So, a new nomination, then !
Title: 国宝
Author: 吉田修一
Summary
Japanese
1964年元旦、長崎は老舗料亭「花丸」――侠客たちの怒号と悲鳴が飛び交うなかで、この国の宝となる役者は生まれた。男の名は、立花喜久雄。任侠の一門に生まれながらも、この世ならざる美貌は人々を巻き込み、喜久雄の人生を思わぬ域にまで連れ出していく。舞台は長崎から大阪、そしてオリンピック後の東京へ。日本の成長と歩を合わせるように、技をみがき、道を究めようともがく男たち。血族との深い絆と軋み、スキャンダルと栄光、幾重もの信頼と裏切り。舞台、映画、テレビと芸能界の転換期を駆け抜け、数多の歓喜と絶望を享受しながら、その頂点に登りつめた先に、何が見えるのか? 朝日新聞連載時から大きな反響を呼んだ、著者渾身の大作。
English
From Natively : Volume 1 Introduction: We can dance. So let us stand in a more beautiful world! Two young actors with different backgrounds and talents. Two young actors with different backgrounds and talents, Two young actors with different backgrounds and talents devote their youth to the path of the arts. This is the 20th anniversary work of the writer’s life. (Synopsis) January 1, 1964, at a ryotei restaurant “Hanamaru” in Nagasaki. Amidst the shouts and screams of chivalrous men, A man was born, an actor who would become a treasure of this country. His name is Kikuo Tachibana. Although born into the family of a yakuza, Kikuo’s unworldly good looks drew people to him, and he became a legendary actor, Kikuo’s life takes him to unexpected places. The story takes place from Nagasaki to Osaka and then to post-Olympic Tokyo. As Japan grows, men strive to hone their skills and master the art of karate. Deep family ties and friction, scandal and glory, multiple layers of trust and betrayal. They have run through the turning point of the entertainment industry, from stage to film to television, enjoying many joys and many despairs, What do we see at the end of their ascent to the top? (DeepL translation)
Resume of the movie adaptation (from Wikipedia) : Kikuo Tachibana, born the son of a Yakuza , was adopted by Kabuki actor Hanai Hanjiro at the age of 15 after his father was murdered by a rival gang. In the world of Kabuki , bloodline is highly valued, but Kikuo, with his natural talent, achieves great success.
Length: 407 pages for the first paperback volume, 432 pages for the second one
Category: 1, easier reading, faster pace
Natively link:
Link to the two-volume series
Volume 1 :
Volume 2 :
Availability
Volume 1
Amazon Kindle JP
Amazon Audible JP
Amazon JP
Honto
Rakuten
BookWalker
Kinokuniya JP
eBook Japan
CD Japan
Volume 2
Amazon JP
Amazon Kindle JP
Amazon Audible JP
Honto
Rakuten
BookWalker
Kinokuniya JP
eBook Japan
CD Japan
Personal Opinion
Yakuza ! Kabuki ! Aren’t you excited ?
More seriously : the book has received very good reviews, there’s a recent movie adaptation that has also been praised.
As for the author, he has received multiple literary awards, including the Akutagawa Award for his novel パークライフ.
Pros and Cons for the Book Club
Pros
Contemporary litterature exploring more traditional parts of japanese culture. I had a brief look at the first pages, and it doesn’t seem difficult, but I guess there will be more specialized vocabulary later on.
There is also an audiobook version
Cons
The book is long, so we may have to choose whether to read only one volume, and possibly continue as an informal book club for the second, or read it all but with a lengthy run