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ENTRY

Review: Plainsong
December 20, 2011

Plainsong
Kazushi Hosaka

When Plainsong was published in Japan in 1990, the meteoric Japanese economy was starting to crash and a sense of ennui was settling over the country. Maybe the rush-rush of fortune seeking and consumption wasn’t all that fulfilling, but then the alternative of rising unemployment and under-employment wasn’t that appealing either. The characters in the novel, in their late twenties, exist in that space of transition to an unknown future.

The novel was the author’s first and his storyline is sparse, no doubt deliberately to reflect the mood of the handful of characters who float in and out of the nameless narrator’s apartment. The characters dwell on a stray cat who also wanders into the story as cats do—under their own terms. Nothing gets the characters too excited, except maybe horseracing and one of the character’s filmmaking. The budding filmmaker’s philosophy also applies to the novel, in a kind of meta-narrative description: "I want to show people that the life we live has nothing to do with the stories you see in movies or novels, where everything is simplified and dramatic and exciting. Our lives are our stories."

I prefer novels with a stronger narrative drive, not necessarily at the level of an action-thriller or the melodrama of a soap opera, but some reason to keep reading, to care about what happens to the characters. In the classic narrative structure, a character has a problem and there are obstacles the character must overcome to solve the problem. The characters in this novel have no problems, at least no serious ones, and no serious obstacles.

On the other hand, I appreciate very much what the author is doing with Plainsong—he is trying to show us the life in everyday moments, in the majority of time where we dwell with a mere scent of existence. The thin storyline then becomes more compelling, as the reader seeks to grasp meaning and potential of the characters.

There is also a pleasant feel to novel that makes it worth reading. This feeling reminds me of a weekend afternoon when I have nothing to do, when I have no cares except deciding how to fill up my time. I think I had that feeling once in my life, at least it seems vaguely familiar. And I think that feeling isn’t a bad thing at all; it might be something to achieve more often. At least I would have more time for reading.

© 2013

COMMENTS

Number of comments: 3
click here to add a comment

Jo Reed
Not sure I'd like a novel without a strong storyline, but I appreciate your comment about afternoons with nothing to do. Yes, we don't have those so much anymore.

Gail
This was doesn't sound so interesting, but in browsing through the books that Amazon recommends in relation to Plainsong, I found "Lake of Heaven" by Ishimure Michiko. So I ordered it. Have you read it?

Todd
Hi Gail, I haven't heard of Lake of Heaven, let me know how you like it. Happy New Year

ARCHIVE

date (comments)

Review: Paprika
April 21, 2013 (3)

Review: A Straight Road With 99 Curves
March 30, 2013 (1)

Gripping writing
Feb. 28, 2013 (2)

Review: Salvation of a Saint
January 19, 2013 (2)

2012 in review
December 30, 2012 (2)

Review: Ninja
September 30, 2012 (2)

Review: My Postwar Life
August 21, 2012 (1)

New interview with Colin Marshall
July 15, 2012 (3)

Book events
April 25, 2012 (2)

Subduction
March 14, 2012 (8)

Review: A Room Where the Star Spangled Banner Cannot Be Heard
January 14, 2012 (1)

Review: Plainsong
December 20, 2011 (3)

Review: The Devil's Disciple
November 29, 2011 (2)

Haruki Murakami
October 5, 2011 (2)

Busyness and demons
September 25, 2011 (2)

Characters: The Bully
July 30, 2011 (3)

Review: Manazuru
June 28, 2011 (2)

Deadlines!
June 24, 2011 (2)

Review: Butterfly's Sisters
May 18, 2011 (1)

Review: Isle of Dreams
April 20, 2011 (2)

Cades Award for Literature press release
April 12, 2011 (2)

Japan and other news
March 29, 2011 (1)

Borders bankruptcy
February 17, 2011 (2)

2010 review
December 17, 2010 (6)

Congratulations Mario Vargas Llosa
October 7, 2010 (2)

OH! wins best book award
September 23, 2010 (2)

Review: Kissing the Mask
August 22, 2010 (1)

Jonathan Lethem: Writing at the margins
July 12, 2010 (2)

Review: Love in Translation
June 22, 2010 (3)

Jose Saramago
June 18, 2010 (0)

Marketplace of Ideas interview
June 11, 2010 (2)

Imagining Memory
May 6, 2010 (1)

Upcoming Los Angeles events
April 7, 2010 (2)

Time and energy
March 30, 2010 (2)

Review: Botchan
February 28, 2010 (2)

J.D. Salinger
January 28, 2010 (1)

2009 Reviewed
December 31, 2009 (5)

Review: The Word Book
December 12, 2009 (1)

Chaat and Chat event with OH!
November 6, 2009 (2)

Home at last
November 2, 2009 (2)

Los Angeles events
October 17, 2009 (1)

Poets and poetry
October 7, 2009 (1)

Time + place
September 24, 2009 (1)

The future of books
September 23, 2009 (1)

October book tour
September 6, 2009 (1)

Blogging at Powell's Books
August 28, 2009 (2)

The evolution of an idea
August 3, 2009 (1)

The Poetics of Motoori Norinaga: A Hermeneutical Journey
July 9, 2009 (2)

Tour debrief
July 2, 2009 (3)

Book tour events
May 18, 2009 (3)

Simply in the mood
April 24, 2009 (2)

Book tour
April 8, 2009 (6)

The Necessary Book
March 2, 2009 (2)

"Murder Makes the Magazine"
February 7, 2009 (3)

John Updike
January 27, 2009 (2)

2008 misc. (good news, bad news)
January 1, 2009 (3)

Publishing woes and query letters
December 13, 2008 (4)

Punctuation compunction
November 16, 2008 (3)

The Fountain of Youth (and other Ideas)
October 10, 2008 (2)

David Foster Wallace
September 14, 2008 (2)

Ending it all
September 12, 2008 (2)

The mystery of plotting, the plotting of mysteries
August 29, 2008 (3)

Blocking out the block
August 20, 2008 (3)

"What kind of books do you write?"
August 8, 2008 (2)

Theory of Satisfaction: Part 4
July 21, 2008 (3)

Show and tell
July 14, 2008 (3)

Theory of Satisfaction: Part 3
July 7, 2008 (7)

Advice for first-time writers (Barry Gifford and me)
June 30, 2008 (6)

Theory of Satisfaction: Part 2
June 18, 2008 (3)

To be or not to be
June 10, 2008 (6)

Theory of Satisfaction: Part 1
June 3, 2008 (6)

Virtual unreality
May 31, 2008 (4)

The purpose of this blog
May 21, 2008 (5)

Todd Shimoda's Writer's Blog home \| current \| forthcoming \| past \| contact
ENTRY Review: Plainsong December 20, 2011 Plainsong Kazushi Hosaka When Plainsong was published in Japan in 1990, the meteoric Japanese economy was starting to crash and a sense of ennui was settling over the country. Maybe the rush-rush of fortune seeking and consumption wasn’t all that fulfilling, but then the alternative of rising unemployment and under-employment wasn’t that appealing either. The characters in the novel, in their late twenties, exist in that space of transition to an unknown future. The novel was the author’s first and his storyline is sparse, no doubt deliberately to reflect the mood of the handful of characters who float in and out of the nameless narrator’s apartment. The characters dwell on a stray cat who also wanders into the story as cats do—under their own terms. Nothing gets the characters too excited, except maybe horseracing and one of the character’s filmmaking. The budding filmmaker’s philosophy also applies to the novel, in a kind of meta-narrative description: "I want to show people that the life we live has nothing to do with the stories you see in movies or novels, where everything is simplified and dramatic and exciting. Our lives are our stories." I prefer novels with a stronger narrative drive, not necessarily at the level of an action-thriller or the melodrama of a soap opera, but some reason to keep reading, to care about what happens to the characters. In the classic narrative structure, a character has a problem and there are obstacles the character must overcome to solve the problem. The characters in this novel have no problems, at least no serious ones, and no serious obstacles. On the other hand, I appreciate very much what the author is doing with Plainsong—he is trying to show us the life in everyday moments, in the majority of time where we dwell with a mere scent of existence. The thin storyline then becomes more compelling, as the reader seeks to grasp meaning and potential of the characters. There is also a pleasant feel to novel that makes it worth reading. This feeling reminds me of a weekend afternoon when I have nothing to do, when I have no cares except deciding how to fill up my time. I think I had that feeling once in my life, at least it seems vaguely familiar. And I think that feeling isn’t a bad thing at all; it might be something to achieve more often. At least I would have more time for reading. © 2013	COMMENTS Number of comments: 3 click here to add a comment Jo Reed Not sure I'd like a novel without a strong storyline, but I appreciate your comment about afternoons with nothing to do. Yes, we don't have those so much anymore. Gail This was doesn't sound so interesting, but in browsing through the books that Amazon recommends in relation to Plainsong, I found "Lake of Heaven" by Ishimure Michiko. So I ordered it. Have you read it? Todd Hi Gail, I haven't heard of Lake of Heaven, let me know how you like it. Happy New Year	ARCHIVE date (comments) Review: Paprika April 21, 2013 (3) Review: A Straight Road With 99 Curves March 30, 2013 (1) Gripping writing Feb. 28, 2013 (2) Review: Salvation of a Saint January 19, 2013 (2) 2012 in review December 30, 2012 (2) Review: Ninja September 30, 2012 (2) Review: My Postwar Life August 21, 2012 (1) New interview with Colin Marshall July 15, 2012 (3) Book events April 25, 2012 (2) Subduction March 14, 2012 (8) Review: A Room Where the Star Spangled Banner Cannot Be Heard January 14, 2012 (1) Review: Plainsong December 20, 2011 (3) Review: The Devil's Disciple November 29, 2011 (2) Haruki Murakami October 5, 2011 (2) Busyness and demons September 25, 2011 (2) Characters: The Bully July 30, 2011 (3) Review: Manazuru June 28, 2011 (2) Deadlines! June 24, 2011 (2) Review: Butterfly's Sisters May 18, 2011 (1) Review: Isle of Dreams April 20, 2011 (2) Cades Award for Literature press release April 12, 2011 (2) Japan and other news March 29, 2011 (1) Borders bankruptcy February 17, 2011 (2) 2010 review December 17, 2010 (6) Congratulations Mario Vargas Llosa October 7, 2010 (2) OH! wins best book award September 23, 2010 (2) Review: Kissing the Mask August 22, 2010 (1) Jonathan Lethem: Writing at the margins July 12, 2010 (2) Review: Love in Translation June 22, 2010 (3) Jose Saramago June 18, 2010 (0) Marketplace of Ideas interview June 11, 2010 (2) Imagining Memory May 6, 2010 (1) Upcoming Los Angeles events April 7, 2010 (2) Time and energy March 30, 2010 (2) Review: Botchan February 28, 2010 (2) J.D. Salinger January 28, 2010 (1) 2009 Reviewed December 31, 2009 (5) Review: The Word Book December 12, 2009 (1) Chaat and Chat event with OH! November 6, 2009 (2) Home at last November 2, 2009 (2) Los Angeles events October 17, 2009 (1) Poets and poetry October 7, 2009 (1) Time + place September 24, 2009 (1) The future of books September 23, 2009 (1) October book tour September 6, 2009 (1) Blogging at Powell's Books August 28, 2009 (2) The evolution of an idea August 3, 2009 (1) The Poetics of Motoori Norinaga: A Hermeneutical Journey July 9, 2009 (2) Tour debrief July 2, 2009 (3) Book tour events May 18, 2009 (3) Simply in the mood April 24, 2009 (2) Book tour April 8, 2009 (6) The Necessary Book March 2, 2009 (2) "Murder Makes the Magazine" February 7, 2009 (3) John Updike January 27, 2009 (2) 2008 misc. (good news, bad news) January 1, 2009 (3) Publishing woes and query letters December 13, 2008 (4) Punctuation compunction November 16, 2008 (3) The Fountain of Youth (and other Ideas) October 10, 2008 (2) David Foster Wallace September 14, 2008 (2) Ending it all September 12, 2008 (2) The mystery of plotting, the plotting of mysteries August 29, 2008 (3) Blocking out the block August 20, 2008 (3) "What kind of books do you write?" August 8, 2008 (2) Theory of Satisfaction: Part 4 July 21, 2008 (3) Show and tell July 14, 2008 (3) Theory of Satisfaction: Part 3 July 7, 2008 (7) Advice for first-time writers (Barry Gifford and me) June 30, 2008 (6) Theory of Satisfaction: Part 2 June 18, 2008 (3) To be or not to be June 10, 2008 (6) Theory of Satisfaction: Part 1 June 3, 2008 (6) Virtual unreality May 31, 2008 (4) The purpose of this blog May 21, 2008 (5)