International Creative Network

Comments on Reading

Dec 16, 2007

• naoi says: Bite-Size Einstein
  
  i like this guy so much.
  this book shows you 150 phrases by him.
  he has great ideas, thoughts on his world and philosophy.
  i guess your mind will be expanded more by his words.
  i feel so happy to read this book sometimes.
  
  
  

Dec 12, 2007

• Akiyo says: 家出のすすめーー寺山修司
  「・・・私は、こうしたサザエさんのエロチシズムへの無関心と｢家｣への忠誠が、一夫一妻の死ぬまでのものだとするあきらめから出発していることが、この漫画の最大の特色と考えます。」
  
  the biggest characteristic of sazaesan, is that everything starts from masuo accepting that sazaes ignorance to eroticism and her loyalty to the "family" would never change till one of them disappears.
  
  i really love this intense circuit of his thoughts... it is like listening to a junior high school boy and you are holding your words "you are going too far! just take a deep breath." but still he is perfectly logical and persuasive. how can one go this deeply concerned about sazae sans night life? his mind wanders from family issue to the shape of nation, but never goes too serious. talks like humming while walking. i love those early showa people, knowing how they are connected and influenced by society and politics, war, etc. (or i wonder maybe we just miss such quiet and observing figure,, with too many pretentious worried faces just saying "we concern how far weve come, and where we are headed for" .)
  read shuji, and go jump out. out of home, out of the stiff minds.
  
  うっかり買った本に収録されており、家出のすすめ再読。行き過ぎだよ、と笑いつつ、でも完璧に論理的で、軽快で、気味が良い。家族から、国家の形へ。こんな風に客観的に、自分と時代を見ることが出来るのは、この時代ならではなのか。それとも、私たちは、自分のことに精一杯で、こんな冷静で、ユーモアのある目が欠けているのかも。
  以上、修司のすすめ。

Dec 06, 2007

• Akiyo says: 頼むから静かにしてくれ　will you please be quiet, please?
  
  村上春樹翻訳ライブラリーはオススメです。
  春樹の選んだ、静かで、優しいストーリーが、きれいな言葉で訳されていて、それぞれが、こころに染み渡ります。
  そして翻訳の読みやすさと言ったら、他の訳の「グレートギャッツビー」を図書館で何度も借りて、大学生の時ですら一度も完読出来なかった集中力欠如女の私が、晴れてギャッツビーを知る女になったくらい、といえばお分かりいただけるでしょうか。
  （この際、原作と翻訳がどうなのか、とかはしりません。読めなきゃしょうがないし）
  
  突然、結婚相手が浮気をしていたことが分かったとき、いったいどうしますか。嘆くのか、怒るのか、相手に対して？それとも、自分自身に対して？テレビドラマだったら、上手く書かれたスジがあって、それにのって感情を爆発させれば良い。でも、用意のないままに、うっかり、今、それが発覚してしまったら？実は、答えなんてない。全部が（それをドラマにするかを含めて！）自分次第だったりする。
  突然、そんな｢ドラマチックかも｣な状況に落ち込んでしまった｢フツウ男｣の主人公の、行き場のなさ、「あーぁ」な感じがリアルすぎる。そして、そのフツウさ、フツウゆえの痛いほどの悲しさ、切なさが、フツウな私たちの心を打ち、人間を好きにさせる。
  
  買って読む時は、二巻です。「頼むから静かにしてくれ」は「頼むから静かにしてくれⅡ」に入っています。でも、間違ってⅠだけ買ってしまっても、そんな自分を愛してみようか。という気持ちになる短編集です。

Nov 27, 2007

• Yuzu_cha says: 世界の日本人ジョーク集
  
  これ、去年売れていた本なのでもう読んだ方も多いんじゃないかと思います。
  
  笑えます。特にブラックジョークが平気な方にはオススメ。ジョークの背景にある歴史や日本に対するイメージなどの解説もあって、勉強にもなります。
  
  海外ではこういう「小話」ちっくなジョークが多いんですよね。
  
  

Oct 06, 2007

• former user recommended February Flowers by Fan Wu
  Tags: book, novel, Chinese, reading, february flowers, fan wu
  February Flowers
  by Fan Wu
  Publisher: Picador Asia
  ISBN: 9780330447683
  
  
  We book lovers read a multiplicity of books in our lives, but it is quite rare for us to encounter a book that draws us right into the story and, even after we finish it, keeps us trapped in its world for days; the world the book creates for us is so real and captivating that we can’t find the way out to the reality. No matter what you’re doing -- watching TV, eating dinner, or reading another book -- you find yourself half day-dreaming, wandering about through the vivid images -- sometimes even the smell and sounds -- that the book has left in your mind. February Flowers brought such an unusual experience to me.
  
  February Flowers is the debut novel of Fan Wu, a Chinese woman, written in English. It is easy to categorize it as a typical coming-of-age tale about girls in adolescence, their sexual awakenings and entangled friendship, but this novel has got a lot more to it.
  
  Narrated by Ming in her late twenties as a memoir, the story unfolds slowly yet vividly: Set in the post cultural revolution China of the ‘90s, an innocent 17-year-old college student Ming meets the worldly and alluring 24- year-old Miao Yan. Ming, a “good girl” living in her world of books, music and imagination, immediately becomes captivated by Miao Yan’s wildness and otherness, and the bond between the girls grows until it almost becomes an obsession for Ming. Though it seems these two girls have nothing in common, they are both naive and stubborn inside.
  
  Fan Wu’s simple but beautiful expressions, dulcet rhythms and creative metaphors give this book an unusual originality. Despite that English is only her second language, her writing is naturally poetic and has a magical attraction which makes you emotionally connected to the characters. I fell in love with Miao Yan just as Ming did, when they met for the first time on the rooftop:
  
  “The moonlight shone on her plump face. She seemed to be asleep. Her head was tilted against the wall, her long black hair streaming over her left shoulder and settling on her chest. *snip* Her blouse was near-transparent silk, with palm-sized red flowers set against a black background. When a breeze came, the blouse fluttered on her body and those flowers bobbed up and down like fire on a black sea.”
  
  
  When Miao Yan decides to leave the university and go back to the small province where she grew up, they meet on the same rooftop again.
  
  
  “She kissed me on the forehead. The Kiss, my first kiss from someone other than my parents, was tender, like a breeze. ‘Silly girl. You’re such a silly girl. You’ll marry someone you love, who loves you.’”
  
  
  Miao Yan puts her arm around Ming’s shoulders and pulls her head against hers, then begins to whistle a folk song. It is as if I could see her smile on her lips, hear her whisper and the light but melancholy tune that makes my heart ache.
  
  The ending seems a bit abrupt, but it depicts well the sudden transformation and awakening of a real woman in Ming, who is determined to follow her heart.
  
  
  And when I close my eyes, in my mind I see the two of them, like red and white flowers with light, soft petals, floating on a dark February sea, together.
  
  
  
  Order:
  http://www.amazon.co.jp/February-Flowers-Fan-Wu/dp/1416549439/ref=sr_1_2/503-6145696-3935947?ie=UTF8&s=english-books&qid=1191596310&sr=8-2
  
  (Reviewed by Yuki September, 10th, 2007)
  

Sep 21, 2007

• SweetPea recommended 女性の品格 (PHP新書)
  ☆礼状が書ける
  ☆約束を守る
  ☆型どおりの挨拶がきちんとできる
  ☆長い人間関係を大切にする
  ☆流行に飛びつかない
  ☆姿勢を正しく保つ
  ☆贅肉をつけない
  ☆花の名前を知っている
  ☆思い出の品を大事にする
  ☆人に擦り寄らない
  ☆プライバシーを詮索しない
  ☆恋はすぐに打ち明けない
  ☆品格ある男性を育てる
  など、全部は出来ないけど、参考になることがいっぱい書かれてます。
  最近のベストセラー！

Sep 04, 2007

• jolo says: No One Belongs Here More Than You
  Tags: mirandajuly, short-stories, collection, writing
  
  An amazing collection of short stories written by Miranda July. Brave, daring and beautiful! You'll find yourself laughing and nagging but you'll be having fun reading this book

Jul 24, 2007

• Benkei says: Desert Island Library
  Tags: books, reading
  I think this group needs a library. Here's how we can build one:
  
  Please reply with your ONE favorite book. That book that you would want with you if you were stuck on a desert island. Then, give a short comment to explain why. 日本語でもいいですよ！
  
  I'll go first: Watership Down
  
  Mythology, religion, politics, friendship, genocide, war...and all staring rabbits, brilliant.
  
  Please contribute so we can build us a sweet library, and share some of our favorite reading.
  
  よりしく！

Apr 28, 2007

• Ixion says: Dogs and Demons
  Tags: dogs, demons
  I couldn't resist. I wanted to wait until leaving Japan until reading this, because I heard it is so depressing it makes you want to get the hell out of this country. After about 10 pages in, I'd have to agree. I've always wondered why every river, every coastline, every hillside was completely smothered with concrete. Now I have some idea. The bureaucratic machine and backward way of thinking, sadly seems unstoppable, and is basically set to swallow the whole country. Pretty grim stuff.

Apr 17, 2007

• former user recommended Month of Sundays
  This is one of my favorite books, by my favorite author; John Updike is a monster of literary fiction with colossal control of the English language. This book is an intellectually stimulating laugh – definitely worth your time.