Rating:
This is the debut novel of the Czech author Anna Cima. As far as I know the book hasn’t been translated into English yet, thus I have taken its English title from an article I found online.
While visiting Japan, the main character Jana makes a whish to stay there forever. And it comes true… sort of.
A 17-year-old version of herself becomes stuck in Shibuya in the form of a spirit, invisible and unable to leave. The real Jana goes back to Czech Republic where she ends up studying Japanese at the university. There she stumbles upon the works of a little known Japanese writer Kawashita Kiyomaru. Translating the story she starts discovering more about his life which will prove to be much more important than she initially realized as it might help her to finally reunite with her alter-ego.
The book switches between three narratives: the one following Jana, the one focusing on her spirit and the one told through the works of the mysterious writer.
The prose is digestible, somewhat resembling everyday conversations and the story is easy to follow. The characters in it feel real and memorable and the same can be said for the setting – I could vividly imagine the busy streets of Tokyo or the abandoned buildings in Prague. The student life in Czech Republic is also interesting to learn about.
The book is funny and surprisingly relatable at times. There are also some interesting comments on writing itself.
In some small way it reminded me of Fishes nad Dragons, which I read recently, because of its short chapters, humor and telling the story of our society through characters banter.
There are few darker topics discussed here but the book never feels heavy. It is also somewhat uneventful which might bother some readers.
Pieces of the story are slowly revealed, but they come together beautifully.
Another interesting thing about the novel is the fact that the mysterious Japanese writer it centers around is completely made up. I suspected he might be because I didn’t think the author would randomly include many pieces of someone else’s writing into her own, but she was so convincing in telling his story that I ended up googling him. It speaks volumes about how well she combined facts and fiction.
Ultimately, I don’t seem to have too much to say about this book even though I loved every second of it. Still, I hope this was enough to convince you to at least give it a chance. Trust me, you won’t regret it.