Intermediate Japanese Book Club // Now Reading: セーラー服と機関銃

Would you mind telling me how you did it? D: do I need to make a new account for amazon jp?

Oops. Wait. Looks like I wasn’t looking at the Volume 1-6 set just now???

What the heck.

I’m on my phone at the moment, but will try to sort this out on the computer once I get home. So I’ll get back to you in a little while, unless someone else replies first.

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I had to make a new account. If you want to get a kindle version, you might need to proxy from Japan, or at least I did from the UK. Doesn’t look like there’s a kindle version of the 1-6 set though so I guess it doesn’t matter.

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No worries! (^-^) Thank you for the help c:

My order arrived!

I am excited but also a tad regretful because this sucker cost me about $13 with shipping.

Also, it’s on the small side compared to what I expected (though I bet the dimensions were listed somewhere in the description), which seems to be the case with Japanese paperbacks in general–at least from my limited experience.

It’s very shiny, though.

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Am I allowed to start? I read the first page. I have questions!

If they’re urgent, maybe you can post them but blur them with the spoiler tag?

Unless that would be frowned upon by the rest of the group? (Since it seems like we’re supposed to discuss after each chapter…)

In any case, I plan to start now, and will restrain myself as best I can until everyone’s caught up.

Idea - Maybe discussion of events, themes, etc. should wait until everyone finishes a chapter, but we could post questions about grammar/vocabulary before the chapter discussion, using spoiler tags and indicating the passage’s location by page number or non-spoiler parts of the sentence, and people who have already read that far can give advice/input. That way we can help each other while we read.

Would that make sense, or would it just over complicate matters?

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If ebooks are your jam (which they are mine), you can get No.6 for cheaper and much easier than on amazon here 無料まんが・試し読みが豊富!電子書籍をお得に買うならebookjapan . They also have the full 1-10 set.

The downside is their file format isn’t compatible with kindles, so you’ll need to use their app to read it, either on the web or on desktop. It’s a decent app, so it’s ok I guess. It might be possible to convert it, though.

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I think that could work. As long as you use spoiler tags other members shouldn’t get upset. Right?

Also, how long do you want the page number poll open? @Kumirei

I can wait!! :blush:

Oh, I guess I should close it now. It’s no use keeping it open when it’s in a different thread.

edit: 14 out of 19 voted for 5 pages a day or higher. We had three who voted for only 4 pages a day, so if we do 4 pages then 17/19 can keep up.

I propose that we do 5 pages a day, that way there will be some who might have to compromise and read a page or two more than what they voted for, but even then there are many more who would compromise and slow down.

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This idea works for me. That way people who are starting later can use the thread as a reference to help them along.

I also wondered if it might be good to have a word list of important but difficult words in a chapter. Obviously not every difficult word, but ones that come up repeatedly or are vital to understanding the story.

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I think that’s fair, especially since it’s the option that won out. I think unless we get any complaints, we should do the 5 pages a day.

If anyone who was a physical copy of the book is able to take pictures of the first few pages of the book with the page numbers showing since the ebook version from amazon only displays your current “location” and not “page number”:

If you’re reading on Kindle you should be able to press that bar to change what is displayed

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I’m reading on the kindle app but it doesn’t show the pages anywhere and from what I have looked up, not all amazon ebooks come with page numbers so I think this might be the case.

@Aceronian (ebooks are my jam too, right on! high five)
I’d like to ditto this. Amazon has the best quality reader desktop/app wise, but their policies haven’t been so global-friendly this year.

Along with ebookJapan, I’d also recommend checking out Honto for ebooks: NO.6〔ナンバーシックス〕 #1の電子書籍 - honto電子書籍ストア

Both EbookJapan and Honto both have point systems and (I don’t remember if Ebookjapan still has) coupons. EbookJapan’s reader isn’t too hot though; it’s alright for manga but pretty lacking for novels. Honto’s reader is very nice for novels the only thing is if you’re on iPhone/iPad you need to access the JP store to download the app.

(@Iwasneverhere don’t want to clutter the first post so thought I’d ask first, is it ok if we edit and add my and Aceronian’s links in the where to purchase section?)

@DiMono yeah, most JP Kindle books don’t come with page numbers, just the location and stuff.

I will check it out. Thanks.

Maybe it’s because I saw the film first, but Paprika was one of a very few cases where I preferred the film to the book. Not that I didn’t like the book - just that the movie is one of my favourites of all time (animated or otherwise).

My favourite thing Tsutsui’s done was in the Salmonella Men book. I think it’s the first story and is about a normal (even slightly pathetic) salaryman whose life is inexplicably chosen by the media as something to follow. One of the few times a book had me cracking up with laughter.

Here ya go! Rather than taking up a bunch of space with images, here are the first and last sentences/phrases of each page, corresponding with the paperback book linked up in the OP. Let me know, others with physical copies, whether this matches up.

Page 7
Chapter title/First phrase: びしょぬれネズミ
Last phrase: ネズミは、唇をかみしめた。

P. 8
F: 止血剤がほしい。
L: もう、諦めろ。

P. 9
F:足が前に出る。
L: …可能性もある。

P. 10
F: 生き延びるときめたのなら、…
L: おかげで、…

P. 11
F: 今日のざわめきは半端じゃない。
L: 植物性食料群の六十パーセント、動物…

P. 12
F: 性食料群の五十パーセント…
L: …時期と場所ごとに、咲く花も… (This sentence ends on p. 13.)

Edit: Here’s the next 5 pages for good measure. I think just the last sentence/phrase per page should be enough, but again, let me know if that’s not the case.

13: 荒々しい粗暴な感情の高ぶりが、時にぼくを襲う。
14: …不思議なのだ。
15: 冷えた五本の指がしめつてくる。「動くな」…
16: …ゆっくりと同じ言葉を繰り返した。
17: 「レポート?特別コースの入学が決まったばかりなのに?」

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Of course, please do. It’s important people have as many options to chose from as possible. And thank you :blush: