Reading Diary 11 [High School Entrance Ceremony, Butter Chicken Curry, Thoughts on 'Breasts and Eggs']
Today was my eldest son's high school entrance ceremony.
I put 'Beneath the Wheel' in my bag to read, but I didn't have time. Only one week left until the book club! I wonder if I'll finish it.
I found out there's a sequel of sorts to 'Breasts and Eggs' which I finished yesterday, so I immediately started listening to 'Breasts and Eggs: Summer Story' on Audible. Is it what they call a reboot of a past work?
The first chapter feels like it has been almost entirely rewritten. In 'Breasts and Eggs', even the narrative text was in Kansai dialect, which made it hard to read, but
'Summer Story' has standard Japanese for the narrative text, with only the dialogue in Kansai dialect.
This version is definitely easier to listen to and easier to understand.
However, for now, I'm addicted to the impact of 'Breasts and Eggs'.
It's like wanting to smell something stinky over and over again.
Even though it's hard to read, it has such a powerful impact—a charm, or perhaps a magical quality—that draws me in.
I've summarized my thoughts for the book club.
Reading Mieko Kawakami's 'Breasts and Eggs', the scene that moved me the most was when her daughter, Midoriko, cries and smashes an egg against her own head. Midoriko had stopped speaking to her mother, Makiko, and had been communicating only through writing. But I was touched by the description that suddenly overflowed with the feeling that she was actually worried about Makiko and loved her.
This is about the fourth work of Mieko Kawakami's I've read, and what I feel every time is that she is able to put into words, with surprising precision, the subtle fluctuations of emotions and things like the atmosphere that are difficult to verbalize. Such things become 'visible' and 'tangible' within the text. I am overwhelmed by her writing ability every time.
What was particularly impressive this time was the sensitivity that a child like Midoriko has toward 'the fact that she was born.' My own sons also couldn't go to school when they were in elementary school and said, 'I wish I hadn't been born.' When you become an adult, you start saying 'I want to die.' But children still have a close distance between 'living' and 'being born,' and I think they feel more directly 'why am I here' and 'why do I exist in this world.'
I think such questions drifted heavily through 'Breasts and Eggs' through the existence of Midoriko. The way mother and daughter each wavered on the themes of 'giving birth' and 'being born' was very realistic, and every time I read it, my own thoughts on parent-child relationships and life were shaken.
When I first started reading, I was a little confused by the fact that even the narrative text was written in Kansai dialect and the style of not using quotation marks for dialogue. But as I read on, I was able to naturally get into the rhythm, and before I knew it, I was completely immersed in the world of the work.
I felt once again that Mieko Kawakami's writing has a truly amazing power to drag the reader into the story. There is a sense of realism as if I were there with the characters in the work. An overwhelming sense of immersion that makes you forget you are 'reading a book.' I think that is amazing.
I definitely want to read the sequel, 'Summer Story.' It was a book that made me want to touch the world of words depicted by Mieko Kawakami once again.
Well, that's about it. There's so much more I want to talk about, but
I wrote down what I wanted to say for now.
The high school entrance ceremony had nearly 300 students, and they called each name, had them stand up... it was so long.
The congratulatory speech from the guest was interesting.
It was impactful that it started with, 'Do you know the manga called Fist of the North Star?'
He said that even top-tier athletes only use 30% of their ability. For us ordinary people, we might not even be using 10%.
He said that by encountering breathing techniques and ancient martial arts, he has been able to defy aging and continues to evolve steadily even now.
He mentioned that people age rapidly at 44 and 60, and suddenly there are more things they can't do.
He also apparently trained his memory, and it was impressive that he spoke from beginning to end without a manuscript. I'm interested in breathing techniques~.
After the ceremony ended, there was the student council induction ceremony and a parent orientation.
Teachers took turns giving various notices, and it took quite a while.
I returned home exhausted.
When I asked, 'Is curry okay for today?', my eldest son said he wanted to eat 'butter chicken curry' that he had been curious about after watching it on YouTube, so we stood in the kitchen together.
It was incredibly easy, but tasted very authentic! It was delicious.
My second son and daughter both said, 'I know Kenta Shokudo!'
I wonder if it's popular with kids. I didn't know it.
It was suggested that adding strawberry jam would soften the spiciness, and when I tried it half-doubtingly, it went very well together.
I was surprised. I'll make it again.
And so, even though this is a reading diary, I'm writing about things unrelated to books.
Tomorrow is a day off for the company's 78th anniversary.
I have several books for the book club lined up, but I haven't read them at all, so I'm feeling a bit anxious.
I must make progress tomorrow.
4/27: Continue 'Beneath the Wheel'. 5/10: Reread 'Almond' from the beginning.
Also, I want to watch the video uploaded today by the 'First-Class Artist Literature Club', so I'll go to ChocoZAP too. I'll watch it while power walking on the treadmill.
Recently, these two have become a set for me. Oh, and the sauna afterwards is also essential, so it's a set of three.
I'm sleepy today too, so I don't think I'll be able to read.