Book 89: "Wrong About Japan" by Peter Carey

First, Kenji told us, this dusty slightly run down house belonged to a rich family. "Who else could afford such luxury? Also," he said, "it is a kind of ghost house."
"What makes it a ghost house?"
"Well, as you will see in a moment, there is a well."
"So?"
"The well is a very animistic thing. It is a hole to another world, to ghosts and spirits. A Japanese viewer sees that well and immediately understands that this will be a story about spirits."

When Peter Carey's 12-year-old son became interested in anime and manga, his father took him on a trip to Japan, with the promise that they wouldn't be wasting their time on the 'real Japan' of old temples and boring museums. It could have been quite an interesting book, but I wasn't really enamoured of it, mainly because Peter Carey comes across as a bit of a git.

But at least I now know the significance of the well in "The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle". I just hope I still remember when I get round to re-reading it!

Nottingham Round the World Reading Challenge - JAPAN - TOKYO

Book 90 " Ladies of Letters.com" by Carole Hayman & Lou Wakefield

. . . I feel myself drained after writing such a long missive, but as your friend it had to be done. Naturally it goes without saying that I, too, mean everything aforementioned in the most loving and caring way. But of course a lot of your behaviour clicks into place now I know your father frequented a bawdy house. Nobody would argue that it was a nice beginning for you, Vera, but if you're determined to try, you can rise about the nasty bits in your gene pool.

With all loving and friendly wishes,

Irene


Dear Irene,

You know where you can stuff your 'loving and friendly wishes'!

Vera

Ladies of Letters originated as a very funny radio series, with Patricia Routledge as Vera and Prunella Scales as her frenemy Irene.

In this book, they discover the internet and start using e-mail to exchange their waspish letters. Both their daughters are pregnant, and Vera's gay son and his partner are having their attempts at having a baby via a surrogate mother filmed for a reality television series, while a mysterious stranger seems to be stalking Irene.