it seriously took me way too long to finish this book. it is shameful.
Having been an avid reader from such a very young age it is almost unbelievable, it is nothing new to me to feel moved by the characters and stories i encounter in books. However, it is rare for a book to move me quite so much as this one has.
i bought The Teahouse Fire on a bit of a whim while i was still living in Chicago, working at Borders. The cover (seen there, along with the option to preview the first chapter online) drew me in immediately, both for what it depicts and its coloring: the bright orange circle in the center, displaying the title, is printed with glossy ink. It's probably more than a little obvious, too, that i have a soft spot for Japan. But it goes beyond the anime and the manga; i've a genuine interest in the culture and i'll devour just about anything i can get my hands on to read about it. Finally, after, perhaps a little ironically, debating on it for several weeks (because i first spotted it on the bestsellers rack, and i tend not to trust the mass' opinion), i bought it.
It's taken, honestly, a little over a year to read it, as i stopped for a good while in the middle because i simply had no time. i picked it back up again once i settled into this house, needing the escape - and nineteenth century Japan is about as far away as i could get.
i don't think there has ever been a time in my life where i have actually wanted to write to an author. i've read so many books in my life, but not a single one has done for me what this one has. All the subtlety, all the nuance, the melting pot of feelings and language - part of me almost doesn't care about the parts that may be exaggerated. This work is astounding. And i even liked the ending.
i bought The Teahouse Fire on a bit of a whim while i was still living in Chicago, working at Borders. The cover (seen there, along with the option to preview the first chapter online) drew me in immediately, both for what it depicts and its coloring: the bright orange circle in the center, displaying the title, is printed with glossy ink. It's probably more than a little obvious, too, that i have a soft spot for Japan. But it goes beyond the anime and the manga; i've a genuine interest in the culture and i'll devour just about anything i can get my hands on to read about it. Finally, after, perhaps a little ironically, debating on it for several weeks (because i first spotted it on the bestsellers rack, and i tend not to trust the mass' opinion), i bought it.
It's taken, honestly, a little over a year to read it, as i stopped for a good while in the middle because i simply had no time. i picked it back up again once i settled into this house, needing the escape - and nineteenth century Japan is about as far away as i could get.
i don't think there has ever been a time in my life where i have actually wanted to write to an author. i've read so many books in my life, but not a single one has done for me what this one has. All the subtlety, all the nuance, the melting pot of feelings and language - part of me almost doesn't care about the parts that may be exaggerated. This work is astounding. And i even liked the ending.