A review by neemzilla
The Easy Life in Kamusari by Shion Miura
4.0
This light novel draws the reader into the quaint wooded village of Kamusari. It’s an immersive experience, and the ease with which this unique world and lifestyle are shared with us, through the eyes of an outsider being welcomed to this exclusive community, is as refreshing as the clear river that runs between the Kamusari cedars. Through this novel, I became a guest in Kamusari, and an honored participant in the villager’s private rituals.
Written by a Miura and translated by Winters Carpenter, I was surprised that the male characters were much more dimensional than the women. A wise old granny, a nagging cuckolded though forgiving housewife, and a vaguely distant love interest: these women seemed only to exist to support the agendas of their male counterparts. Because of this, the romantic subplots felt underdeveloped, and the primary love interest, though charming, felt oddly obsessive and half-baked. That said, with few romantic prospects in this remote village, it’s easy to set aside these opinions when reading the book and to enjoy the the clunkiness of an awkward crush. The relationships between male friends, with the family dog, and with the village’s small child do still make for an intimate reading experience that is only expanded by the author’s superior talent for world-building.
I’m grateful that more of Shion Miura’s work is being translated, and that another volume in the Kamusari series is forthcoming. I loved The Great Passage, and having enjoyed a second book by the author, I want to extend many thanks to Julia Winters Carpenter for bringing Miura’s work to an English speaking audience.
Written by a Miura and translated by Winters Carpenter, I was surprised that the male characters were much more dimensional than the women. A wise old granny, a nagging cuckolded though forgiving housewife, and a vaguely distant love interest: these women seemed only to exist to support the agendas of their male counterparts. Because of this, the romantic subplots felt underdeveloped, and the primary love interest, though charming, felt oddly obsessive and half-baked. That said, with few romantic prospects in this remote village, it’s easy to set aside these opinions when reading the book and to enjoy the the clunkiness of an awkward crush. The relationships between male friends, with the family dog, and with the village’s small child do still make for an intimate reading experience that is only expanded by the author’s superior talent for world-building.
I’m grateful that more of Shion Miura’s work is being translated, and that another volume in the Kamusari series is forthcoming. I loved The Great Passage, and having enjoyed a second book by the author, I want to extend many thanks to Julia Winters Carpenter for bringing Miura’s work to an English speaking audience.