January always feels endless, although this year it was somewhat livelier with visits from my sons and some socialising. But the thing that makes it bearable above all is reading – and I did just that, a record number of 18 books, although quite a few of them were very short.
BOOKS
But it’s quality not quantity that counts – and usually my obsession with #JanuaryinJapan – now extended over three months and renamed Japanese Literature Challenge, hosted by the lovely Dolce Bellezza – means that I spend time with some favourite writers or try out new Japanese authors. I ended up reading 11 Japanese books, and reviewing all but one of them, a new record for me.
Although I was slightly disgusted by Hunchback and Snakes and Earrings (both a little too graphic for my taste), I did quite like Astral Season, Beastly Season, which I reviewed alongside the other two. Hotel Lucky Seven and Lost Souls Meet Under a Full Moon were quick, fun reads, and provided a refreshing contrast to the darkness and loneliness of Tokyo Decadence by one of my old favourites Murakami Ryu. Another favourite I returned to, also in the form of short stories, was Mishima – and, together with the short stories of Kono Taeko – these reaffirmed my love of the (slightly more twisted) modern classics of Japanese literature. I also tackled a chunkster that I’d bought as soon as it came out but kept putting off because of its length, Yu Miri’s story of a Korean family under Japanese occupation, written in Japanese but with so many Korean words and cultural references. I reread Mizubayashi Akira’s memoir about learning French – although I forgot that I’d read it about 10 years ago in France, and this is the one that I haven’t reviewed. Last but by no means least, I became acquainted with the author Abe Kazushige, and I definitely want to read more by him.
Reading The End of August and seeing an exhibition about Korean literature (more about that below) inspired me to read three Korean books – or Korean American in one case – all portraying the life of women in South Korea, which does not seem to be a happy lot. Watching the documentary K-Family Affairs also strengthened that perception. I’ll review the three of them together very soon.
The remaining four books were all welcome distractions, largely crime fiction:
Blues Cafe: a thriller set in contemporary Bucharest, co-written by two authors I’ve worked with before, Teo Matei and Bo Hrib.
Harriet Tyce: A Lesson in Cruelty – a thriller but also a sharp commentary about the prison system and rehabilitation
Jenny Morris: An Ethical Guide to Murder – a surprisingly philosophical book about moral choices – what would you do if you could reduce or prolong someone’s life? Who are you to decide who is ‘worthy’ of living?
Jenny Mustard: Okay Days – started to read this at the library where I was taking refuge from house viewings, thought it might help me to understand my sons’ generation (although the protagonists are a bit older than them). But hesitant, awkward love stories are not quite my thing.
FILMS
It’s been an amazing month of films, half of which I watched with family and friends. And, unlike many of the previous months, it has been a month of proper films rather than TV series.
Of these, I enjoyed rewatching Run Lola Run most, rated How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days lowest (romcoms, with very few exceptions, are not for me), was just as unmoved by Eyes Wide Shut as I’d been the first time round, thought The New Year That Never Came was a fairly good way to introduce my sons to my life before the 1989 fall of Ceausescu, was depressed by Taipei Story, enjoyed the nostalgia of Tokyo Pop and Us and Them, was absorbed by The Parades and A Real Pain (although the latter also made me squirm in discomfort), and found K-Family Affairs (a documentary about parents and children and what happens to revolutionary ideals when confronted with ‘real’ life and the pragmatism of raising a family) the most thought-provoking. Mai was my first Vietnamese film (probably), and it was a bit chaotic, but the two leads were very cute and charming. I loved the cinematography of Dune: Part Two, although the political intrigue is starting to weary me (given the political intrigues going on around the world). And of course Brief Encounter and Witness for the Prosecution are classics for a reason, although the people I watched them with (the nth time for me, the first time for them) were not as impressed.
OTHER EVENTS
The house has been on the market this month so I’ve had a steady stream of viewings (although no proper offers yet), which means I’ve tried to get out of the house as much as possible, to allow the estate agents to do their ‘spiel’.
My birthday present for my older son was Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake at Sadler’s Wells. because I still remember the exhilaration from watching it for the first time nearly 30 years ago (with his dad, who was less enthusiastic than my son was now).
I attended a lecture based around the literature exhibition at the Korean Cultural Centre in London, in which Prof. Grace Koh from SOAS tried to defend against the accusation that Korean literature is so depressing. I also attended the LRB livestream of Anne Carson: Beware the man whose handwriting sways like a reed in the wind, where she talked (beautifully, poetically and extremely movingly) about living and writing with Parkinson’s disease – and also about boxing, because she is also a very funny writer.
I was also delighted to attend the Foreign Affairs Theatre Translation showcase at the small but fine Jermyn Street Theatre. I’d applied to be a mentee on this eight-month programme of working on a translated play and then seeing it performed by professional actors, but sadly did not get accepted. However, seeing the breadth of the translations and plays being performed, I can understand why my proposal was rejected.
PLANS FOR FEBRUARY
I’ve already selected some books for French February, but more Japanese and Korean books keep sneaking in (although I should be culling books, not buying any more). I also really want to read Tokarczuk’s The Empusium at last – I always save her books for when I want a mental boost, as I enjoy them so much. Very much looking forward to participating in the Read Indies initiative hosted by @kaggsy59 and @lizzysiddal – I may even write a blog post mentioning my favourites from the Corylus Books catalogue (although, like a mother, I do not have favourites, I love them all!).
I’ll also be watching a bunch of Japanese films, including two Kurosawas I’ve never seen on the big screen before, and some contemporary ones – thank you to Jacqui for alerting me to the Japan Foundation touring programme at the Institute of Contemporary Arts.
February will also be a month of preparing for the mental, physical and emotional assault of March, which not only promises to be busy with London Book Fair, the Alternative Book Fair and the Assembly of Literary Translators, but also hopefully some progress regarding the move to Berlin (I have left some days free for a trip to Berlin to go flat-hunting).
findingtimetowrite 