Writer | AKHIL NANDA

In the miso soup !

The author Ryu Murakami is another author from Japan and is no way related to Haruki Murakami who has had many well known books written to his name, and have also been adapted to movies.

Ryu Murakami has written quite a few books “Audition” and “Piercing” are two of his other popular books apart from “in the miso soup” written by Ryu Murakami.

The other two books too like the”In the miso soup” are centred around the dark backdrop of Japan, disillusion, drug use and Murder

The book titled “In the Miso soup “ is a apt title for two reasons – One because the character compares his life with the miso soup and phara phrase the quote “I’m in the miso soup myself- Just like those bits of vegetable. I’m floating around in this giant bowl of it, and that’s good enough for me.

And the other the book is titled “In the miso soup” because the character’s purpose to visit Japan was to find out what the people who eat the miso soup on daily basis might be like.Again to Quote from the book. As he once ordered it in an America restaurant and was intrigued about it. He decided travel to Japan.

The moment I read the title of the book and turned over to read the blurb mentioned below,I was interested in reading this book. .

It’s just before New Year, Frank an overweight American tourist, has hired kenji to take him on a guided tour of Tokyo’s nightlife.

But, Franks behaviour is so odd that Kenji begins to entertain a horrible suspicion : His client may in fact have murderous desires.

Although, Kenji is far from innocent himself, he unwillingly descends with frank into an inferno of evil, from which only his sixteen year old girlfriend, Jun, can possibly save him.

Yeah, It’s a coincidence that this is my second book in a row from a Japanese author. But,The Japanese authors have such interesting storylines ,written in a captivating way that you become so engrossed in the storytelling, you only want more and more of it.

The book is written in three chapters.

Chapter 1 – Describes and establishes what the story is about – The beginning of how the characters meet.

Chapter 2 – The relationship between the two and why Kenji becomes suspicious about his client.

Chapter 3 – Is the reason behind why one should read the book.

The Book highlights the American and Japanese culture,What makes each different and similarities amongst the two. The ideology between the two nations amongst the locals and the identities each of the nation has created for itself.

Since the book was written long back ago, You might agree/disagree about some of the points discussed.

“In the miso soup” Is a crisp, well written physiological thriller set in the dark backdrop of Japan,that you will only put the book down once you read it.

Reading reality!

Posted on November 9, 2018 by nandakhil

Reading as a hobby could be such a pleasure,You can always learn about places,Culture,People,psychology of people and while you are idle, your mind is imagining all that’s written. And what if you end up in the country,You have read so much about?Have you ever wondered about the same ? Would you have a sense of familiarity or moments of Déjà vu?
For me as a reader,I have enjoyed reading Murakami books a lot right from the first book I read of his “colourless tazaki “to the most recent read “Norwegian wood.”May be because his stories are slightly eccentric or because he is a writer based in Japan,And there has always been a fascination for me as there is so little we know about the Japanese. And since Japan is the backdrop for all his stories the curiosity remains.
I read Norwegian wood last month.A book who’s inspiration is from the Beatles song Norwegian wood (This bird has flown )this was Post my visit to Japan about six months ago. And when I started reading the Norwegian wood
And as I kept turning the pages of the book,While reading. I sensed being in Japan and it wasn’t my imagination that was going wild,But a sense of reality that I was living in. I enjoyed reading the book even more because may be the perspective had changed as I had already travelled to Japan and could now relate to the place,People and culture even more than ever.

Born a crime -Trevor Noah book review!

Posted on November 8, 2018 by nandakhil

Born a crime @trevornoah is an interesting read giving insights on how it is growing up in South Africa.
This book indulges in the stereotypical South African life and it also describes how interesting place South Africa is. The book is titled “Born a crime”Because in South Africa his mother was a black and his father was white….

The immortality act 1927 is the reference to why Trevor Noah was Born a crime.

1.Any European male who had illicit carnal intercourse with native female, and any native male who had illicit carnal intercourse with a European female…Shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to imprisonments for a period not exceeding five years …
2.Any native female who permits any European male to have illicit canal intercourse with her. And any European female who permits any native male to have illicit intercourse with her shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to imprisonment for a period not exceeding four years …

The style of the book written is interesting every chapter has a brief summary on what the chapter is about.
South African are divided into different tribes like Zulu,Xhosa,Tswana,Sotho,Venda,Ndebele,Tsonga and Pedi are just a few of them.
Just like our Indian caste system has the Kshatriya who were known as the warriors & kings The Zulu tribe in South Africa too are known as the Warriors & like the Bhramin priest and the academics the Xhosa are the thinkers in South African tribe.
Trivia :

1.Streets in Johannesburg are named after cars
Jaguar streets,Ferrari street etc…
2.Rockery street also known as main strip in Johannesburg is one of the popular street filled with restaurants & bars.
3.Chinese in South Africa were classified as black and Japanese as white as they wanted Japanese fancy cars & electronic to be imported.

If you want to read something totally different this is the book! Stories from South African childhood.Interestingly this is my second South African author who I have read and realised personal stories are so interesting to read.The 1st South African Book I read was the tales of the metric system by Imraan Coovadia and the blurb of the book had caught by attention but what lacked in the book was the storytelling.

Over 10 chapters and 40 years—from 1970 through the end of apartheid, the election of Nelson Mandela, and the 2010 World Cup—multiple narrators provide varying perspectives. Each chapter showcases a short period of time, from a few hours to a day, in a character’s life.The small moments captured by Coovadia are snapshots of South Africa’s cultural change.

But Trevor Noah doesn’t disappoint you at all. It’s funny,Interestingly told story of his life in South Africa.