with reflections on famous beards particularly God's beard in the Sistine chapel and when he comes across a young man Yosa in a Tokyo train station and prevents his suicide he adopts Yosa and takes him on his journey which then encompasses famous suicide spots such as a forest and volcano with Yosa clutching his suicide manual and gIlbert his travel guide and a notebook to create haiku's.
From that synopsis which doesn't include their experience of a famous Japanese actors performance on stage, you will gather that this is not a straightforward mid life crisis story .
I found it , as I said a curious tale and I loved the description of Japanese culture (it is not a country I have ever thought I was desperate to visit but this novel intrigued me ) from the super fast trains, to Haiku's , to cherry blossom , suicide beliefs , mount Fuji, food , and disposable socks . But at times I felt a bit lost in the narrative and unsure of the direction of the book, wasn't totally engaged with Gilbert and worried about the fate of Yosa.
However after tapping away at this review curiously at the outset I had given it 3* but do you know what I have convinced myself that I actually really liked the book and will push it up to 3.5 i.e 4* and hopefully if I ever get to Japan I'll be able to experience the culture first hand.

sarajesus95's review

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challenging mysterious reflective fast-paced

4.75

thebooktrail88's review against another edition

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5.0

Discover the locations in the novel The Pine Islands

We’ve all had that dream or one similar, when we dream of someone we love, someone close being nasty towards us or doing something bad in a dream. How many of us have run away though to another city? This is the intriguing premise of a book where a man flees for Tokyo having dreamed of his wife cheating on him.

Gilbert is a man on a mission and he plans to think long and hard about his life. He meets another lost soul on his journey, a student called Yosa, who is carrying a book about suicide. They set off on a pilgrimage to see the pine islands of Matsushima, as they ponder life and death. One is in need of a fresh start whilst the other wants an end to their pain. I noticed that Yosa ‘s surname is Tamagotchi and I’m not sure this is related to the annoying tech creatures you have to try and keep alive or not. Actually, having said that, it probably is. A strange image that from that moment on, I couldn’t forget.

Gilbert carries a book of his own – one by Matsuo Bashō written more than 500 years previously. He is the inventor of the famous haiku and Gilbert starts to follow his footsteps around The pine islands in the search for answers. This is his fresh start – his need for a new challenge and a purpose in life. So, a booktrail – where he visits the locations and inspirations in a novel seems the perfect way to do it. (And I have to agree hehe)

This is a very visual read – the colour of the pines have hidden meanings, the essence of the haiku comes to the fore, and the sense of searching, a journey which meanders from one place to the next is at the core of the novel.

Following in the footsteps of an author is always exciting bt to read it in such a heartbreaking and heartwarming way in a novel itself is quite something.

This really is a novel which should shimmer its way up your TBP pile as it’s quite unlike any other novel I’ve read in a while.

clmckinney's review against another edition

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4.0

This is the story of Gilbert and his flight from his wife. It seems rather like a mid life crisis. He travels to Japan to find some solace. This book reminded me a bit of the book Less. The main character is rather particular in his tastes and views. He is an intellectual of sorts. I found him comical in a way. I would give this a 3.8/5.

carlaonion's review against another edition

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3.0

I realise you were not meant to like Gilbert but I thought he would at least grow as a person throughout his journey but so little changes, maybe only his feelings for his wife. I also found his stereotypes of Japan and Japanese culture pretty unbearable by about 1/3 of the way through the book as well as his feelings of cultural superiority.
I did however enjoy reading about parts of Japan that I haven't read about before and the author is clearly knowledgeable about Japanese poetry and culture (so you learn a lot even through Gilbert's grumpiness!)

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