Wednesday, January 3, 2007

One Hot Summer in Kyoto, by John Haylock

I got this one from a bargain bin and had no expectations from it whatsoever. It turned out to be a very enjoyable, quick read. For some reason, the no-nonsense style reminded me of J. D. Salinger. It has that amusing, honest-to-goodness quality in the narration, even if it doesn't carry all the subtle layers and nuances that Salinger's writing has.

The book tells the story of an Englishman who runs off to Japan every summer to get away from his wife and spend some time in the arms of a devoted mistress. It does a fairly good job of outlining cultural and social differences and it tells its story in way that is reminiscent of the farce or the comedy of errors. Recommended reading to Nippo-philes like me.

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