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A review by kumipaul
A True Novel by Minae Mizumura
3.0
I keep hearing about what a wonderful writer Mizumura is, and deep into the novel I had a good sense of this. However, I did not like the translation which I did not think captured the nuance that was necessary in the story. I felt that the translator treated her reader as culturally naive by often defining Japanese terms simplistically and trying to spin a truly Japanese story into one that a typical American reader could easily grasp. In that sense, I felt patronized, and I felt that she did the author a disservice. Example:
"she put butterbur sprouts with miso on a long, narrow wooden board and roasted them lightly. Uncle Genji scooped up some with his chopsticks and took a taste. 'Now that's finger-lickin' good!' he said with obvious satisfaction, letting loose with a country accent..."
Come on, "finger-lickin' good" in a Japanese novel? This is not KFC.
As for the story beyond my annoyance with the translation, I was aware that it had elements of Wuthering Heights in a Japanese setting, and the parallels were definitely there. Most of the book was centered on telling a story of families through the years, and this was interesting (though not in a Wuthering Heights sort of way). Really, only the last 1/3 contained those Bronte elements, which worked well and drew me in with an increased intensity, and the final two chapters contained surprises that left me wondering if the author was toying with me (in a good way). In the end, I enjoyed the read, with reservations.
"she put butterbur sprouts with miso on a long, narrow wooden board and roasted them lightly. Uncle Genji scooped up some with his chopsticks and took a taste. 'Now that's finger-lickin' good!' he said with obvious satisfaction, letting loose with a country accent..."
Come on, "finger-lickin' good" in a Japanese novel? This is not KFC.
As for the story beyond my annoyance with the translation, I was aware that it had elements of Wuthering Heights in a Japanese setting, and the parallels were definitely there. Most of the book was centered on telling a story of families through the years, and this was interesting (though not in a Wuthering Heights sort of way). Really, only the last 1/3 contained those Bronte elements, which worked well and drew me in with an increased intensity, and the final two chapters contained surprises that left me wondering if the author was toying with me (in a good way). In the end, I enjoyed the read, with reservations.